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Abstract Background ABC family genes encode ATP-binding cassette proteins, which are involved in the transport of various substances and are associated with major depressive disorder (MDD); however, their clinical significance in MDD remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether ABC family genes are associated with cognitive function, and the combined effects of genes and cognitive function on the severity of depression. Method Linear models or logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations of ABC family gene variants with clinical symptoms and cognitive function in 805 MDD patients (12–65 years old) and 1493 age-matched healthy controls (HCs). Seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs28401781, rs4148739, rs3747802, rs1109866, rs1109867, rs3731885, and rs3755047) of ABCB1 and ABCB6 were selected. The cognitive function was assessed by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Tower of Hanoi Test (TOH), Trail Making Test (TMT), and Verbal Fluency Test (VF). Results Significant differences in gene frequency and genotype frequency were observed at the rs1109866 (X 2 = 8.22, p = 0.004; X 2 = 9.82, p = 0.007) and rs1109867 (X 2 = 7.35, p = 0.007; X 2 = 9.15, p = 0.010) between MDD patients and HCs, even after correction. While rs28401781 (t = 2.78, p = 0.006) and rs4148739 (t = 3.08, p = 0.003) were associated with the TOH test. And both rs1109866 and rs1109867 interacted with TMT results to influence depression severity in MDD patients. Conclusion The results suggest that ABC family genes influence the severity of depression through cognitive functioning, providing possible evidence for genetic markers in MDD patients.

Abstract Patients with Moyamoya disease (MMD) exhibit significant alterations in brain structure and function, but knowledge regarding gray matter networks is limited. The study enrolled 136 MMD patients and 99 healthy controls (HCs). Clinical characteristics and gray matter network topology were analyzed. Compared to HCs, MMD patients exhibited decreased clustering coefficient (Cp) (P = 0.006) and local efficiency (Eloc) (P = 0.013). Ischemic patients showed decreased Eloc and increased characteristic path length (Lp) compared to asymptomatic and hemorrhagic patients (P

In this study, ionosonde observations over Fuke (19.5°N, 109.1°E), Wuhan (30.5°N, 114.4°E), and Mohe (53.5°N, 122.3°E) were analyzed to demonstrate the responses of the sporadic E () to the severe atmospheric disturbances caused by the Tonga volcanic eruptions on January 15, 2022. The most prominent signature was the disappearance of the layer after ~10:00 UT over Wuhan and Fuke, which was attributed to the vertical drift caused by the eruptions. The occurred intermittently after 13:00 UT following the arrival of the tropospheric Lamb wave. To examine the causal mechanism for the intermittence, we also included data of horizontal winds in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere region recorded by the meteor radars at Wuhan and Mohe in this study. The wind disturbances with periods of ~20 hours contributed to the formation of the layer in the nighttime on January 15.

Abstract Background ABCB1 overexpression is a key factor in causing multidrug resistance (MDR). As a result, it is crucial to discover effective medications against ABCB1 to overcome MDR. Falnidamol, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), is currently in phase 1 clinical trials for the treatment of solid tumors. In this work, we assessed whether falnidamol could act as an inhibitor of ABCB1 to reverse ABCB1-mediated MDR. Methods The reversal effect of falnidamol on MDR was assessed by MTT, colony formation, 3D microsphere, and xenograft model assays. The protein expression or cellular localization was tested by western blot and immunofluorescence analysis. The intracellular doxorubicin accumulation and efflux were assessed by flow cytometry. The ATPase activity of ABCB1 was detected by a microplate reader. The interaction between falnidamol and ABCB1 was evaluated by docking analysis and cellular thermal shift assay. Results Our data showed that falnidamol specifically reversed ABCB1-mediated MDR but not ABCG2-mediated MDR in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic studies suggested falnidamol had no effect on ABCB1 expression or cellular localization, nor on the AKT or ERK pathways. Further studies found that falnidamol reduced ABCB1’s efflux function, resulting in enhanced intracellular agent accumulation and thus overcoming MDR. ATPase assay showed that falnidamol suppressed the ABCB1 ATPase activity. Furthermore, docking analysis and cellular thermal shift assay indicated that falnidamol bound directly to the drug-binding site of ABCB1 transporter. Conclusion The present study proves that falnidamol acts as a highly potent and specific active ABCB1 transporter inhibitor, and can reverse ABCB1-mediated MDR, implying that combining falnidamol with ABCB1 substrate chemotherapeutic agents has the potential to overcome ABCB1-mediated MDR.

Abstract Objective To explore the safety and efficacy of low-intensity anticoagulation in patients after On-X mechanical aortic valve replacement. Methods A total of 104 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement in Cardiac Surgery Department of Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital from December 2018 to December 2021 were randomly divided into low-intensity anticoagulant (INR:1.5-2.0) and high-intensity anticoagulant (INR:2.0-2.5) to compare the incidence of adverse events related to postoperative anticoagulation between the two groups. Results Fifty-three patients were included in the low-intensity anticoagulation group (INR 1.5-2.0), and 51 patients were included in the high-intensity group (2.0-2.5). There was no significant difference in baseline data and surgical index between the two groups (P > 0.05); there were statistically significant differences in PT, INR and bleeding events (P 0.05). Conclusion For patients requiring On-X mechanical aortic valve replacement who have no risk factors for thromboembolism, it is appropriate to control the INR in the target range 1.5-2.0, which can reduce the incidence of bleeding adverse events and significantly improve the quality of life, without increasing the risk of thromboembolic adverse events.

Abstract Cetuximab, an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody, has been shown to improve survival in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. However, a correlation between the expression of EGFR and the response to cetuximab has not been observed, indicating that the mechanism underlying the effects of cetuximab needs to be further elucidated. The antitumour response involves immunotherapeutic mechanisms that target tumour-associated antigens, including complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), act either alone or, more often, in combination. However, EBV infected NPC cells often develop resistance mechanisms that allow them to evade immune surveillance. Here, we found that overexpression of the complement-regulated protein CD55 in EBV-associated NPC cells mainly suppresses ADCC activity thus reduces the efficacy of cetuximab. Mechanistically, EBV latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) mediated upregulation of CD55 through the NF-κB signalling pathway. The present study provides a rationale for the development of CD55 inhibitors to improve the clinical efficacy of cetuximab in NPC.

Abstract Background With the increasing burden of dental diseases and the limited availability of healthcare resources, traditional triage methods are inadequate in efficiently utilizing healthcare resources and meeting patient needs. The aim of this study is to develop an advanced triage system that combines oral radiomics and biological multi-omics data, which enables accurate departmental referral of patients by automatically interpreting biological information in oral X-ray images. Methods Using a multi-label learning algorithm, we analyzed multi-omics data from 3,942 patients with oral diseases from three cohorts between July 1, 2023 and August 18, 2023, and continuously monitored classification accuracy (ACC) metrics. Results In the test cohort and external validation cohort, we used the DenseNet121 model to analyze the multi-omics data and achieved classification accuracies of 0.80 and 0.82, respectively. Conclusions The main contribution of this study is to propose a new treatment process that incorporates biological multi-omics data, which reduces the workload of physicians while providing timely and accurate medical care to patients. Through comparative experiments, we demonstrate that the process is more efficient than existing processes. In addition, this intelligent triage system demonstrates high prediction accuracy in practical applications, providing new ideas and methods for biological multi-omics research.

Abstract Background To compare the impact of two different lipid emulsions, specifically a soybean oil-based emulsion and a multiple oil emulsion (soybean oil, medium-chain triglycerides, olive oil, and fish oil, SMOF), on serum metabolites of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants using untargeted metabolomics analysis. Methods A comparative study was conducted on 25 VLBW infants hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) of Hangzhou Women’s Hospital in 2023. The infants were divided into the SMOF group (13 cases) and the soybean oil group (12 cases) based on the type of lipid emulsion used during parenteral nutrition. Serum samples were collected at birth and 14 days later from both groups. An untargeted metabolomics analysis was conducted on serum samples using Ultra-high Performance Liquid Chromatography - Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Differential metabolites were identified using Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) modeling, with criteria of variable importance in the projection (VIP) > 1 and false discovery rate (FDR)

BackgroundIn vitro-in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) is an approach utilizing in vitro experimental data to predict in vivo phenomena. It is a promising tool for chemical risk assessment.ObjectiveTo learn the hotspots, evolution path, and trend of IVIVE in risk assessment by literature search and bibliometric analysis, and provide reference and data support for subsequent research. MethodsPubMed and Web of Science Core Collection were selected as foreign databases to search for literature about IVIVE applied in risk assessment published by December 31, 2023. The number of relevant documents in CNKI and Wanfang database was too small, so the Chinese databases were not included in this study. This study employed bibilometric analysis using VOSviewer and CiteSpace for visualizing networks categorized by author, institution, country, journal, keyword, and co-citation.ResultsA total of 189 articles were included in this study. The first article was published in 2006, and since then the number of publications overall showed an upward trend and increased significantly after 2016. The institution with the most publications was the United States Environmental Protection Agency (28 articles). The United States was the most productive country (87 articles), and had a close cooperation with the United Kingdom. The journal with the most publications and the highest number of citations per article was Archives of Toxicology (19 articles). The keyword co-occurrence analysis suggested that research on IVIVE in risk assessment mainly studied the methods and models of IVIVE and prediction of chemical toxicity, and toxicity, in vitro, and models were the research hotspots in this field. Keyword timeline cluster analysis suggested that the assessment objects gradually expanded from drugs to environmental chemicals, organic chemicals and food additives. The co-citation analysis suggested that articles about IVIVE in risk assessment mostly cited journals in the environment, food, and drug fields, and these articles were mainly methodological studies followed by literature reviews. ConclusionThe research of IVIVE in risk assessment has developed rapidly. With the improvement of prediction models and the expansion of application scope, animal experiments in risk assessment may be greatly reduced and the efficiency of risk assessment can be increased. At present, the United States has a leading position in this field, while China has few relevant studies and needs to actively carry out international cooperation to improve the level of applied research of IVIVE. In the future, it is hoped that the IVIVE method can be further refined to improve its application and expand its research fields.

The characteristics of composite inclusions between atomic interfaces has been investigated by combining high-angle annular dark field (HAADF) with first-principles computations. The characteristics of the composite inclusions reveal a core of Ca2Al2O5, with CaS and TiN adhering to its surface. According to mismatch degree theory and SEM characterization, the nucleation rate increases with a decreasing degree of mismatch. Notably, the adhesion work of the Ca2Al2O5/CaS interface is greater than that of the Ca2Al2O5/TiN interface, demonstrating the stronger bond strength of the Ca2Al2O5/CaS interface. The prediction of the lowest interfacial energy shows that a stable interface can form between Ca2Al2O5 and MX. Hence, Ca2Al2O5 can be effectively utilized as a nucleation side for CaS (TiN). The present work provides valuable theoretical and technical information for knowledge-based design and prediction of composite inclusion regulation for structural steels, especially for marine engineering steels.

Abstract Background Previous studies have shown that overall sleep quality among Chinese nurses is relatively low, with a sleep disorder prevalence rate of approximately 66.4%. Against the backdrop of healthcare reforms, China has been striving to improve the mental health and sleep quality of nurses. Stress mindset can influence how individuals respond to stress, but there is limited research on how stress mindset affects nurses’ sleep quality. This study aims to explore the impact of stress mindset on sleep quality among nurses, as well as the mediating roles of stress overload and anxiety in this relationship. Methods The study was conducted online using a questionnaire from February 18 to February 22, 2024. It utilized the Stress Mindset Measure (SMM), the Stress Overload Scale-Short (SOS-S), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to survey 441 nurses in three regions of China: Chongqing, Hunan, and Shandong (M = 34.39, SD = 7.82, 95.7% female). A chain mediation model was employed to examine the mediating roles of stress overload and anxiety in the relationship between stress mindset and sleep quality. Results The participants’ average sleep quality score was 7.18 ± 3.47. Nurses’ stress mindset was significantly negatively correlated with both stress overload and anxiety, and significantly positively correlated with sleep quality. Stress overload was significantly positively correlated with anxiety and significantly negatively correlated with sleep quality. Anxiety was also significantly negatively correlated with sleep quality. The direct effect of nurses’ stress mindset on sleep quality was significant (effect size = -0.10, 95% CI: -0.19 to -0.01), as were the indirect effects through stress overload (effect size = -0.05, 95% CI: -0.11 to -0.01) and anxiety (effect size = -0.09, 95% CI: -0.13 to -0.05), along with their chain mediation effect (effect size = -0.10, 95% CI: -0.14 to -0.06). Conclusion Our study demonstrates that a higher level of nurses’ stress mindset is associated with better sleep quality, with stress overload and anxiety mediating this relationship. A positive stress mindset helps nurses cope more effectively with professional challenges and reduces anxiety, leading to improved sleep quality. Healthcare institutions should therefore prioritize fostering positive stress mindsets in nurses, encouraging regular psychological training and workshops to support the development of effective coping strategies.

In recent years, semiconductor photocatalytic methods have made great progress in the reduction and extraction of uranium from water. In recent years, due to its advantages of less pollution, low energy, and high material reuse efficiency, photocatalysis has become an important direction in the study of reduction and extraction of uranium in water, and it also has the potential to treat nuclear wastewater and extract uranium from seawater. This article reviews the mechanism of photocatalytic reduction of uranium, and the characteristics, synthesis and classification methods of catalyst materials. In order to make the classification more intuitive and specific, classification is based on composition rather than structure, and it is divided into titanium dioxide and its modified composite materials, graphite phase carbon nitride and its derivatives, bismuth photocatalysts, metal sulfide photocatalysts, etc. The advantages and disadvantages of different photocatalysts were analyzed and a series of comparisons were made to provide reference and basis for research on uranium extraction through photocatalytic reduction.

Abstract Targeted immunotherapies make substantial strides in clinical cancer care due to their ability to counteract the tumor's capacity to suppress immune responses. Advances in biomimetic technology with minimally immunogenic and highly targeted, are addressing issues of targeted drug delivery and disrupting the tumor's immunosuppressive environment to trigger immune activation. Specifically, the use of dendritic cell (DC) membranes to coat nanoparticles ensures targeted delivery due to DC's unique ability to activate naive T cells, spotlighting their role in immunotherapy aimed at disrupting the tumor microenvironment. The potential of DC's biomimetic membrane to mediate immune activation and target tumors is gaining momentum, enhancing the effectiveness of cancer treatments in conjunction with other immune responses. This review delves into the methodologies behind crafting DC membranes and the fusion of dendritic and tumor cell membranes for encapsulating therapeutic nanoparticles. It explores their applications and recent advancements in combating cancer, offering an all-encompassing perspective on DC biomimetic nanosystems, immunotherapy driven by antigen presentation, and the collaborative efforts of drug delivery in chemotherapy and photodynamic therapies. Current evidence shows promise in augmenting combined therapeutic approaches for cancer treatment and holds translational potential for various cancer treatments in a clinical setting. Graphical Abstract

The incorporation of commercial flame retardants into fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites has been proposed as a potential solution to improve the latter’s poor flame resistance. However, this approach often poses a challenge, as it can adversely affect the mechanical properties of the FRP. Thus, balancing the need for improved flame resistance with the preservation of mechanical integrity remains a complex issue in FRP research. Addressing this critical concern, this study introduces a novel additive system featuring a combination of one-dimensional (1D) hollow tubular structured halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) and two-dimensional (2D) polygonal flake-shaped nano kaolinite (NKN). By employing a 1D/2D hybrid kaolinite nanoclay system, this research aims to simultaneously improve the flame retardancy and mechanical properties. This innovative approach offers several advantages. During combustion and pyrolysis processes, the 1D/2D hybrid kaolinite nanoclay system proves effective in reducing heat release and volatile leaching. Furthermore, the system facilitates the formation of reinforcing skeletons through a crosslinking mechanism during pyrolysis, resulting in the development of a compact char layer. This char layer acts as a protective barrier, enhancing the material’s resistance to heat and flames. In terms of mechanical properties, the multilayered polygonal flake-shaped 2D NKN plays a crucial role by impeding the formation of cracks that typically arise from vulnerable areas, such as adhesive phase particles. Simultaneously, the 1D HNT bridges these cracks within the matrix, ensuring the structural integrity of the composite material. In an optimal scenario, the homogeneously distributed 1D/2D hybrid kaolinite nanoclays exhibit remarkable results, with a 51.0% improvement in mode II fracture toughness (GIIC), indicating increased resistance to crack propagation. In addition, there is a 34.5% reduction in total heat release, signifying improved flame retardancy. This study represents a significant step forward in the field of composite materials. The innovative use of hybrid low-dimensional nanomaterials offers a promising avenue for the development of multifunctional composites. By carefully designing and incorporating these nanoclays, researchers can potentially create a new generation of FRP composites that excel in both flame resistance and mechanical strength.

Abstract Background Recent studies have found that histone-modified genes play an increasingly important role in tumor progression. Lysine(K) specific demethylase 4A (KDM4A) is a histone lysine-specific demethylase highly expressed in a variety of malignant tumors, data showed that KDM4A was negatively correlated with the Bone Morphogenetic Protein 9 (BMP9) in breast cancer. And previous experiments have demonstrated that exogenous BMP9 significantly inhibits breast cancer development. Materials and methods We detected the expression of KDM4A in breast cancer and the relationship between KDM4A and BMP9 using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot, and verified the interaction between KDM4A and BMP9 by ChIP experiments. At the same time, we also detected whether KDM4A had effects on the RNA and protein stability of BMP9 using actinomycin D and cycloheximide. Measurement of alpha-ketoglutarate (α-KG) level by ELISA to observe the effect of BMP9 on glutamine metabolism in breast cancer cells. Nucleoplasmic distribution of KDM4A after exogenous BMP9 treatment in breast cancer cells were observed by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot. A subcutaneous xenograft tumor model in nude mice was used to study the therapeutic effects of exogenous BMP9 and KDM4A inhibitor (JIB-04) in breast cancer. CCK-8, conoly formation, Transwell, wound healing, and immunohistochemistry were used to monitor the growth of tumor and cell function. Results We found that KDM4A was abnormally highly expressed in breast cancer, and silenced BMP9 expression by removing histone methyl groups from the BMP9 gene region. Meanwhile, KDM4A could also reduce the stability of BMP9 protein. BMP9 inhibit glutamine metabolism in breast cancer, resulting in a decrease in its product α-KG, is confirmed by ELISA. Altered nucleoplasmic distribution of KDM4A due to decreased α-KG was confirmed by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot. Animal experiments confirm that the combination of exogenous BMP9 and JIB-04 shows significantly better results in breast cancer. Conclusions KDM4A silences BMP9 expression by removing histone methyl groups from the BMP9 gene region, leading to further enhancement of glutamine metabolism, which contributes to malignant tumor progression. In addition, using JIB-04 in combination with exogenous BMP9 could inhibit the malignant progression of breast cancer cells and the growth of tumors more significantly.

Abstract Background Mammographic density has been associated with breast cancer risk, and is modulated by established breast cancer risk factors, such as reproductive and hormonal history, as well as lifestyle. Recent epidemiological and biological findings underscore the recognized benefits of breastfeeding in reducing breast cancer risk, especially for aggressive subtypes. Current research exploring the association among mammographic density, breastfeeding, and breast cancer is sparse. Main findings Changes occur in the breasts during pregnancy in preparation for lactation, characterized by the proliferation of mammary gland tissues and the development of mammary alveoli. During lactation, the alveoli fill with milk, and subsequent weaning triggers the involution and remodeling of these tissues. Breastfeeding influences the breast microenvironment, potentially altering mammographic density. When breastfeeding is not initiated after birth, or is abruptly discontinued shortly after, the breast tissue undergoes forced and abrupt involution. Conversely, when breastfeeding is sustained over an extended period and concludes gradually, the breast tissue undergoes slow remodeling process known as gradual involution. Breast tissue undergoing abrupt involution displays denser stroma, altered collagen composition, heightened inflammation and proliferation, along with increased expression of estrogen receptor α (ERα) and progesterone receptor. Furthermore, elevated levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) surpass those of its inhibitors during abrupt involution, enhancing insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling and collagen deposition. Prolactin and small molecules in breast milk may also modulate DNA methylation levels. Drawing insights from contemporary epidemiological and molecular biology studies, our review sheds light on how breastfeeding impacts mammographic density and explores its role in influencing breast cancer. Conclusion This review highlights a clear protective link between breastfeeding and reduced breast cancer risk via changes in mammographic density. Future research should investigate the effects of breastfeeding on mammographic density and breast cancer risk among various ethnic groups and elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying these associations. Such comprehensive research will enhance our understanding and facilitate the development of targeted breast cancer prevention and treatment strategies.

Cultural relics visualization brings digital archives of relics to broader audiences in many applications, such as education, historical research, and virtual museums. However, previous research mainly focused on modeling and rendering the relics. While enhancing accessibility, these techniques still provide limited ability to improve user engagement. In this paper, we introduce RelicCARD, a semantics-based augmented reality (AR) tangible interaction design for exploring cultural relics. Our design uses an easily available tangible interface to encourage the users to interact with a large collection of relics. The tangible interface allows users to explore, select, and arrange relics to form customized scenes. To guide the design of the interface, we formalize a design space by connecting the semantics in relics, the tangible interaction patterns, and the exploration tasks. We realize the design space as a tangible interactive prototype and examine its feasibility and effectiveness using multiple case studies and an expert evaluation. Finally, we discuss the findings in the evaluation and future directions to improve the design and implementation of the interactive design space.

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is the standard treatment recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients who are eligible for transplantation. This procedure follows response achieved through induction therapy. The key to the success of ASCT lies in the quantity and quality of hematopoietic stem cells collected after mobilization. Studies have shown a positive correlation between the number of hematopoietic stem cells collected and the engraftment time of absolute neutrophil count (ANC) and platelet count (PLT). However, the advent of novel therapeutic agents that have significantly improved the survival of MM patients has also impacted hematopoietic stem cell mobilization, potentially delaying hematopoietic recovery, a process referred to as hematopoietic remodeling. In this paper, we will retrospectively analyze and summarise the research progress related to the effects of previous chemotherapeutic agents on hematopoietic stem cell mobilization and hematopoietic remodeling, to further improve the prognosis and quality of survival of MM patients who are eligible for transplantation.

BackgroundTUBGCP2 variants are associated with the LIS spectrum disorders, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. To retrospectively analyze the clinical features and genetic information of patients having lissencephaly spectrum disorders associated with TUBGCP2 variants.MethodsClinical and genetic data of a patient diagnosed with TUBGCP2-related lissencephaly spectrum disorder at the Department of Pediatric Neurology, Shengjing Hospital, in March 2022 were collected. Furthermore, we reviewed previously reported literature on patients with the same gene variation.ResultsA 6-year-old female patient presented with microcephaly (head circumference: 46 cm, Z score: T, c.538T>C, and maternal exon variant: 2–14 deletion). A literature search revealed seven patients with lissencephaly spectrum disorders associated with TUBGCP2 variants, including eight gene variation types. Moreover, the TUBGCP2 variants were found to cause lissencephaly spectrum diseases, with the main clinical manifestations being microcephaly, lissencephaly (including agyria, pachygyria, or subcortical band heterotopia), dysmorphic facial features (e.g., narrow forehead, thick eyebrows, bulbous nose, prominent ears, and widened and separated teeth), and developmental delay, with or without seizures.ConclusionOur study expands the genotype of this brain malformation disorder associated with TUBGCP2 variants by presenting the first case of TUBGCP2 variants causing lissencephaly spectrum disorders in China.

Abstract Harnessing the robust electromechanical couplings, piezoelectric materials not only enable efficient bio‐energy harvesting, physiological sensing and actuating but also open enormous opportunities for therapeutic treatments through surface polarization directly interacting with electroactive cells, tissues, and organs. Known for its highly oriented and hierarchical structure, collagen in natural bones produces local electrical signals to stimulate osteoblasts and promote bone formation, inspiring the application of piezoelectric materials in orthopedic medicine. Recent studies showed that piezoelectricity can impact microenvironments by regulating molecular sensors including ion channels, cytoskeletal elements, cell adhesion proteins, and other signaling pathways. This review thus focuses on discussing the pioneering applications of piezoelectricity in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic diseases, aiming to offer valuable insights for advancing next‐generation medical technologies. Beginning with an introduction to the principles of piezoelectricity and various piezoelectric materials, this review paper delves into the mechanisms through which piezoelectric materials accelerated osteogenesis. A comprehensive overview of piezoelectric materials, devices, and systems enhancing bone tissue repair, alleviating inflammation at infection sites, and monitoring bone health is then provided, respectively. Finally, the major challenges faced by applications of piezoelectricity in orthopedic conditions are thoroughly discussed, along with a critical outlook on future development trends.

In credit risk assessment, unsupervised classification techniques can be introduced to reduce human resource expenses and expedite decision-making. Despite the efficacy of unsupervised learning methods in handling unlabeled datasets, their performance remains limited owing to challenges such as imbalanced data, local optima, and parameter adjustment complexities. Thus, this paper introduces a novel hybrid unsupervised classification method, named the two-stage hybrid system with spectral clustering and semi-supervised support vector machine (TSC-SVM), which effectively addresses the unsupervised imbalance problem in credit risk assessment by targeting global optimal solutions. Furthermore, a multi-view combined unsupervised method is designed to thoroughly mine data and enhance the robustness of label predictions. This method mitigates discrepancies in prediction outcomes from three distinct perspectives. The effectiveness, efficiency, and robustness of the proposed TSC-SVM model are demonstrated through various real-world applications. The proposed algorithm is anticipated to expand the customer base for financial institutions while reducing economic losses.

The identification of source in potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in watershed soils is crucial for environmental management. This study addresses the knowledge gap in understanding the combined influence of natural and anthropogenic factors on the spatial pattern of lead (Pb) in the surface soil of the Nanliu River Basin. The main objective was to identify and quantify these influences using an integrated approach of ANOVA, correlation analysis, IDW interpolation, and Local Moran's I. Soil samples were collected and analyzed for Pb concentrations, revealing that granite and urban development significantly control Pb occurrence. The results indicate that the spatial pattern of soil Pb is jointly controlled by soil parent materials and anthropogenic factors, with varying degrees of influence across spatial scales. When the distance band of the Local Moran's I is set at 8000 m, the most reasonable spatial partitioning characteristics are exhibited. In conclusion, our study underscores the importance of integrating traditional statistical and spatial analysis methods to better understand the geochemical features of Pb in the surface soil of the Nanliu River Basin. This approach provides valuable insights for environmental management and pollution mitigation strategies. Our research highlights the use of integrating traditional statistical and spatial analysis methods in environmental research and offers a deeper comprehension of the geochemical features of Pb in the surface soil of the Nanliu River Basin.

Transfer RNA-derived small RNAs, a recently identified class of small noncoding RNAs, play a crucial role in regulating gene expression and are implicated in cerebrovascular diseases. However, the specific biological roles and mechanisms of transfer RNA-derived small RNAs in intracranial aneurysms (IAs) remain unclear. In this study, we identified that the transfer RNA-Asp-GTC derived fragment (tRF-AspGTC) is highly expressed in the IA tissues of both humans and mice. tRF-AspGTC promotes IA formation by facilitating the phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells, increasing of matrix metalloproteinase 9 expression, and inducing of oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. Mechanistically, tRF-AspGTC binds to galectin-3, inhibiting tripartite motif 29-mediated ubiquitination and stabilizing galectin-3. This stabilization activates the toll-like receptor 4/MyD88/nuclear factor kappa B pathway, further driving phenotypic switching and inflammation. Clinically, circulating exosomal tRF-AspGTC demonstrates strong diagnostic efficacy for IAs and is identified as an independent risk factor for IA occurrence. These findings highlight the potential of tRF-AspGTC as a promising diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for IAs.

AimTo explore the role of the hub gene Transforming Growth Factor Beta Induced (TGFBI) in Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) pathogenesis and its regulatory relationship with Membrane Associated Ring-CH-Type Finger 8 (MARCHF8).BackgroundIDD is a prevalent musculoskeletal disorder leading to spinal pathology. Despite its ubiquity and impact, effective therapeutic strategies remain to be explored.ObjectiveIdentify key modules associated with IDD and understand the impact of TGFBI on nucleus pulposus (NP) cell behavior, extracellular matrix (ECM)-related proteins, and the Nuclear Factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of Activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling pathway.MethodsThe GSE146904 dataset underwent Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) for key module identification and Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs) screening. Intersection analysis, network analysis, and co-expression identified TGFBI as a hub gene. In vitro experiments delved into the interplay between TGFBI and MARCHF8 and their effects on NP cells.ResultsWGCNA linked the MEturquoise module with IDD samples, revealing 145 shared genes among DEGs. In vitro findings indicated that MARCHF8 determines TGFBI expression. TGFBI boosts apoptosis and ECM breakdown in Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated (LPS-stimulated) NP cells. Altering TGFBI levels modulated these effects and the NF-κB signaling pathway, influencing inflammatory cytokine concentrations. Moreover, MARCHF8 ubiquitination controlled TGFBI expression.ConclusionTGFBI, modulated by MARCHF8, significantly influences IDD progression by affecting NP cell apoptosis, ECM degradation, and inflammation through the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) cells display remarkable adaptability, orchestrating metabolic changes that confer growth advantages, pro‐tumor microenvironment, and therapeutic resistance. One such metabolic change occurs in glutamine metabolism. Colorectal tumors with high glutaminase (GLS) expression exhibited reduced T cell infiltration and cytotoxicity, leading to poor clinical outcomes. However, depletion of GLS in CRC cells has minimal effect on tumor growth in immunocompromised mice. By contrast, remarkable inhibition of tumor growth is observed in immunocompetent mice when GLS is knocked down. It is found that GLS knockdown in CRC cells enhanced the cytotoxicity of tumor‐specific T cells. Furthermore, the single‐cell flux estimation analysis (scFEA) of glutamine metabolism revealed that glutamate‐to‐glutathione (Glu‐GSH) flux, downstream of GLS, rather than Glu‐to‐2‐oxoglutarate flux plays a key role in regulating the immune response of CRC cells in the tumor. Mechanistically, inhibition of the Glu‐GSH flux activated reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐related signaling pathways in tumor cells, thereby increasing the tumor immunogenicity by promoting the activity of the immunoproteasome. The combinatorial therapy of Glu‐GSH flux inhibitor and anti‐PD‐1 antibody exhibited a superior tumor growth inhibitory effect compared to either monotherapy. Taken together, the study provides the first evidence pointing to Glu‐GSH flux as a potential therapeutic target for CRC immunotherapy.

Extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA), a chromosome-independent circular DNA, has garnered significant attention due to its widespread distribution and intricate biogenesis in carcinoma. Existing research findings propose that multiple eccDNAs contribute to drug resistance in cancer treatments through complex and interrelated regulatory mechanisms. The unique structure and genetic properties of eccDNA increase tumor heterogeneity. This increased diversity is a result of eccDNA's ability to stimulate oncogene remodeling and participate in anomalous splicing processes through chimeric cyclization and the reintegration of loop DNA back into the linear genome. Such actions promote oncogene amplification and silencing. eccDNA orchestrates protein interactions and modulates protein degradation by acting as a regulatory messenger. Moreover, it plays a pivotal role in modeling the tumor microenvironment and intensifying the stemness characteristics of tumor cells. This review presented detailed information about the biogenesis, distinguishing features, and functions of eccDNA, emphasized the role and mechanisms of eccDNA during cancer treatment, and further proposed the great potential of eccDNA in inspiring novel strategies for precision cancer therapy and facilitating the discovery of prognostic biomarkers for cancer.

This study investigates public perception and acceptance of AI-generated art using an integrated system that merges eye-tracking methodologies with advanced bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT)-based sentiment analysis. Eye-tracking methods systematically document the visual trajectories and fixation spots of consumers viewing AI-generated artworks, elucidating the inherent relationship between visual activity and perception. Thereafter, the BERT-based sentiment analysis algorithm extracts emotional responses and aesthetic assessments from numerous internet reviews, offering a robust instrument for evaluating public approval and aesthetic perception. The findings indicate that consumer perception of AI-generated art is markedly affected by visual attention behavior, whereas sentiment analysis uncovers substantial disparities in aesthetic assessments. This paper introduces enhancements to the BERT model via domain-specific pre-training and hyper- parameter optimization utilizing deep Gaussian processes and dynamic Bayesian optimization, resulting in substantial increases in classification accuracy and resilience. This study thoroughly examines the underlying mechanisms of public perception and assessment of AI-generated art, assesses the potential of these techniques for practical application in art creation and evaluation, and offers a novel perspective and scientific foundation for future research and application of AI art.

ABSTRACT Background Immune biomarkers for non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are programmed death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) and tumor mutational burden (TMB). However, they cannot accurately predict the effectiveness of immunotherapy. Identifying appropriate biomarkers that can differentiate between beneficiary groups is imperative. Methods We identified lipoprotein receptor–related protein 1B (LRP1B) mutation as a potential biomarker for immunotherapy by analyzing clinical data, combined with bioinformatics analysis. The effects of LRP1B on ferroptosis were assessed using qRT‐PCR, Western blotting, CCK‐8 assay, and flow cytometry. The potential mechanism underlying the regulation of ferroptosis by LRP1B was elucidated using qRT‐PCR, Western blotting, ChIP, and dual‐luciferase reporter gene assays. Results Through the collection and analysis of clinical data, we had established that LRP1B mutations are closely associated with immunotherapy. Bioinformatics analysis revealed significant differences in the expression levels of PD‐L1 and TMB between patients with LRP1B mutation and wild‐type patients in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Furthermore, we observed that patients with LRP1B mutation in LUAD had significantly higher levels of tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) than wild‐type patients. In addition, we found that patients with LRP1B mutation in LUAD had significantly prolonged progression‐free survival (PFS) compared to wild‐type patients. However, the differences of PD‐L1 expression, TILs, and PFS were not observed in patients with LRP1B mutation in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). These findings provided strong evidence that LRP1B mutation was a potential biomarker for immunotherapy in LUAD. Moreover, our in vivo experiments indicated that knockdown of LRP1B enhanced the efficacy of mPD‐1, and mechanistic studies revealed that LRP1B regulated the sensitivity of cells to ferroptosis by modulating the expression of SLC7A11 through altering the phosphorylation level of STAT3. Further analysis revealed that LRP1B knockdown promoted immunotherapy in vivo. Conclusions Our results confirmed that LRP1B affected the efficacy of immunotherapy by modulating the sensitivity of NSCLC cells to ferroptosis. LRP1B mutations represent a highly promising immunotherapeutic biomarker for NSCLC.

Cadmium (Cd), a typical marine pollutant with a long half-life, is effectively monitored using bivalves as indicator organisms. Cd enters bivalves through their filter-feeding behavior. Research on Cd accumulation capacity in different bivalve tissues and their toxicological effects is of significant interest. However, recent research on the effects of Cd in bivalves has not been systematically summarized. Therefore, this study presents a detailed and comprehensive review of the research results on the sources, determination methods and safety assessment of Cd in bivalves. Additionally, it discusses strategies for controlling Cd levels in bivalves and provides an outlook for future research directions. The ultimate goal is to improve the safety of bivalves as a food source and to promote the sustainable development of bivalve aquaculture.

Digital soil mapping (DSM) based on remote sensing is the dominant method for soil monitoring. Currently, the global modeling strategy (GMS) is used in most soil mapping studies. In the GMS, it is assumed that the relationship between soil and the landscape is the same throughout a region. However, the soil–landscape relationship varies in different geographic zones, such as among different land cover types. In the zonal modeling strategy (ZMS), a region is divided into multiple geographic zones on the basis of zoning rules, and each geographic zone is modeled individually, to fully capture the soil–landscape relationships within different zones. This study was conducted in Altay, Xinjiang, China. The soil organic matter (SOM) content and C:N ratio were mapped on the basis of the GMS and the ZMS to compare the performance differences between the two strategies. The ZMS mapping results exhibited better spatial heterogeneity across different land cover types. Moreover, the ZMS mapping results displayed lower uncertainty and were closer to the observed values than were the GMS results, which included more outliers. Overall, we recommend the ZMS. The accuracy validation results indicated that the accuracy of the ZMS is not necessarily higher than that of the GMS in some zones, but the overall accuracy is similar. Combining similar zones for modeling can improve the accuracy of the ZMS, surpassing that of the GMS. Moreover, the importance of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data was analyzed. The results revealed that SAR data are highly important for mapping the SOM of bare land and cropland and the C:N ratio of bare land and forest. SAR data may provide soil nutrient information indirectly from moisture levels; therefore, we believe that SAR data have great potential for soil nutrient mapping.

Abstract Background Pericardiectomy due to constrictive pericarditis is usually safe procedure. There was a rare event of thrombosis after pericardiectomy, which was mainly accounted by low-cardiac-output syndrome. Case presentation Here, we report the case undergoing pericardiectomy after constrictive pericarditis, with fatal cerebral thrombosis after pericardiectomy confirmed by endovascular mechanical thrombectomy. Even though recanalization was completed and suggestive decompressive craniectomy was in preparation, the patient still died for cerebral hernia due to severe edema. The causes of cerebral thrombosis after pericardiectomy in this case was accounted by the persistence of nonpliable pericardium encasing the left ventricular wall limited local myocardium motor, pro-coagulable state due to thermal transmission during decortication like radiofrequency ablation under the condition of postoperative atrial fibrillation and rapid ventricular rates precipitated the information of mural thrombus in cardiac cavity and migration into the main branch of the aortic arch. Conclusion The protocol of prompt aggressive anticoagulation prophylaxis would be vigilantly recommended for the patients undergoing pericardiectomy.

Rhododendron Linnaeus, 1753, the largest genus of woody plants in the Northern Hemisphere, includes some of the most significant species in horticulture. Rhododendron ambiguum Hemsl, 1911, a member of subsection Triflora Sleumer 1947, exemplifies typical alpine Rhododendron species. The analysis of the complete chloroplast genome of R. ambiguum offers new insights into the evolution of Rhododendron species and enhances the resolution of phylogenetic relationships. This genome is composed of 207,478 base pairs, including a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 47,249 bp each, separated by a large single-copy (LSC) region of 110,367 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 2,613 bp. It contains 110 genes: 77 protein-coding genes, 29 tRNAs, four unique rRNAs (4.5S, 5S, 16S, and 23S), with 16 genes duplicated in the IRs. Comparative analyses reveal substantial diversity in the Rhododendron chloroplast genome structures, identifying a fourth variant pattern. Specifically, four highly divergent regions (trnI-rpoB, ndhE-psaC, rpl32-ndhF, rrn16S-trnI) were noted in the intergenic spacers. Additionally, 76 simple sequence repeats were identified. Positive selection signals were detected in four genes (cemA, rps4, rpl16, and rpl14), evidenced by high Ka/Ks ratios. Phylogenetic reconstruction based on two datasets (shared protein-coding genes and complete chloroplast genomes) suggests that R. ambiguum is closely related to R. concinnum Hemsley, 1889. However, the phylogenetic positions of subsection Triflora Pojarkova, 1952 species remain unresolved, indicating that the use of complete chloroplast genomes for phylogenetic research in Rhododendron requires careful consideration. Overall, our findings provide valuable genetic information that will enhance understanding of the evolution, molecular biology, and genetic improvement of Rhododendron spieces.

Abstract RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have pivotal functions in RNA metabolism, but current methods are limited in retrieving RBP-RNA interactions within endogenous biological contexts. Here, we develop INSCRIBE (IN situ Sensitive Capture of RNA-protein Interactions in Biological Environments), circumventing the challenges through in situ RNA labeling by precisely directing a purified APOBEC1-nanobody fusion to the RBP of interest. This method enables highly specific RNA-binding site identification across a diverse range of fixed biological samples such as HEK293T cells and mouse brain tissue and accurately identifies the canonical binding motifs of RBFOX2 (UGCAUG) and TDP-43 (UGUGUG) in native cellular environments. Applicable to any RBP with available primary antibodies, INSCRIBE enables sensitive capture of RBP-RNA interactions from ultra-low input equivalent to ~5 cells. The robust, versatile, and sensitive INSCRIBE workflow is particularly beneficial for precious tissues such as clinical samples, empowering the exploration of genuine RBP-RNA interactions in RNA-related disease contexts.

Listeria monocytogenes is capable of forming biofilms on the food contact surfaces, increasing the risk of food contamination by this pathogen. The disinfectant benzalkonium chloride (BC) is commonly used to control L. monocytogenes in the food industry. This study aimed to investigate effects of BC on L. monocytogenes biofilms. Biofilm biomass was measured by the microplate method with crystal violet staining. Results from the broth microdilution method showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of BC against L. monocytogenes 10403S was 8 μg.mL-1. Sub-MICs of BC inhibited the biofilm formation and lethal concentrations of BC removed mature biofilms of L. monocytogenes 10403S. The presence of BC reduced extracellular proteins and exopolysaccharides in biofilms. Additionally, upregulation of quorum sensing gene luxS and agrBDCA and downregulation of flagellum motility genes flaA, motA, and motB were observed in the presence of BC. The BC disinfectant has an excellent anti-biofilm activity against L. monocytogenes.

To address the issues of frequency switching differences between communication and sensing systems in traditional integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) scenarios, as well as the susceptibility of communication to obstruction by obstacles, the integration of full-duplex (FD) technology and intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) into the ISAC system was studied. The design of FD beamforming assisted by IRS in the ISAC scenario was investigated. An optimization problem for maximizing the user rates of uplink and downlink beamforming was formulated, considering constraints on IRS phase shift, base station receiving beamforming, the maximum transmission power of the base station, the maximum transmission power of uplink users, and the radar sensing threshold. The original non-convex problem was solved by being transformed into a convex optimization problem through the use of alternating optimization, continuous convex approximation, semi-definite relaxation, variable substitution, and semi-definite programming. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme resulted in an 89.02% enhancement under the communication performance indicators considered compared to the corresponding half-duplex scheme and a 70.15% improvement over the random IRS scheme.

Small rod-controlled pressurized water reactors (PWR) are the ideal energy source for vessel propulsion, benefiting from their high reactivity control efficiency. Since the control rods (CRs) increase the complexity of reactivity control, this paper seeks to study the performance of CRs in small rod-controlled PWRs to extend the lifetime and reduce power offset due to CRs.This study investigates CR grouping, move-in/out strategies, and axially non-uniform design effects on core neutron physics metrics. These metrics include axial offset (AO), core lifetime (CL), fuel utilization (FU), and radial power peaking factor (R-PPF). To simulate the movement of the CRs, a ''Critical-CR-burnup'' function was developed in OpenMC. In CR designs, the CRs are grouped into three banks to study the simultaneous and prioritized move-in/out strategies. The results show CL extension from 590 effective full power days (EFPDs) to 638–698 EFPDs. A lower-worth prioritized strategy minimizes AO and the extremum values decrease from −0.69 and + 0.81 to −0.28 and + 0.51. Although an axially non-uniform CR design can improve AO at the beginning of cycle (BOC), considering the overall CR worth change is crucial, as a significant decrease can adversely impact axial power distribution during the middle of cycle (MOC).

Background: Cold damage of maize during germination is a global problem; it occurs frequently in northeast China, and leads to a large-scale reduction in yield. Low temperature tolerance of maize in germination is a complex quantitative trait controlled by multigenes, and no major QTLs or key genes have been identified. Results: An F2 isolation population with S319 and R144 as parents was constructed. The bulked segregant analysis (BSA) and specific-locus amplified fragment-sequencing (SLAF-seq) methods were applied to locate the chromosomal association regions related to low-temperature tolerance of maize during germination. Sequencing obtained 221.72 Gbp clean data, with an average sequencing depth of 25.96X. Four candidate regions associated with low-temperature tolerance trait of maize in germination were obtained, with a total length of 25.71 Mb and 1513 annotated genes, including 456 nonsynonymous mutant genes and 111 frameshift mutant genes. Conclusions: This study aimed to lay the foundation for the mining of candidate genes of low-temperature tolerance in maize during germination, and accelerate the process of targeted improvement of maize low-temperature tolerance molecular marker-assisted breeding.How to cite: Yu T, Zhang J, Cao J, et al. QTL analysis of low temperature tolerance in maize germination by SLAF-seq and BSA technique. Electron J Biotechnol 2024;70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2024.04.003.

This paper examines the effect of the microstructure and electrical conductivity (EC) on the swelling ratio and pressure in red-bed mudstone sampled from arid areas in the Xining region in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. A series of laboratory tests, including swelling experiments, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM), was carried out for mechanical and microstructural analysis. The coupled influence of the EC and microstructural parameters on the expansion ratio and pressure was investigated, and the weight coefficients were discussed by the entropy weight method. The results revealed an increasing exponential trend in EC, and the maximum swelling speed occurred at an EC of approximately 10 μS/cm. In addition, a method for predicting the expansion potential is proposed based on the microstructure, and its reliability is verified by comparing with swelling experimental results. In addition, according to the image analysis results, the ranges of the change in the clay minerals content (CMC), the fractal dimension (FD), the average diameter (AD) of pores, and the plane porosity (PP) are 23.75%–53%, 1.08–1.17, 7.53–22.45 μm, and 0.62%–1.25%, respectively. Moreover, mudstone swelling is negatively correlated with the plane porosity, fractal dimension and average diameter and is linearly correlated with the clay mineral content. Furthermore, the weight values prove that the microstructural characteristics, including FD, AD, and PP, are the main factors influencing the expansion properties of red-bed mudstones in the Xining region. Based on the combination of macro and micro-analyses, a quantitative analysis of the swelling process of mudstones can provide a better reference for understanding the mechanism of expansion behavior.

Abstract Study design A systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA). Objective To compare the effectiveness and safety of different posterior decompression techniques for LSS. Summary of background data Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is one of the most common degenerative spinal diseases that result in claudication, back and leg pain, and disability. Currently, posterior decompression techniques are widely used as an effective treatment for LSS. Methods An electronic literature search was performed using the EMBASE, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases. Two authors independently performed data extraction and quality assessment. A Bayesian random effects model was constructed to incorporate the estimates of direct and indirect treatment comparisons and rank the interventions in order. Results In all, 14 eligible studies comprising 1,260 patients with LSS were included. Five interventions were identified, namely, spinal processes osteotomy (SPO), conventional laminotomy/laminectomy (CL), unilateral laminotomy/laminectomy (UL), bilateral laminotomy/ laminectomy (BL), and spinous process-splitting laminotomy/laminectomy (SPSL). Among these, SPO was the most promising surgical option for decreasing back and leg pain and for lowering the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). SSPL had the shortest operation time, while SPSL was associated with maximum blood loss. SPO and UL were superior to other posterior decompression techniques concerning lesser blood loss and shorter length of hospital stay, respectively. Patients who underwent BL had the lowest postoperative complication rates. Conclusion Overall, SPO was found to be a good surgical choice for patients with LSS.

Abstract Background Violent behavior carried out by patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) is a public health issue of increasing importance that may involve inflammation. Peripheral inflammatory biomarkers, such as the systemic immune inflammation index (SII), the neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and the monocyte lymphocyte ratio (MLR) are objective, easily accessible and cost-effective measures of inflammation. However, there are sparse studies investigating the role of peripheral inflammatory biomarkers in violence of patients with SCZ. Methods 160 inpatients diagnosed with SCZ between January and December 2022 were recruited into this study. Violent behavior and positive symptoms of all participants were evaluated using Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), respectively. The partial correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationship of inflammatory indices and positive symptoms. Based on machine learning (ML) algorithms, these different inflammatory indices between groups were used to develop predictive models for violence in SCZ patients. Results After controlling for age, SII, NLR, MLR and PANSS positive scores were found to be increased in SCZ patients with violence, compared to patients without violence. SII, NLR and MLR were positively related to positive symptoms in all participants. Positive symptoms partially mediated the effects of peripheral inflammatory indices on violent behavior in SCZ. Among seven ML algorithms, penalized discriminant analysis (pda) had the best performance, with its an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) being 0.7082. Subsequently, with the use of pda, we developed predictive models using four inflammatory indices, respectively. SII had the best performance and its AUC was 0.6613. Conclusions These findings suggest that inflammation is involved in violent behavior of SCZ patients and positive symptoms partially mediate this association. The models built by peripheral inflammatory indices have a good median performance in predicting violent behavior in SCZ patients.

Abstract Spinal cord injury (SCI) compromises the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) and induces neuroinflammation, potentially exacerbating neuronal damage. This underscores the importance of maintaining BSCB integrity and mitigating neuroinflammation in SCI treatment. Our study explores an innovative approach to treating SCI by utilizing platelet-rich plasma-derived exosomes (PRP-Exos) to stabilize BSCB function and alleviate neuroinflammation. We successfully isolated exosomes from platelet-rich plasma and conducted both in vivo and in vitro experiments to assess the therapeutic effects of PRP-Exos and explore their potential mechanisms in stabilizing the BSCB, reducing neuroinflammation, and promoting neural functional recovery.In vitro results demonstrate that PRP-Exos significantly reduce the permeability of bEnd.3 cells under hypoxic-hypoglycemic conditions, thereby restoring the integrity of tight junctions. Additionally, our study elucidates the critical role of the NF-κB signaling pathway in the amelioration of neuroinflammation by PRP-Exos. In the SCI model, local injection of hydrogel-encapsulated PRP-Exos reduced Evans blue dye leakage, enhanced the expression of tight junction proteins, alleviated the inflammatory environment in the damaged area, and improved neural functional recovery. In conclusion, PRP-Exos presents a promising and effective treatment option for SCI.

Abstract The identification of imperfections on steel surfaces is vital for ensuring the quality of industrial products. It requires the capability of real-time detection with high accuracy. This paper proposes the CRGF-YOLO (Contextual Reparameterized Generalized Feature) model based on YOLOv5. In the network, BottleneckCSP structures and depthwise separable convolutions utilizing the structural reparameterization are introduced to reduce the model size and improve performance. In addition, contextual transformer modules are employed as self-attention mechanisms to improve feature representations by capturing long-range dependencies, outperforming conventional convolutional networks. Furthermore, the simplified generalized feature pyramid network is embedded to aggregate multi-scale feature maps and enhance the network’s robustness. Finally, four prediction heads with different sizes are employed to predict defects, which are supported by prior bounding boxes generated using k-means clustering algorithm. The Focal-EIOU (Exponential Intersection over Union) loss function is introduced to improve detection accuracy and expedite model convergence. The improved model achieves a mean average precision (mAP) of 82.2% on the NEU-DET dataset, outperforming the baseline YOLOv5s by 7.7% mAP while maintaining real-time speeds. Comparative evaluations demonstrate CRGF-YOLO’s superior performance over previous state-of-the-art methods like Faster R-CNN (77.4% mAP), YOLOv3 (77.4% mAP), YOLOv7s (72.1% mAP), and YOLOv8s (78.7% mAP) for steel surface defect detection. Overall, this study provides valuable insights and practical guidance for the advancement of defect detection technology.

Maize plant architecture influences planting density and, in turn, grain yield. Most of the plant architecture-related traits can be described as organ size. We describe a miniature maize mutant, Tiny plant 4 (Tip4), which exhibits reduced size of multiple organs and exhibits a semi-dominant monofactorial inheritance characteristic. Positional cloning confirmed that a 4-bp deletion in the NAC TF with transmembrane motif 1-Like (NTL) gene ZmNTL2, denoted as ZmNTL2Δ, confers the Tip4 mutation. qRT-PCR showed that ZmNTL2 was expressed in all tested tissues. ZmNTL2 functions as a transcriptional activator and is located in both the nucleus and biomembranes. The mutation does not affect the mRNA abundance of ZmNTL2 locus, but it does result in the loss of transmembrane domain and confines the ZmNTL2Δ protein to the nucleus. Knocking out ZmNTL2 has no effect on maize organ size development, indicating that the 4-bp deletion might be a gain-of-function mutation in organ size regulation. Combining transcriptome sequencing with cytokinin and auxin content determination suggests that the decreased organ size may be possibly mediated by changes in hormone homeostasis.

Abstract Aims Surveys and research on the applications of the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) are important for understanding the current status and future development of this technology in China. This article aimed to investigate the status of hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement in China in 2022. Methods We investigated the overall status of HVPG technology in China—including hospital distribution, hospital level, annual number of cases, catheters used, average cost, indications, and current challenges by using online questionnaire. By counting the number and percentages of cases of these results, we hope to clarify the current status of HVPG measurements in China. Results According to the survey, 85 hospitals in China used HVPG technology in 2022 distributed across 29 provinces. A total of 4989 HVPG measurements were performed in all of the surveyed hospitals in 2022, of which 2813 cases (56.4%) were measured alone. The average cost of HVPG measurement was 5646.8 ± 2327.9 CNY. Of the clinical teams who performed the measurements (sometimes multiple per hospital), 94.3% (82/87) used the balloon method, and the majority of the teams (72.4%, 63/87) used embolectomy catheters. Conclusions This survey clarified the clinical application status of HVPG in China and confirmed that some medical institutions in China have established a foundation for this technology. It is still necessary to continue promoting and popularizing this technology in the future.

Abstract Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a type of cancer that lacks receptor expression and has complex molecular mechanisms. Recent evidence shows that the ubiquitin-protease system is closely related to TNBC. In this study, we obtain a key ubiquitination regulatory substrate-ABI2 protein by bioinformatics methods, which is also closely related to the survival and prognosis of TNBC. Further, through a series of experiments, we demonstrated that ABI2 expressed at a low level in TNBC tumors, and it has the ability to control cell cycle and inhibit TNBC cell migration, invasion and proliferation. Molecular mechanism studies proved E3 ligase CBLC could increase the ubiquitination degradation of ABI2 protein. Meanwhile, RNA-seq and IP experiments indicated that ABI2, acting as a crucial factor of tumor suppression, can significantly inhibit PI3K/Akt signaling pathway via the interaction with Rho GTPase RAC1. Finally, based on TNBC drug target ABI2, we screened and found that FDA-approved drug Colistimethate sodium(CS) has significant potential in suppressing the proliferation of TNBC cells and inducing cell apoptosis, making it a promising candidate for impeding the progression of TNBC.