Search

Tunneling splittings observed in molecular rovibrational spectra are significant evidence for tunneling motion of hydrogen nuclei in water clusters. Accurate calculations of the splitting sizes from first principles require a combination of high-quality inter-atomic interactions and rigorous methods to treat the nuclei with quantum mechanics. Many theoretical efforts have been made in recent decades. This Perspective focuses on two path-integral based tunneling splitting methods whose computational cost scales well with the system size, namely, the ring-polymer instanton method and the path-integral molecular dynamics (PIMD) method. From a simple derivation, we show that the former is a semiclassical approximation to the latter, despite that the two methods are derived very differently. Currently, the PIMD method is considered to be an ideal route to rigorously compute the ground-state tunneling splitting, while the instanton method sacrifices some accuracy for a significantly smaller computational cost. An application scenario of such a quantitatively rigorous calculation is to test and calibrate the potential energy surfaces of molecular systems by spectroscopic accuracy. Recent progress in water clusters is reviewed, and the current challenges are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormal healing following skin injury, such as slow healing and scar formation, can significantly affect an individual's life. Complex treatment methods and cumbersome instruments have reduced the efficacy of treating such diseases. In this study, a novel biocompatible liquid metal (LM) composite wound dressing (LGPU) is designed by synthesizing polyurea polyurethane (PU) and blending it with LM modified with glutathione (GSH), a bioactive three‐peptide compound. The effects of external electrical stimulation (ES) on wound‐induced hair follicle neogenesis are explored. The dressings exhibited a few important properties, including conductivity, high stretchability, recyclability, and, most importantly, excellent self‐healing capacity, owing to the liquid nature of the LM fillers and the highly dynamic characteristics of hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, the combination therapy with LGPU and ES promoted fibroblast migration and accelerated wound healing. The wounds treated with the combination therapy fully healed in nine days, while the wounds in the blank group are still in a scabbing state. Remarkably, this treatment method can activate the regeneration and healthy growth of hair follicles at the site of injury, which is beneficial for reducing wound scarring. Collectively, this innovative therapy provides a facile strategy to accelerate skin wound healing and achieve scar‐free repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) remains a leading cause of cancer mortality globally. Synaptotagmin-4 (SYT4), a calcium-sensing synaptic vesicle protein, has been implicated in the oncogenesis of diverse malignancies. Purpose: This study delineates the role of SYT4 in modulating clinical outcomes and biological behaviors in GC. Methods: We evaluated SYT4 expression in GC specimens using bioinformatics analyses and immunohistochemistry. Functional assays included CCK8 proliferation tests, apoptosis assays via flow cytometry, confocal calcium imaging, and xenograft models. Western blotting elucidated MAPK pathway involvement. Additionally, we investigated the impact of the calcium channel blocker amlodipine on cellular dynamics and MAPK pathway activity. Results: SYT4 was higher in GC tissues, and the elevated SYT4 was significantly correlated with adverse prognosis. Both univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed SYT4 as an independent prognostic indicator for GC. Functionally, SYT4 promoted tumorigenesis by fostering cellular proliferation, inhibiting apoptosis, and enhancing intracellular Ca2+ influx, predominantly via MAPK pathway activation. Amlodipine pre-treatment attenuated SYT4-driven cell growth and potentiated apoptosis, corroborated by in vivo xenograft assessments. These effects were attributed to MAPK pathway suppression by amlodipine. Conclusion: SYT4 emerges as a potential prognostic biomarker and a pro-oncogenic mediator in GC through a Ca2+-dependent MAPK mechanism. Amlodipine demonstrates significant antitumor effects against SYT4-driven GC, positing its therapeutic promise. This study underscores the imperative of targeting calcium signaling in GC treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The increasing prevalence of severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (SMPP) poses a significant threat to the health of children. This study aimed to characterise and assess the outcomes in children with SMPP. Methods: We retrospectively analysed children hospitalised for M. pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) between January and December 2022. Retrospectively, demographic, clinical, underlying diseases, laboratory and radiological findings, and treatment outcomes were collected and analysed. Disease severity was defined as severe or general according to the Guideline for diagnosis and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in children (2019 version). Results: Over a 12-month observation period, 417 children with MPP were enrolled, 50.6% (211/417) of whom had SMPP, with the peak incidence observed in winter. Of the 211 children with SMPP, 210 were treated and discharged with improvement, while one child with congenital heart disease died of cardioembolic stroke. A significantly higher proportion of patients with SMPP had underlying diseases, extrapulmonary complications (myocardial and digestive system involvement), and bacterial co-infection. A total of 25 (12%) children with SMPP received mechanical ventilation. The median duration of mechanical ventilation was 3 days. All children were treated with macrolide antibiotic. A significantly higher proportion of patients with SMPP received antibiotic other than macrolides, methylprednisolone sodium succinate, intravenous immunoglobulin and anticoagulation, compared with patients with general MPP (GMPP). Children with SMPP had significantly higher levels of white blood cells, neutrophil percentage, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and significantly lower percentages of lymphocytes, monocytes, and natural killer cells, compared with GMPP group. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that severely ill children have more pronounced inflammatory reaction and extrapulmonary complications. For effective management of children with SMPP, hormonal, prophylactic, anticoagulant therapy, as well as the use of antibiotics other than macrolides for bacterial co-infections, could be incorporated into treatment regimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After exposure to cold stress, animals enhance the production of beige adipocytes and expedite thermogenesis, leading to improved metabolic health. Although brown adipose tissue in rodents is primarily induced by β3-adrenergic receptor (ADRB3) stimulation, the activation of major β-adrenergic receptors (ADRBs) in pigs has been a topic of debate. To address this, we developed overexpression vectors for ADRB1, ADRB2, and ADRB3 and silenced the expression of these receptors to observe their effects on the adipogenic differentiation stages of porcine preadipocytes. Our investigation revealed that cold stress triggers the transformation of subcutaneous white adipose tissue to beige adipose tissue in pigs by modulating adrenergic receptor levels. Meanwhile, we found that ADRB3 promotes the transformation of white adipocytes into beige adipocytes. Notably, ADRB3 enhances the expression of beige adipose tissue marker genes, consequently influencing cellular respiration and metabolism by regulating lipolysis and mitochondrial expression. Therefore, ADRB3 may serve as a pivotal gene in animal husbandry and contribute to the improvement of cold intolerance in piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the analytical characteristics of a novel high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) test on the automatic light-initiated chemiluminescent assay (LiCA®) system, and validated its diagnostic performance for non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Studies included an extensive analytical evaluation and established the 99th percentile upper reference limit (URL) from apparently healthy individuals, followed by a diagnostic performance validation for NSTEMI. Sex-specific 99th percentile URLs were 16.0 ng/L (1.7 % CV: coefficient of variation) for men (21–92 years) and 13.4 ng/L (2.0 % CV) for women (23–87 years) in serum, and 30.6 ng/L (0.9 % CV) for men (18–87 years) and 20.2 ng/L (1.4 % CV) for women (18–88 years) in heparin plasma. Detection rates in healthy individuals ranged from 98.9 to 100 %. An excellent agreement was identified between LiCA® and Elecsys® assays with a correlation coefficient of 0.993 and mean bias of −0.7 % (−1.8–0.4 %) across the full measuring range, while the correlation coefficient and overall bias were 0.967 and −1.1 % (−2.5–0.3 %) for the lower levels of cTnT (10–100 ng/L), respectively. At the specific medical decision levels (14.0 and 52.0 ng/L), assay difference was estimated to be <5.0 %. No significant difference was found between these two assays in terms of area under curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity, negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV) for the diagnosis of NSTEMI. LiCA® hs-cTnT is a reliable 3rd-generation (level 4) high-sensitivity assay for detecting cardiac troponin T. The assay is acceptable for practical use in the diagnosis of NSTEMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate microsatellite instability (MSI) testing is essential for identifying gastric cancer (GC) patients eligible for immunotherapy. We aimed to develop and validate a CT-based radiomics signature to predict MSI and immunotherapy outcomes in GC. Methods: This retrospective multicohort study included a total of 457 GC patients from two independent medical centers in China and The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) databases. The primary cohort (n = 201, center 1, 2017–2022), was used for signature development via Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and logistic regression analysis. Two independent immunotherapy cohorts, one from center 1 (n = 184, 2018–2021) and another from center 2 (n = 43, 2020–2021), were utilized to assess the signature's association with immunotherapy response and survival. Diagnostic efficiency was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and survival outcomes were analyzed via the Kaplan-Meier method. The TCIA cohort (n = 29) was included to evaluate the immune infiltration landscape of the radiomics signature subgroups using both CT images and mRNA sequencing data. Results: Nine radiomics features were identified for signature development, exhibiting excellent discriminative performance in both the training (AUC: 0.851, 95%CI: 0.782, 0.919) and validation cohorts (AUC: 0.816, 95%CI: 0.706, 0.926). The radscore, calculated using the signature, demonstrated strong predictive abilities for objective response in immunotherapy cohorts (AUC: 0.734, 95%CI: 0.662, 0.806; AUC: 0.724, 95%CI: 0.572, 0.877). Additionally, the radscore showed a significant association with PFS and OS, with GC patients with a low radscore experiencing a significant survival benefit from immunotherapy. Immune infiltration analysis revealed significantly higher levels of CD8 + T cells, activated CD4 + B cells, and TNFRSF18 expression in the low radscore group, while the high radscore group exhibited higher levels of T cells regulatory and HHLA2 expression. Conclusion: This study developed a robust radiomics signature with the potential to serve as a non-invasive biomarker for GC's MSI status and immunotherapy response, demonstrating notable links to post-immunotherapy PFS and OS. Additionally, distinct immune profiles were observed between low and high radscore groups, highlighting their potential clinical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Following China's official designation as malaria-free country by WHO, the imported malaria has emerged as a significant determinant impacting the malaria reestablishment within China. The objective of this study is to explore the application prospects of machine learning algorithms in imported malaria risk assessment of China. Methods: The data of imported malaria cases in China from 2011 to 2019 was provided by China CDC; historical epidemic data of malaria endemic country was obtained from World Malaria Report, and the other data used in this study are open access data. All the data processing and model construction based on R, and map visualization used ArcGIS software. Results: A total of 27,088 malaria cases imported into China from 85 countries between 2011 and 2019. After data preprocessing and classification, clean dataset has 765 rows (85 * 9) and 11 cols. Six machine learning models was constructed based on the training set, and Random Forest model demonstrated the best performance in model evaluation. According to RF, the highest feature importance were the number of malaria deaths and Indigenous malaria cases. The RF model demonstrated high accuracy in forecasting risk for the year 2019, achieving commendable accuracy rate of 95.3%. This result aligns well with the observed outcomes, indicating the model's reliability in predicting risk levels. Conclusions: Machine learning algorithms have reliable application prospects in risk assessment of imported malaria in China. This study provides a new methodological reference for the risk assessment and control strategies adjusting of imported malaria in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the differences in bacterial and fungal community structure and diversity in conjunctival tissue of healthy and diabetic mice. Methods: RNA-seq assays and high-throughput sequencing of bacterial 16 S rDNA and fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene sequences were used to identify differentially expressed host genes and fungal composition profiles in conjunctival tissues of diabetic BKS-db/db mice and BKS (control) mice. Functional enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes and the correlation between the relative abundance of bacterial and fungal taxa in the intestinal mucosa were also performed. Results: Totally, 449 differential up-regulated genes and 1,006 down-regulated genes were identified in the conjunctival tissues of diabetic mice. The differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in metabolism-related functions and pathways. A decrease in conjunctival bacterial species diversity and abundance in diabetic mice compared to control mice. In contrast, fungal species richness and diversity were not affected by diabetes. The microbial colonies were mainly associated with cellular process pathways regulating carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, as well as cell growth and death. Additionally, some interactions between bacteria and fungi at different taxonomic levels were also observed. Conclusion: The present study revealed significant differences in the abundance and composition of bacterial and fungal communities in the conjunctival tissue of diabetic mice compared to control mice. The study also highlighted interactions between bacteria and fungi at different taxonomic levels. These findings may have implications for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cupric oxide (CuO) nanosheet-based chemical fluorescence sensor was developed to realize the detection of acetone in aqueous solutions. CuO is an oxidase mimic and can catalyze the oxidation of o-phenylenediamine (OPD) to form 2,3-diaminophenazine (oxOPD). Interestingly, acetone was found to possess the scavenging ability for superoxide anions generated in the CuO-catalyzed oxidation system, hence weakening the OPD oxidation and leading to a reduction in the fluorescence intensity of the catalyzing system at 574 nm under excitation at 425 nm. Based on this property of acetone, a fluorescent sensor was constructed to detect acetone. The sensor exhibits a linear range of 1.35 to 2 × 105 µmol L–1 and a detection limit of 1.08 µmol L–1. Additionally, a smartphone-free portable device was constructed to realize on-the-spot and rapid detection of acetone in cauliflower, mineral water, tap water, and lake water samples. The recoveries by the portable device are 93.2 to 108% for actual samples, with relative standard deviations of less than 4.3%, indicating a potential application prospect of the device in on-site detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this retrospective study, we aimed to evaluate the factors associated with the severity of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis in children aged under 2 years who were admitted to the Children's Hospital of Hebei between June 2018 and January 2019. Methods: Sputum samples positive for RSV via multiplex PCR were subtyped using real-time PCR. Data collected included risk factors for disease severity, demographics, microbiology, and outcomes. Results: Of the 82 children with RSV bronchiolitis, 79 were treated and discharged with improvement, while 3 died. All three patients had underlying medical conditions, including complex congenital heart disease and severe combined immunodeficiency. Further, disease severity was associated with preexisting underlying disease, fever duration, and bacterial co-infection, but not with the RSV subtype. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that an appropriate therapeutic regimen should include the detection of bacterial co-infections and the identification of underlying diseases for the effective management of severe RSV bronchiolitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amatoxins and phallotoxins are toxic cyclopeptides found in the genus Amanita and are among the predominant causes of foodborne sickness and poisoning-related fatalities in China. This study introduces and validates a simple, rapid and cost-effective ultra-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous determination and quantification of α-amanitin, β-amanitin, γ-amanitin, phallisacin, phallacidin and phalloidin in human blood and urine. Quick therapeutic decision-making is supported by a 9 min chromatographic separation performed on a Waters Acquity UPLC HSS T3 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.8 µm) using a gradient of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-grade water and methanol:0.005% formic acid. The analyte limit of quantification was 1–3 ng/mL in blood and 0.5–2 ng/mL in urine. Calibrations curves, prepared by spiking drug-free blood and urine, demonstrated acceptable linearity with mean correlation coefficients (r) greater than 0.99 for all phallotoxins and amatoxins. Acceptable intraday and interday precision (relative standard deviation <15%) and accuracy (bias, −4.8% to 13.0% for blood and—9.0% to 14.7% for urine) were achieved. The validated method was successfully applied to analyze 9 blood samples and 2 urine samples testing positive for amatoxins and/or phallotoxins. Amatoxins and/or phallotoxins were identified in each whole blood sample at a range of 1.12–5.63 ng/mL and in two urine samples from 1.01–9.27 ng/mL. The method has the benefits of simple sample preparation (protein precipitation) and wide analyte coverage, making it suitable for emergency quantitative surveillance toxicological analysis in clinics and forensic poisoning practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large amount of Cr2O72− and glyphosate (GLYP) discharge cause serious water pollution. In this paper, two new MOFs (Zn‐DPIA and Cd‐DPIA) were synthesized, which have excellent selectivity and sensitivity in the detection of Cr2O72− and GLYP. The detection limits (LODs) of Zn‐DPIA sensing Cr2O72− and GLYP were 1.37 and 1.92 μM, respectively, and the LODs of Cd‐DPIA sensing Cr2O72− and GLYP were 1.19 and 1.42 μM, respectively. Cr2O72− and GLYP detection based on Zn‐DPIA and Cd‐DPIA in tap water is highly reliable based on high recovery rates (97% to 106% and 95% to 103%), indicating that Zn‐DPIA and Cd‐DPIA have practical application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A full-dimensional ab initio potential energy surface (PES) and dipole moment surface (DMS) for the ammonia dimer (NH3)2 are reported. The database of the PES consists of 27 736 ab initio energy points and all of these points were calculated at the UCCSD(T)-F12a/AVTZ level. The PES was fitted by using the fundamental invariant neural network (FI-NN) method that satisfies the permutational symmetry of identical atoms, and the root mean square fitting error for the PES is very small as low as 0.562 meV. The geometries for the (NH3)2 DMS are the same as those used for the PES and are calculated at the XYG3/AVTZ level. This PES can describe a variety of internal floppy motions, including all kinds of vibrational modes no matter intermolecular or intramolecular. The CCSD(T)-PES can dissociate correctly to two NH3 monomers, with De = 1135.55 cm−1 (13.58 kJ/mol) which agrees accurately with the 13.5 ± 0.3 kJ/mol predicted by previous work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeted imaging is playing an increasingly important role in the early detection and precise diagnosis of cancer. This need has motivated research into sensory nanomaterials that can be constructed into imaging agents to serve as biosensors. Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) as a valuable nanoprobe show great potential for use in two-photon biological imaging. However, most as-prepared GQDs exhibit a low two-photon absorption cross-section, narrow spectral coverage, and "one-to-one" signal conversion mode, which greatly hamper their wide application in sensitive early-stage cancer detection. Herein, a versatile strategy has been employed to fabricate an aptamer Sgc8c-functionalized hybrid as a proof-of-concept of the signal amplification strategy for targeted cancer imaging. In this study, GQDs with two-photon imaging performance, and silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) as nanocarriers to provide amplified recognition events by high loading of GQD signal tags, were adopted to construct a two-photon hybrid-based signal amplification strategy. Thus, the obtained hybrid (denoted SiO2@GQDs) enabled extremely strong fluorescence with a quantum yield up to 0.49, excellent photostability and biocompatibility, and enhanced bright two-photon fluorescence up to 2.7 times that of bare GQDs (excitation at 760 nm; emission at 512 nm). Moreover, further modification with aptamer Sgc8c showed little disruption to the structure of the SiO2@GQDs-hybrid and the corresponding two-photon emission. Hence, SiO2@GQDs–Sgc8c showed specific responses to target cells. Moreover, it could be used as a signal-amplifying two-photon nanoprobe for targeted cancer imaging with high specificity and great efficiency, which exhibits a distinct green fluorescence compared to that of GQDs–Sgc8c or SiO2@GQDs. This signal amplification strategy holds great potential for the accurate early diagnosis of tumors and offers new tools for the detection a wide variety of analytes in clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary humanity is confronted with the development dilemma, especially in developing countries, of limited environmental capacity and increased pressure to protect the environment. Based on the concept of the Leading Functional Space Partition, this study identifies land-use conflicts in the urban fringes of ecologically fragile areas in Western China. The purpose is to explore the distribution characteristics of land-use conflicts in urban fringe areas and provide data references to solve a series of ecological and environmental problems inherent in the process of urbanisation. First, relevant software was applied to analyse the current situation of regional land use, and clustering was conducted in line with the goal of "production-living-ecology" to form territorial space zoning with the same function. Then, three leading function evaluation systems were constructed with natural patches of land as the unit to evaluate the current suitability. According to the evaluation results and relevant planning, areas with land-use conflicts were identified, and their spatial characteristics were analysed on this basis. The results demonstrate that the incidence of land-use conflicts in urban fringe areas is high and the spatial distribution presents variability. In the case, the incidence of land-use conflicts in urban fringe areas is very high, with the highest concentration in areas 10–30 km away from urban built-up areas. And the proportion of ecological conflicts in urban fringe areas is the highest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PVC plastic products are common combustible substances seen in fires, but their thermal degradation behavior under different oxygen concentrations has not been adequately studied. The thermal degradation behavior of PVC materials in atmospheres with different oxygen concentrations was analyzed via thermogravimetric–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR). The TG results show that the thermal degradation process of PVC under a non-oxygenated atmosphere occurred in two stages, and the activation energies of the two stages were 130–175 KJ mol−1 and 230–320 KJ mol−1, respectively; under the oxygenated atmosphere, the thermal degradation process occurred in three stages. The activation energies of the three stages were 130–175 KJ mol−1, 145–510 KJ mol−1 and 75–190 KJ mol−1, respectively. And the reaction mechanism of the second stage of thermal degradation was changed from D-ZLT3 to En by the higher oxygen concentration. Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to analyze the pyrolysis process of PVC in the non-oxygenated atmosphere, and the eight major components were as follows, in descending order according to amount released: C-H stretching > HCl > C-Cl stretching > H2O > CO2 > C-H bending > C-H aliphatic bending > CH2. For the reaction of PVC at an oxygen concentration of 7%, the nine major components, in descending order according to amount released, were as follows: CO2 > HCl > H2O > CO > C-H stretching > C-Cl stretching > C-H aliphatic bending > C-H bending > CH2. For PVC reactions at oxygen concentrations of 14% and 21%, the five major components, in descending order according to amount released, were CO2 > HCl > CO > C-Cl stretching > H2O. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • SERS platform was designed by introducing secondary enhanced Au@Ag NPs on GO-AuNS. • Multi-dimensional plasmonic coupling occurs in vertical and horizontal directions. • SERS platform exhibits ultrasensitive SERS detection and enrichment capabilities. • SERS platform has a linear SERS response and low detection limit of 10−11 M for BR. Rapid and sensitive detection of free bilirubin (BR) is essential for early diagnosis of jaundice and other hepatobiliary diseases. Inspired by sandwich immunoassay strategy, a multi-dimensional plasmonic coupling SERS platform composed of graphene oxide-Au nanostars nanocomposites (GANS NCs) and Au@Ag nanoparticles (NPs) was designed for label-free detection of BR. Specifically, GANS NCs were first prepared, and their excellent SERS activity was ascribed to synergistic enhancement effect of electromagnetic enhancement and chemical enhancement. Furthermore, SERS spectroscopy was used to monitor the adsorption process of BR. Subsequently, secondary reinforcing Au@Ag NPs were directly added, ultimately resulting in a multi-dimensional plasmonic coupling effect. The SERS enhancing mechanism of coupled system was discussed through electromagnetic field simulations. Interestingly, the high-density hotspots generated by strong plasmonic coupling in GANS-Au@Ag substrate could lead to more extraordinary SERS enhancing behavior compared to GANS NCs. Sensing efficiency of the SERS platform was examined by BR with a detection limit down to 10−11 M. Besides, GANS-Au@Ag NCs performed high uniformity and reproducibility. This work not only opens up a new avenue for construction of multi-dimensional plasmonic coupling system, but also offers a new biosensing technology for label-free diagnosis of BR-related diseases, thereby expecting to be applied in clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro‐optical frequency combs are miniaturized coherent light sources exhibiting a tremendous influence on precision spectroscopy, optical clocks, and high‐speed optical communications. The rare‐earth‐doped lithium niobate (LN) is a promising platform to integrate the lasers and comb sources on the same chip of single material. However, microcombs generated in rare‐earth‐doped LN thin film (LNTF) have not yet been fully explored. To explore the protocols of generating optical combs in ytterbium‐doped LNTF, the comb‐like laser is studied in the 1060 nm band, and the dissipative Kerr soliton is experimentally demonstrated in the telecom band in a Z‐cut wafer. The over‐coupled fundamental transverse electric mode with anomalous dispersion is excited at an on‐chip pump power of 75.7 mW to generate the robust bright soliton. The broadband spectrum of the Kerr soliton ranges from 1480 to 1660 nm with 110 comb lines, whose repetition rate is 197.8 GHz. The mode‐locking of the soliton can be achieved as a result of the photorefractive effect of ytterbium‐doped LNTF instead of complex feedback schemes. Numerical simulations are highly accordant with the experimental results. This work expands the microcomb‐generating platform and increases the potential for integrated on‐chip applications including precision ranging and frequency division. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of solid-state lighting, full-spectrum lighting has gradually received extensive attention. Until now, Bi3+-doped narrow-band blue phosphors have been widely reported, but broadband green-yellow Bi3+-doped luminescent materials generated by metal-to-metal charge transfer have been rarely reported. In this study, a Bi3+ ion doped germanate luminescent material CsAlGe2O6:x%Bi3+ (1 ≤ x ≤ 11) is synthesized by a high-temperature sintering method. The phosphor can generate a broad green-yellow band peaking at 535 nm with a full width at half maximum of 165 nm under ultraviolet radiation. Through the analysis of the coordination environment, photoluminescence spectra and decay curves, the broadband emission spectra of Bi3+ ions are proved to be generated by the metal-to-metal charge transfer state and the 3P1 → 1S0 transition. By using theoretical research, luminescence kinetics, and Gaussian fitting, the luminescence mechanism of Bi3+ is examined. Meanwhile, the high quantum efficiency and superior thermal stability prove that the phosphor can be used as an efficient luminescent material in the field of full-spectrum LED devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Heterotroph pathogen R. solani hyphal growth is enhanced by high sugar concentrations. • AOS2 secreted by R. solani, GT1 and WRKY53 form the transcriptional complex to activate SWEETs and excrete hexose significantly. • Hexose transporter gene SWEET2a and SWEET3a negatively regulate rice resistance to ShB. Rhizoctonia solani , the causative agent of the sheath blight disease (ShB), invades rice to obtain nutrients, especially sugars; however, the molecular mechanism via which R. solani hijacks sugars from rice remains unclear. In this study, rice- R. solani interaction model was used to explore whether pathogen effector proteins affect plant sugar absorption during infection. Yeast one-hybrid assay was used to identify Activator of SWEET2a (AOS2) from R. solani. Localization and invertase secretion assays showed that nuclear localization and secreted function of AOS2. Hexose transport assays verified the hexose transporter activity of SWEET2a and SWEET3a. Yeast two-hybrid assays, Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and transactivation assay were conducted to verify the AOS2-WRKY53-Grassy tiller 1 (GT1) transcriptional complex and its activation of SWEET2a and SWEET3a. Genetic analysis is used to detect the response of GT1 , WRKY53 , SWEET2a , and SWEET3a to ShB infestation. Also, the soluble sugar contents were measured in the mutants and overexpression plants before and after the inoculation of R. solani. The present study found that R. solani protein AOS2 activates rice SWEET2a and localized in the nucleus of tobacco cells and secreted in yeast. AOS2 interacts with rice transcription factor WRKY53 and GT1 to form a complex that activates the hexose transporter gene SWEET2a and SWEET3a and negatively regulate rice resistance to ShB. These data collectively suggest that AOS2 secreted by R. solani interacts with rice WRKY53 and GT1 to form a transcriptional complex that activates SWEETs to efflux sugars to apoplast; R. solani acquires more sugars and subsequently accelerates host invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors for admission deep venous thrombosis (aDVT) and proximal aDVT in nonagenarians and centenarians with intertrochanteric fracture (IF). Methods: We collected statistics on nonagenarians and centenarians with IF admitting from January 2010 to October 2022. Patients with aDVT were considered as the aDVT group and those without aDVT as the non-aDVT group. Additionally, we also conducted a subgroup analysis based on the location of aDVT to investigate the predictors of proximal aDVT. The demographics, comorbidities and admission laboratory examinations of patients were computed by univariate analysis, logistic regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: In our study, the rate of aDVT (109 of 318) was 34.3%, and 5.7% (18 of 318) of patients had proximal aDVT. Logistic regression analysis showed that female patients and a high level of D-dimer were risk factors for aDVT. Similarly, hypoproteinemia and a high level of D-dimer were found to be risk factors for proximal aDVT. ROC curve analysis indicated the cut-off values of D-dimer to predict the aDVT and proximal aDVT were 1.28 mg/L and 1.485 mg/L, respectively. Conclusions: Our findings investigated the risk factors of aDVT and proximal aDVT in nonagenarians and centenarians with IF and identified the cut-off values of D-dimer, helping us assess the risk of aDVT and proximal aDVT to manage early targeted interventions. Level of evidence III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of different pedestrian densities (0.2, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 4.6 persons/m2) on a pedestrian bridge is studied, the comfort level is evaluated according to the acceleration peak, and the most sensitive part of the acceleration response employs tuned mass dampers (TMDs) for vibration control. The study shows that the bearing capacity level of the pedestrian bridge with articulated piers meets the standard. Compared with a pier rigid connection system, the structural dynamic characteristics of pier articulation do not change much, and the vertical frequency and peak acceleration in the span are slightly smaller. The comfort evaluation results of the bridge with articulated piers are the same as those of the bridge with a rigid pier. The TMD setting can effectively reduce the human-induced vibration time response, the vibration reduction efficiency can reach 52%, and the comfort level changes from CL2 to CL1 after vibration reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple method for the synthesis of cyclopropane compounds via cross‐coupling reaction between tertiary cyclopropyl carbagermatranes and acyl chlorides was reported. Derivatives of acryloyl chloride and aliphatic acyl chloride also performed to be suitable substrates. This process can be used to introduce a wide range of functionalized cyclopropane groups and acyl groups directly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with HER2 mutation has entered into the era of targeted therapy. However, both anti-HER2 antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) showed moderate objective response rate (ORR) and median progression-free survival (PFS). The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular features of responders to pyrotinib in advanced NSCLC with HER2 mutation. Methods: Patients from our two previous phase II trials were pooled analyzed. Their circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) were detected by next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels, and the correlation with the efficacy of pyrotinib was investigated. Results: This pooled analysis included 75 patients, and 50 of them with baseline plasma samples were finally enrolled with a median age of 57 years old. The overall ORR and median PFS were 28% and 7.0 months respectively. Biomarker analysis showed that 5 patients were ctDNA nonshedding. Patients with TP53 wild type were significantly associated with higher disease control rate (97.1%vs. 68.8%, p = 0.010), PFS (median 8.4 vs. 2.8 months, p = 0.001) and overall survival (OS, median 26.7 vs. 10.4 months, p < 0.001) than those with mutations. ctDNA of nonshedding and clearance exhibited significantly longer PFS (median: 10.2 vs. 9.8 vs. 5.6 months, p = 0.036) and a trend of longer OS (median: 35.3 vs. 18.1 vs. 14.6 months, p = 0.357) than those not. Conclusion: Patients with TP53 wild type, ctDNA nonshedding, or clearance showed superior efficacy of pyrotinib in patients with HER2-mutated advanced NSCLC, which might be helpful to guide the utility of pyrotinib in clinical setting. Trial registration: The patients were from two registered clinical trials (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02535507, NCT02834936). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens), a highly destructive insect pest, poses a serious threat to rice (Oryza sativa) production worldwide. Jasmonates are key phytohormones that regulate plant defences against BPH; however, the molecular link between jasmonates and BPH responses in rice remains largely unknown. Here, we discovered a Poaceae‐specific metabolite, mixed‐linkage β‐1,3;1,4‐d‐glucan (MLG), which contributes to jasmonate‐mediated BPH resistance. MLG levels in rice significantly increased upon BPH attack. Overexpressing OsCslF6, which encodes a glucan synthase that catalyses MLG biosynthesis, significantly enhanced BPH resistance and cell wall thickness in vascular bundles, whereas knockout of OsCslF6 reduced BPH resistance and vascular wall thickness. OsMYC2, a master transcription factor of jasmonate signalling, directly controlled the upregulation of OsCslF6 in response to BPH feeding. The AT‐rich domain of the OsCslF6 promoter varies in rice varieties from different locations and natural variants in this domain were associated with BPH resistance. MLG‐derived oligosaccharides bound to the plasma membrane‐anchored LECTIN RECEPTOR KINASE1 OsLecRK1 and modulated its activity. Thus, our findings suggest that the OsMYC2‐OsCslF6 module regulates pest resistance by modulating MLG production to enhance vascular wall thickness and OsLecRK1‐mediated defence signalling during rice‐BPH interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a robust cell factory to secrete or surface-display cellulase and amylase for the conversion of agricultural residues into valuable chemicals. Engineering the secretory pathway is a well-known strategy for overproducing these enzymes. Although cell wall biosynthesis can be tightly linked to the secretory pathway by regulation of all involved processes, the effect of its modifications on protein production has not been extensively studied. In this study, we systematically studied the effect of engineering cell wall biosynthesis on the activity of cellulolytic enzyme β-glucosidase (BGL1) by comparing seventy-nine gene knockout S. cerevisiae strains and newly identified that inactivation of DFG5 , YPK1 , FYV5 , CCW12 and KRE1 obviously improved BGL1 secretion and surface-display. Combinatorial modifications of these genes, particularly double deletion of FVY5 and CCW12 , along with the use of rich medium, increased the activity of secreted and surface-displayed BGL1 by 6.13-fold and 7.99-fold, respectively. Additionally, we applied this strategy to improve the activity of the cellulolytic cellobiohydrolase and amylolytic α-amylase. Through proteomic analysis coupled with reverse engineering, we found that in addition to the secretory pathway, regulation of translation processes may also involve in improving enzyme activity by engineering cell wall biosynthesis. Our work provides new insight into the construction of a yeast cell factory for efficient production of polysaccharide degrading enzymes. [Display omitted] • Newly identified gene targets involved in cell wall biosynthesis can improve protein secretion and surface-display. • The double deletion of FVY5 and CCW12 resulted in a 4.42- and 5.13-fold increase in the secretion and surface-display of β-glucosidase (BGL1), respectively. • The use of rich medium further improved BGL1 secretion and surface-display by 31.68% and 46.55%, respectively. • This strategy also led to improvements in the activity of cellobiohydrolase and α-amylase. • Proteomic analysis coupled with reverse engineering provided insights into the mechanism underlying the improved protein secretion or surface-display. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical properties of laser powder bed fused (LPBFed) Invar 36 alloy have been limited by the presence of manufacturing defects. It is imperative to investigate the influence of these defects on the mechanical behavior of LPBFed Invar 36 alloy. In this study, in-situ X-ray computed tomography (XCT) tests were conducted on LPBFed Invar 36 alloy fabricated at different scanning speeds to examine the relationship between manufacturing defects and mechanical behavior. For LPBFed Invar 36 alloy fabricated at a scanning speed of 400 mm/s, the manufacturing defects were randomly distributed and tended to be elliptical in shape. Plastic deformation behavior was observed, and failure initiated from defects inside the material resulting in ductile failure. Conversely, for LPBFed Invar 36 alloy fabricated at a scanning speed of 1000 mm/s, numerous lamellar defects were observed mainly located between deposition layers, and their quantity was significantly increased. Little plastic deformation behavior was observed, and failure initiated from defects on the shallow surface of the material resulting in brittle failure. The differences in manufacturing defects and mechanical behavior are attributed to changes in input energy during the laser powder bed fusion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide identification in alpine and canyon areas is difficult due to the terrain limitations. The main objective of this research was to explore the method of combining small baseline subset interferometric synthetic aperture radar (SBAS-InSAR), multi-temporal optical images and field surveys to identify potential landslides in the human-modified alpine and canyon area of the Niulan River in southwestern China based on terrain visibility analysis. The visibility of the terrain is analyzed using the different incident and heading angles of the Sentinel satellite's ascending and descending orbits. Based on the SAR image data of Sentinel-1A satellites from 2016 to 2019, the SBAS-InSAR method was used to identify landslides, and then multi-temporal optical images were used to facilitate landslide identification. Field surveys were carried out to verify the identification accuracy. A total of 28 landslides were identified, including 13 indicated by SBAS-InSAR, 8 by optical imaging and 7 by field investigation. Many landslides were induced by the impoundment and fluctuation of reservoir water. The comparison and verification of typical landslide monitoring data and reservoir water fluctuations revealed that a sudden drop of reservoir water had a great influence on landslide stability. These research results can facilitate a comprehensive understanding of landslide distribution in the reservoir area and guide the follow-up landslide risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochrome (Phy)‐regulated light signalling plays important roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. However, its function in rice defence against sheath blight disease (ShB) remains unclear. Here, we found that PhyB mutation or shade treatment promoted rice resistance to ShB, while resistance was reduced by PhyB overexpression. Further analysis showed that PhyB interacts with phytochrome‐interacting factor‐like 15 (PIL15), brassinazole resistant 1 (BZR1), and vascular plant one‐zinc‐finger 2 (VOZ2). Plants overexpressing PIL15 were more susceptible to ShB in contrast to bzr1‐D‐overexpressing plants compared with the wild‐type, suggesting that PhyB may inhibit BZR1 to negatively regulate rice resistance to ShB. Although BZR1 is known to regulate brassinosteroid (BR) signalling, the observation that BR signalling negatively regulated resistance to ShB indicated an independent role for BZR1 in controlling rice resistance. It was also found that the BZR1 ligand NAC028 positively regulated resistance to ShB. RNA sequencing showed that cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase 8B (CAD8B), involved in lignin biosynthesis was upregulated in both bzr1‐D‐ and NAC028‐overexpressing plants compared with the wild‐type. Yeast‐one hybrid, ChIP, and transactivation assays demonstrated that BZR1 and NAC028 activate CAD8B directly. Taken together, the analyses demonstrated that PhyB‐mediated light signalling inhibits the BZR1‐NAC028‐CAD8B pathway to regulate rice resistance to ShB. Summary Statement: Phytochrome B mutation‐mediated shading condition increased rice resistance to sheath blight. In the light, Phytochrome B translocated from cytosol to nucleus where it interacts with and inhibits BZR1 function. BZR1 interacts with NAC028 to directly activate CAD8B to increase lignin contents by which rice resistance to sheath blight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the aging of the population or diseases, the number of patients with lower limb disorders has increased, causing social concern. Scholars have designed and developed advanced robotic lower limb orthoses, which can guide patients to perform reasonable rehabilitation training with correct limb postures, enhance their daily life participation and quality of life, and help them recover quickly. In recent years, a large number of new and advanced orthopedic equipment have been developed, which require a systematic summary analysis and comparison. This article reviewed typical newly developed, robotic lower limb orthoses and their use effects, as well as the advanced theories and technologies for their applications, and systematically discussed the problems in the research, design, testing, use, and popularization of robotic lower limb orthoses, and predicted their development direction in the future research and design, to enhance the reliability, convenience, and protection functions of orthotic equipment, make its functions closer to life, and give full play to the initiative of patients in the process of rehabilitation training, and reduce costs. Robotic lower limb orthoses is poised for even greater success and development in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni and O co-modified MoS 2 as SERS substrate to detect harmful substances, and its enhanced effect came from the charge transfer effect and interface dipole–dipole interaction between substrate and molecules. It doesn't depend on molecular resonance. Thus, it can realize the rapid detection of different kinds of substances. [Display omitted] • The ultra-high SERS activity of MoS 2 is realized by Ni and O co-modification. • The 1NMS 250-3h substrate has a high EF value of 7.73 × 106. • The 1NMS 250-3h substrate can realize rapid detection of various molecules. • Synergistic SERS enhancement mechanism for 1NMS 250-3h. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has attracted extensive attention as an ultrasensitive detection method. However, the poor biocompatibility and expensive synthesis cost of noble metal SERS substrates have become non-negligible factors that limit the development of SERS technology. Metal chalcogenide semiconductors as an alternative to noble metal SERS substrates can avoid these disadvantages, but the enhancement effect is lower than that of noble metal substrates. Here, we report a method to co-modify MoS 2 by Ni and O, which improves the carrier concentration and mobility of MoS 2. The SERS effect of the modified MoS 2 is comparable to that of noble metals. We found that the improved SERS performance of MoS 2 can be attributed to the following two factors: strong interfacial dipole–dipole interaction and efficient charge transfer effect. During the doping process, the incorporation of Ni and O enhances the polarity and carrier concentration of MoS 2 , enhances the interfacial interaction of MoS 2 , and provides a basis for charge transfer. During the annealing process, the introduction of O atoms into the S defects reduces the internal defects of doped MoS 2 , improves the carrier mobility, and promotes the efficient charge transfer effect of MoS 2. The final modified MoS 2 as a SERS substrate realizes low-concentration detection of bilirubin, cytochrome C , and trichlorfon. This provides promising guidance for the practical inspection of metal chalcogenide semiconductor substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The predictors of muscle necrosis after acute compartment syndrome (ACS) remain debated. This study aimed to investigate the predictors for muscle necrosis in ACS patients. Methods: We collected data on ACS patients following fractures from January 2010 to November 2022. Patients were divided into the muscle necrosis group (MG) and the non-muscle necrosis group (NG). The demographics, comorbidities, and admission laboratory indicators were computed by univariate analysis, logistic regression analysis, and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: In our study, the rate of MN was 37.6% (83 of 221). Univariate analysis showed that numerous factors were associated with muscle necrosis following ACS. Logistic regression analysis indicated that crush injury (p = 0.007), neutrophil (NEU, p = 0.001), creatine kinase myocardial band (CKMB, p = 0.047), and prothrombin time (PT, p = 0.031) were risk factors. Additionally, ROC curve analysis identified 11.415 109/L, 116.825 U/L, and 12.51 s as the cut-off values for NEU, CKMB, and PT to predict muscle necrosis, respectively. Furthermore, the combination of NEU, CKMB, and PT had the highest diagnostic accuracy. Conclusions: Our findings showed that crush injury and the level of NEU, CKMB, and PT were risk factors for muscle necrosis after ACS. Additionally, we also identified the cut-off values of NEU, CKMB, and PT and found the combination of crush injury, PT, and NEU with the highest diagnostic accuracy, helping us individualize the assessment risk of muscle necrosis to manage early targeted interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A SERS platform for simultaneous detection of E. coli and S. aureus was developed. • A dual SERS enhancement strategy based on sandwich-like structure was applied. • Aptamers modified-Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -Au NCs were used for bacterial capture and isolation. • GO-Au NSs functionalized with DTNB/4-MBA and aptamers were proposed as SERS tags. • The detection limit for E. coli and S. aureus was as low as 10 cfu/mL. In this work, a novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sandwich strategy biosensing platform has been established for simultaneously detecting Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -Au nanocomposites (NCs) with varying amounts of Au nanocrystals were prepared, and the effect of interparticle gaps on SERS activity was studied by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The optimal magnetic SERS-active substrates (FS-A5) were functionalized with the specific aptamers to act as capture probes. Meanwhile, graphene oxide-Au nanostars (GO-Au NSs) decorated with Raman reporters and aptamers were used as SERS tags. The loading density of Au NSs on GO was tuned to change the number of SERS active sites. In this proposal, E. coli and S. aureus were first captured by capture probes and then bound with SERS tags to form a sandwich-like structure, which caused enhanced electromagnetic field because of the dual enhancement strategy. Under optimal conditions, SERS platform could detect E. coli and S. aureus simultaneously, and the detection limit was as low as 10 cfu/mL. Our sandwich assay-based dual-enhanced SERS platform provides a new idea for simultaneously detecting multiple pathogens with high selectivity and sensitivity, and thus will have more hopeful prospects in the field of food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Breast cancer is a disease that begins in the cells of the breast. Although it is most common in women, it can also occur in men, though this is rare. Early detection and treatment are crucial to improving outcomes and survival rates. Risk factors include age, family history, certain gene mutations, prior history of breast cancer, exposure to estrogen, and lifestyle habits like alcohol consumption and inactivity. Symptoms include changes in the skin on the breast, such as dimpling, lumps or thickening, changes in size or shape, and discharge from the nipple. Diagnosis is often made through a clinical breast exam, mammogram, biopsy, and possibly additional imaging tests. Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy. The choice of treatment method depends on the stage and characteristics of cancer. Breast cancer is considered the solid tumor most sensitive to chemotherapy. However, it can become resistant to various chemotherapeutic drugs, including doxorubicin, which triggers cell death by intercalation between DNA bases, free radical formation, and topoisomerase II inhibition. When drug resistance develops, several miRNAs are dysregulated, suggesting that miRNAs may play a significant role in resistance formation. In the current study, we investigated how doxorubicin sensitivity of breast cancer cells is affected by miR-153-3p and its target gene. The MTT method was used to determine the chemo-sensitizing effect of miR-153-3p on doxorubicin in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Results of Western blot and dual luciferase confirmed that miR-153-3p targets KIF20A and decreases its expression. Transwell and flow cytometry experiments showed that miR-153-3p and doxorubicin together had higher effects on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, as well as increasing apoptosis and arresting cells in the G1 phase. Proteins related to apoptosis and the cell cycle exhibited the same tendency. Intracellular vesicle formation was inhibited and RAB26 was also downregulated by treatment with miR-153-3p alone or in combination with doxorubicin. Doxorubicin's ability to suppress tumors may be enhanced by miR-153-3p, according to in vivo studies. According to our findings, miR-153-3p has a direct effect on KIF20A and may regulate the formation of intracellular vesicles, which in turn makes breast cancer cells more susceptible to doxorubicin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell fate specification is essential for every major event of embryogenesis, and subsequent cell maturation ensures individual cell types acquire specialized functions. The mechanisms that regulate cell fate specification have been studied exhaustively, and each technological advance in developmental biology ushers in a new era of studies aimed at uncovering the most fundamental processes by which cells acquire unique identities. What is less appreciated is that mechanisms are in place to ensure cell identity is maintained throughout the life of the organism. The body wall musculature in the Drosophila embryo is a well-established model to study cell fate specification, as each hemisegment in the embryo generates and maintains thirty muscles with distinct identities. Once specified, the thirty body wall muscles fuse with mononucleate muscle precursors that lack a specific identity to form multinucleate striated muscles. Multinucleate body wall muscles do not fuse with each other, which maintains a diversification of muscle cell identities. Here we show the serine/threonine kinase Back seat driver (Bsd) prevents inappropriate muscle fusion to maintain cell identity. Thus, the regulation of cell fusion is one mechanism that maintains cell identity. • Back seat driver (Bsd) prevents myotube fusion. • Bsd regulates ERK activity and kirre expression. • Jumeau acts upstream of Bsd and the FGF receptor heartless. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Normally, hydrogel electrolytes widely used in flexible energy storage devices have limited tolerance to different pHs. Most gel electrolytes will lose their compressible capability when the adaptable pH is changed. Herein, a poly(acrylamide3‐co‐(sulfobetaine methacrylate)1)@polyacrylamide (P(A3‐co‐S1)@PAM) hydrogel electrolyte equipped with a dual crosslinking network (DN) is successfully fabricated, which exhibits excellent tolerance to any pHs, endowing various energy storage devices including batteries and supercapacitors with superior mechanical durability. The batteries with mild and alkaline P(A3‐co‐S1)@PAM electrolytes display superior stability (over 3000 cycles). Additionally, a Zn||MnO2 battery based on the P(A3‐co‐S1)@PAM hydrogel electrolyte (mild) under 50% compression strain also shows excellent charge–discharge stability and high capacity at 152.4 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles. The strong reversible hydrogen bonds and electrostatic forces originating from zwitterionic structures of poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) play an important role in dissipating and dispersing energy imposed abruptly. Meanwhile, the zwitterionic structure and intermolecular NH⋯OC hydrogen bonds of the hydrogel lead to the property of acid resistance and alkali resistance. The tough and robust covalent crosslinking bonds and the tight arrangement of DN polymer chains enable the hydrogel electrolytes to recover their initial shape fast once unloading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common complications of orthopedic surgery, which can result in fever, pain, and even life-threatening sepsis. This study aimed to determine the predictors of SSI after fasciotomy in patients with acute leg compartment syndrome (ALCS). Methods: We collected information on 125 ALCS patients who underwent fasciotomy in two hospitals between November 2013 and January 2021. Patients with SSI were considered as the SSI group and those without SSI as the non-SSI group. Univariate analysis, logistic regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were used to evaluate patient demographics, comorbidities, and admission laboratory examinations. Results: In our research, the rate of SSI (26 of 125) was 20.8%. Several predictors of SSI were found using univariate analysis, including body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.001), patients with open fractures (p = 0.003), and patients with a history of smoking (p = 0.004). Besides, the levels of neutrophil (p = 0.022), glucose (p = 0.041), globulin (p = 0.010), and total carbon dioxide were higher in the SSI group than in the non-SSI group. According to the results of the logistic regression analysis, patients with open fractures (p = 0.023, OR 3.714), patients with a history of smoking (p = 0.010, OR 4.185), and patients with a higher BMI (p = 0.014, OR 1.209) were related predictors of SSI. Furthermore, ROC curve analysis indicated 24.69 kg/m2 as the cut-off value of BMI to predict SSI. Conclusions: Our results revealed open fractures, BMI, and smoking history as independent risk factors for SSI following fasciotomy in patients with ALCS and determined the cut-off value of BMI, enabling us to individualize the evaluation of the risk for SSI to implement early targeted treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red phosphors often play a crucial role in enhancing the lighting quality of WLEDs. However, it remains difficult to develop a red phosphor that shows high efficiency, outstanding thermal stability, and high color purity. The struggle against "thermal stability" is always an inevitable task for photoluminescent materials. In this work, we propose a method inspired by nonlinear optical materials to synthesize a novel red-emitting pyrophosphate phosphor Cs2MgZn2(P2O7)2:Eu3+. The phase purity and morphology features are clearly investigated using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The emission spectra show that Cs2MgZn2(P2O7)2:20%Eu3+ can emit bright red light with a high color purity (84.68%) under ultraviolet light excitation. Rietveld refinement of the XRD pattern and luminescence kinetics as a function of the Eu3+ doping concentration were used to obtain information about the crystal structure and determine the Eu3+ site occupation preference. In particular, the sample exhibited excellent thermal stability (100%@170 °C) due to zero thermal quenching behavior, and the mechanism is described in detail. The present work provides a new possibility for the research and application of zero-thermal quenching phosphors. In addition, the fabricated WLED device was characterized via its satisfactory CIE coordinates (0.3508, 0.3233), outstanding correlated color temperature (CCT = 4608 K) and strong emission intensity, which demonstrates its potential for application in the field of WLED solid-state lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatigue cracking due to repeated truck traffic loads is the leading cause of failure of asphalt concrete pavement in many locations. Rest periods, referring to the time intervals between successive trucks, may allow for partial or full recovery from fatigue damage and in turn extend pavement fatigue life. This paper delves into the characteristics of rest periods between highway truck traffic loads using traffic data from 40 weigh-in-motion (WIM) stations installed on California state highways and evaluates their effects on pavement performance using mechanistic-empirical incremental-recursive damage and cracking simulation (CalME software). Toward this purpose, truck traffic data were extracted from these WIM stations at selected periods throughout the year 2015 to calculate rest periods. The probability distribution of rest periods and quantiles of cumulative rest periods were calculated, respectively. Regression and statistical analysis for 0.5 quantiles (median) of cumulative rest periods were also performed for different spectra groups and seasons. It was found that rest periods are strongly correlated with the truck traffic volume regardless of the WIM station location and seasons of the year. The actual rest periods based on the nonuniform truck traffic measured from the WIM data were found to be slightly shorter than the corresponding theoretical average rest periods for uniform traffic (ARP-UT) currently assumed in CalME, likely due to truck-following. This theoretical value assumes an equal time interval between trucks all the time. After comparing pavement performance with and without rest periods, it was found that rest periods have a significant influence (30% in difference) on pavement cracking performance in the modeling. Based on this preliminary analysis, the difference in pavement performance caused by the difference between the actual rest periods and ARP-UT is minimal. It is therefore recommended to continue to use ARP-UT to account for the effect of rest periods in pavement design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major gap between few-shot and many-shot learning is the data distribution empirically oserved by the model during training. In few-shot learning, the learned model can easily become over-fitted based on the biased distribution formed by only a few training examples, while the ground-truth data distribution is more accurately uncovered in many-shot learning to learn a well-generalized model. In this paper, we propose to calibrate the distribution of these few-sample classes to be more unbiased to alleviate such an over-fitting problem. The distribution calibration is achieved by transferring statistics from the classes with sufficient examples to those few-sample classes. After calibration, an adequate number of examples can be sampled from the calibrated distribution to expand the inputs to the classifier. Specifically, we assume every dimension in the feature representation from the same class follows a Gaussian distribution so that the mean and the variance of the distribution can borrow from that of similar classes whose statistics are better estimated with an adequate number of samples. Extensive experiments on three datasets, miniImageNet, tieredImageNet, and CUB, show that a simple linear classifier trained using the features sampled from our calibrated distribution can outperform the state-of-the-art accuracy by a large margin. Besides the favorable performance, the proposed method also exhibits high flexibility by showing consistent accuracy improvement when it is built on top of any off-the-shelf pretrained feature extractors and classification models without extra learnable parameters. The visualization of these generated features demonstrates that our calibrated distribution is an accurate estimation thus the generalization ability gain is convincing. We also establish a generalization error bound for the proposed distribution-calibration-based few-shot learning, which consists of the distribution assumption error, the distribution approximation error, and the estimation error. This generalization error bound theoretically justifies the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Thrombocytopenia has long been considered an important complication of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which severely limits the effectiveness of cancer treatment and the overall survival of patients. However, clinical treatment options are extremely limited so far. Ruxolitinib is a potential candidate. Methods: The impact of ruxolitinib on the differentiation and maturation of K562 and Meg-01 cells megakaryocytes (MKs) was examined by flow cytometry, Giemsa and Phalloidin staining. A mouse model of radiation-injured thrombocytopenia (RIT) was employed to evaluate the action of ruxolitinib on thrombocytopoiesis. Network pharmacology, molecular docking, drug affinity responsive target stability assay (DARTS), RNA sequencing, protein blotting and immunofluorescence analysis were applied to explore the targets and mechanisms of action of ruxolitinib. Results: Ruxolitinib can stimulate MK differentiation and maturation in a dose-dependent manner and accelerates recovery of MKs and thrombocytopoiesis in RIT mice. Biological targeting analysis showed that ruxolitinib binds directly to Toll Like Receptor 2 (TLR2) to activate Rac1/cdc42/JNK, and this action was shown to be blocked by C29, a specific inhibitor of TLR2. Conclusions: Ruxolitinib was first identified to facilitate MK differentiation and thrombocytopoiesis, which may alleviate RIT. The potential mechanism of ruxolitinib was to promote MK differentiation via activating the Rac1/cdc42/JNK pathway through binding to TLR2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major gap between few-shot and many-shot learning is the data distribution empirically oserved by the model during training. In few-shot learning, the learned model can easily become over-fitted based on the biased distribution formed by only a few training examples, while the ground-truth data distribution is more accurately uncovered in many-shot learning to learn a well-generalized model. In this paper, we propose to calibrate the distribution of these few-sample classes to be more unbiased to alleviate such an over-fitting problem. The distribution calibration is achieved by transferring statistics from the classes with sufficient examples to those few-sample classes. After calibration, an adequate number of examples can be sampled from the calibrated distribution to expand the inputs to the classifier. Specifically, we assume every dimension in the feature representation from the same class follows a Gaussian distribution so that the mean and the variance of the distribution can borrow from that of similar classes whose statistics are better estimated with an adequate number of samples. Extensive experiments on three datasets, miniImageNet, tieredImageNet, and CUB, show that a simple linear classifier trained using the features sampled from our calibrated distribution can outperform the state-of-the-art accuracy by a large margin. Besides the favorable performance, the proposed method also exhibits high flexibility by showing consistent accuracy improvement when it is built on top of any off-the-shelf pretrained feature extractors and classification models without extra learnable parameters. The visualization of these generated features demonstrates that our calibrated distribution is an accurate estimation thus the generalization ability gain is convincing. We also establish a generalization error bound for the proposed distribution-calibration-based few-shot learning, which consists of the distribution assumption error, the distribution approximation error, and the estimation error. This generalization error bound theoretically justifies the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigated the influence of surface internal energy instability caused by the gravitational tilt angle on solutocapillary convection. The results showed that the spatio-temporal evolution of solutocapillary convection in a non-axisymmetric liquid bridge was divided into three stages under different gravitational tilt angles, "the initiating stage near the upper corner", "development to the intermediate height", and "shrinking toward the bottom corner". The non-equilibrium of the left or right interface curvature caused by internal energy instability promotes the distortion of the cell flow structure. The concentration gradient on the far-earth side increases first, due to the gravitational tilt angle. With the increasing gravitational tilt angle, the lateral extension of the cell flow is inhibited. The transverse/longitudinal velocity components are suppressed; however, the velocity gradient near the boundary is increased, and the uniformity of the velocity distribution in the center of the liquid bridge is improved. The axial component of the Bond number decreases in a small range (Bo′ = 1→0.98) with the internal energy instability, however, which has a significant effect on surface flow. Therefore, in the initiation and development stages of solutocapillary convection, the decay rate of the Marangoni number respectively decreases and increases with the increasing Bond number. The axial component of the Bond number decreases in a small range with the internal energy instability, which has a significant effect on the solute Marangoni number (Mac). In the initiation stage of solutocapillary convection, the decay rate of the Mac decreases with the increasing Bond number. Its change law is the opposite in the development stage of solutocapillary convection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) have drawn growing attention as promising electrode candidates for rechargeable batteries. However, most studies focus on the direct use of MOF electrodes without any modification. Post‐synthetic modification, a judicious tool to modify targeted properties of MOFs, has been long‐neglected in the field of batteries. Herein, crystal‐facet engineering is proposed to design MOF‐based electrodes with high capacity and fast electrochemical kinetics. We found that a thermally‐modified strategy can regulate the dominant exposed facet of Ni‐based MOF (PFC‐8). With the optimally exposed facets, the battery exhibited admirable rate capability (139.4 mAh g−1 at 2.5 A g−1 and 110.0 mAh g−1 at 30 A g−1) and long‐term stability. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations demonstrate that stronger OH− adsorption behaviors and optimized electronic structures induced by the regulated exposed facets boost the electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) have drawn growing attention as promising electrode candidates for rechargeable batteries. However, most studies focus on the direct use of MOF electrodes without any modification. Post‐synthetic modification, a judicious tool to modify targeted properties of MOFs, has been long‐neglected in the field of batteries. Herein, crystal‐facet engineering is proposed to design MOF‐based electrodes with high capacity and fast electrochemical kinetics. We found that a thermally‐modified strategy can regulate the dominant exposed facet of Ni‐based MOF (PFC‐8). With the optimally exposed facets, the battery exhibited admirable rate capability (139.4 mAh g−1 at 2.5 A g−1 and 110.0 mAh g−1 at 30 A g−1) and long‐term stability. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations demonstrate that stronger OH− adsorption behaviors and optimized electronic structures induced by the regulated exposed facets boost the electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robotic systems have emerged in dental implant surgery due to their accuracy. Autonomous robotic surgery may offer unprecedented advantages over conventional alternatives. This clinical protocol was used to show the feasibility of autonomous robotic surgery for immediately loaded implant-supported full-arch prostheses in the maxilla. This case report demonstrated the surgical protocol and outcomes in detail, highlighting the pros and cons of the autonomous robotic system. Within the limitations of this study, autonomous robotic surgery could be a feasible alternative to computer-assisted guided implant surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This communication proposes a wide‐bandwidth planar inverted‐F antenna (WPIFA) and a tunable planar inverted‐F antenna (TPIFA), which are realized by manipulating two resonant modes of TM0,1/2 and TM0,3/2. For WPIFA, the dual resonance modes TM0,1/2 and TM0,3/2 are made close to each other by appropriately using a pair of shorting pins and etching a Ω‐shaped slot on the surface of the patch to increase the bandwidth. To realize the tunable bandwidth, on the basis of WPIFA, the Ω‐shaped slot is modified to close the protruding part, and three PINs are used to control the on–off between the closed part and the outside. It is formed that when the PIN is turn off and on, respectively, TPIFA works in the TM0,1/2 mode, and works in both the TM0,1/2 and TM0,3/2 modes. So that the working bandwidth of TPIFA is switched between narrowband and wideband. The prototype processing and testing of the antennas show that it has excellent performance under low profile (0.033λ0). Among them, the impedance bandwidth of WPIFA is 3.3–3.77 GHz (13.3%), while TPIFA is 3.27–3.56 GHz (8.5%) and 3.26–3.75 GHz (14%) respectively, when the PIN is off and on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To compare the efficacy of sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), selective aldosterone antagonists and nonselective aldosterone antagonists, on top of renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system (RAAS) blockade, in reducing kidney‐specific composite events, cardiovascular outcomes, and other events of special interest in participants with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: PubMed, EMBASE and CENTRAL were searched for studies published up to January 20, 2022. Randomized clinical trials enrolling participants with T2D and CKD were included, in which SGLT2 inhibitors, nonsteroidal MRAs, selective aldosterone antagonists and nonselective aldosterone antagonists were compared with either each other, or with placebo or no treatment. A network meta‐analysis using a Bayesian approach was performed. The primary outcome was a kidney‐specific composite event. Secondary outcomes included death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, hospitalization for heart failure, and all‐cause mortality. We also examined blood pressure and safety outcomes of interest, including acute kidney injury, hyperkalaemia, hyponatraemia, and volume reduction events. All research was conducted according to a protocol registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42022307113). Results: This meta‐analysis of 17 trials randomizing 22 981 participants found SGLT2 inhibitors (odds ratio [OR] 0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.52 to 0.73) and nonsteroidal MRAs (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.88) were associated with significantly lower kidney‐specific composite events than the control groups. Nonsteroidal MRAs (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.92) and SGLT2 inhibitors (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.72) were associated with greater reductions in hospitalization for heart failure than the control groups. SGLT2 inhibitors were associated with a lower risk of hospitalization for heart failure events compared with nonsteroidal MRAs (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.55‐0.97). SGLT2 inhibitors were associated with a reduction in cardiovascular death (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.98) and all‐cause mortality (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.93) compared with the control groups. When compared to the control groups, both nonsteroidal MRAs (weighted mean difference [WMD] −10.96, 95% CI −20.49 to −1.46) and SGLT2 inhibitors (WMD −3.50, 95% CI −6.01 to −1.013) were linked with lower systolic blood pressure, nonsteroidal MRAs (OR 2.27, 95% CI 2.02 to 2.56) and nonselective aldosterone antagonists (OR 3.22, 95% CI 1.43 to 7.66) were associated with an increased risk of hyperkalaemia, nonsteroidal MRAs were linked with an increased risk of hyponatraemia (OR 16.56, 95% CI 2.78 to 455.19), and SGLT2 inhibitors were associated with an increased risk of volume reduction events (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.56). SGLT2 inhibitors were ranked the best for our primary and secondary outcomes. Confidence in the evidence was often high or moderate. Conclusions: In this network meta‐analysis, the use of SGLT2 inhibitors or nonsteroidal MRAs, combined with RAAS blockade, was associated with a reduction in kidney‐specific composite events and hospitalization for heart failure events in patients with T2D and CKD compared to placebo or no treatment. SGLT2 inhibitors were associated with a lower risk of hospitalization for heart failure events compared with nonsteroidal MRAs. Use of SGLT2 inhibitors was associated with lower mortality than placebo or no treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu doped TiO 2 /CuS (Cu–TiO 2 /CuS) p-n heterojunction was synthesized via in situ sulfidation method for efficient photocatalytic removal of NO at ppb-level. The results show that optimized Cu–TiO 2 /CuS heterojunction possessed a maximum efficiency of 85% for the removal of NO under visible light irradiation, which was approximately 8.5, 4.3 and 1.2 times that of CuS, TiO 2 and Cu–TiO 2 , respectively. The improved photocatalytic performance is attributed to the enhancement of visible light absorption and charge carrier separation induced by the construction of p-n heterojunction. Meanwhile, the p-n heterojunction charge transfer mechanism of Cu–TiO 2 /CuS was verified by systematic investigations. The appropriate band structures of the two components and the internal electric field formed at the interface of the heterojunction were two factors for this charge transfer mechanism. Furthermore, the role of active species in NO removal was explored, and the corresponding mechanism for NO removal of the heterojunction was proposed. This work provides a promising approach for the synthesis of heterojunction photocatalysts and facilitates the application of photocatalysts in sustainable and efficient pollutant removal. [Display omitted] • The Cu–TiO 2 /CuS p-n heterojunction was successfully synthesized by an in situ sulfidation method. • The heterojunction exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance for NO removal with a maximum removal efficiency of 85%. • The heterojunction could effectively inhibit the generation of toxic by-product NO 2. • The excellent photocatalytic performance was attributed to enhanced visible light absorption and charge carrier separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]