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This work is concerned with design and analysis of a renewable power generation process featured with fast speed of biomass processing, low NOx and SOx emissions and ease of carbon capture. It is based on chemical looping with oxygen uncoupling (CLOU) of hydrochar derived from hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of biomass. An air reactor and a fuel reactor employing CuO/Cu2O redox reactions are integrated with a combined Brayton and Rankine cycle to generate power. The design simulation is conducted using Aspen Plus V11. By implementing multiple-stage intercooled compression and multiple-stage reheat expansion in the Brayton cycle and multi-pressure steam generation in the Rankine cycle, an overall thermal efficiency of 35.3% on HHV basis without carbon capture (or 32.4% with carbon capture) is obtained.

In this work, a manganese oxide electrode, containing carbon nanofiber composites (MnO2/CNF), has been made through electrospinning, oxidization, and partial carbonization high-temperature treatment. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the morphology of the nanofiber and analyze the composition of the fiber. The fiber size range and element distribution were determined. The oxide nanoparticles were modeled as electrorheological suspensions in the polyacrylonitrile polymer solution during electrospinning. The dielectrophoretic behavior of the particles subjected to non-uniform electric fields were analyzed and the motion of the oxide particles under the actions from fluctuating electric fields was investigated to explain the sporadic distribution of nanoparticles within the composite nanofibers. A photoactive anode was made from the composite nanofiber and the decomposition of spilled oil was performed under sunlight illumination. It was observed that the manganese oxide containing carbon nanofiber composite electrode can generate electricity and clean the spilled oil under sunlight. Both energy conversion and environment cleaning concepts were demonstrated.

To mitigate the damage of oil spills, a filter modified with a hydrophilic and oleophobic coating is proposed for affordable and efficient oil separation and recovery from water. The sol–gel method was chosen to produce a colloidal suspension of titanium dioxide particles for its ease of production and its versatility in application for many different substrates, including paper and cloth fabric. After immersing the substrates into a titanium-containing solution, three techniques were applied to increase the production of titanium dioxide—microwave-assisted, refrigeration, and ultra-sonication. Contact angle tests were done to investigate the change in the filter’s oleophobicity. The titanium dioxide present on the surface of the filter was amorphous, but all treatment methods showed an improvement in oleophobicity. All treated filters improved oil filtration performance by up to eighty percent. The filters isolated motor oil from a mixture while allowing water to pass through. The coated filters also displayed photocatalytic activity by degrading methylene blue on its surface when exposed to sunlight, demonstrating the filter’s self-cleaning ability. For real-world applications, the filter can be supported by a stainless mesh for enhanced strength and durability. While being dragged through the water, the filter collects the surface oil, allowing water to pass through via gravity.

Since the 2008 global food crisis, food security vulnerability has been a prominent topic in the food policy debate. However, vulnerability is inherently difficult to conceptualize and is more challenging to operationalize and measure. This study constructs a mathematical model and takes China as a case study to measure the vulnerability and sensitivity of China with its partners in the international grain trade. The results show that 1) the degree of interdependence between China and its grain trading partners is asymmetric, which generates trade vulnerability or economic power; 2) the vulnerability of China's food trade shows a high spatiotemporal heterogeneity among countries: the higher vulnerability zones are concentrated in North America and Northeast Asia, and the scope of the higher vulnerability zones tends to expand; 3) Our results also reveal that China also has different sensitivities to fluctuations in grain markets from different countries, and the higher sensitive zones of the grain trade in China are mainly distributed in America, Europe, and Oceania. The main contribution of this paper is the development of a methodology for food trade vulnerability assessment and examines the influence of international food trade on food security in importing countries, measured using the vulnerability index and sensitivity index. Nevertheless, the conclusions of this study can be considered preliminary, and there remains great potential for future studies to deepen and broaden our analyses further.

Porous metals and alloys have many important characteristics such as light weight, high surface area, good electrical conductivity, and enhanced surface plasmonics. They have found many applications in chemical and biomedical engineering fields. This review deals with various dealloying techniques for making nanoporous metals, alloys, and composite materials. Typical dealloying processes and their recent development are introduced. The dealloying techniques include chemical etching, electrochemical leaching, high temperature element removal, thermic reduction, Galvanic replacement, template approach, physical vacuum processing, magnetic field induced processing, plasma reaction etc. Although various noble porous metals such as Pt, Pd, Au, and Ru were extensively studied earlier for applications in catalysis and energy storage/conversions, other porous metallic alloys are under investigations for the removal of pollutants, energy absorbing, filtration of metal ions, organic dyes, and microbial organisms. Advances in processing nanoporous particles, nanosheets, and porous fibers will be discussed. The applications of recently developed nanoporous metals are presented as well.

This paper provides a brief review on manufacturing polymer composite materials through the nontraditional electrohydrodynamic (EHD) casting approach. First, the EHD technology will be introduced. Then, typical functional polymer composite materials including thermoelectric and photoelectric energy conversion polymers and their composites will be presented. Specifically, how to make composite materials containing functional nanoparticles will be discussed. Converting polymeric fibers into partially carbonized fiber composites will also be shown. The latest research results of polymeric composite materials with energy conversion and sensing functions will be given.

Biomass wastes are abundant around us. They are renewable and inexpensive. Product manufacturing from renewable resources has caught increasing interest recently. Activated carbon preparation from biomass resources, including various trees, leaves, plant roots, fruit peels, and grasses, is a good example. In this paper, an overview of activated carbon production from biomass resources will be given. The first part will be on the processing technologies. The second part will focus on the carbon activation methods. The third part will introduce the biomass resources. The fourth part will be on surface modification of activated carbon through the addition of various components. Finally, the development of product applications will be discussed with an emphasis on adsorption, filtration, water purification, energy conversions, and energy storage.

Although native extracellular matrix (ECM) is viscoelastic, synthetic biomaterials used in biomedical engineering to mimic ECM typically exhibit a purely elastic response when an external strain is applied. In an effort to truly understand how living cells interact with surrounding ECM matrix, new biomaterials with tunable viscoelastic properties continue to be developed. Here we report the synthesis and mechanical characterization of a gelatin methacrylate-alginate (Gel-Alg) composite hydrogel. Results obtained from creep and compressive tests reveal that the alginate component of Gel-Alg composite, can be effectively crosslinked, un-crosslinked and re-crosslinked by adding or chelating Ca2+ ions. This work demonstrates that Gel-Alg is capable of tuning its viscoelastic strain and elastic recovery properties, and can be potentially used to design ECM-mimicking hydrogels.

Yu-Feng Xiao,1 Jian-Mei Li,2 Su-Min Wang,1 Xin Yong,1 Bo Tang,1 Meng-Meng Jie,1 Hui Dong,1 Xiao-Chao Yang,2 Shi-Ming Yang1 1Department of Gastroenterology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Biomedical Engineering, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of tumor-related deaths in the world. Current treatment options do not satisfy doctors and patients, and new therapies are therefore needed. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) have been studied as a potential therapeutic approach for treating many diseases. However, their effects on human gastric cancer are currently unknown. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to characterize the effects of CNPs on human gastric cancer cell lines (MKN28 and BGC823). Gastric cancer cells were cocultured with different concentrations of CNPs, and proliferation and migration were measured both in vitro and in vivo. We found that CNPs inhibited the migration of gastric cancer cells when applied at different concentrations, but only a relatively high concentration (10 µg/mL) of CNPs suppressed proliferation. Furthermore, we found that CNPs increased the expression of DHX15 and its downstream signaling pathways. We therefore provide evidence showing that CNPs may be a promising approach to suppress malignant activity of gastric cancer by increasing the expression of DHX15. Keywords: cerium oxide nanoparticles, gastric cancer, DHX15, p38

The objective of this article is to provide an overview on the current development of micro- and nanoporous fiber processing and manufacturing technologies. Various methods for making micro- and nanoporous fibers including co-electrospinning, melt spinning, dry jet-wet quenching spinning, vapor deposition, template assisted deposition, electrochemical oxidization, and hydrothermal oxidization are presented. Comparison is made in terms of advantages and disadvantages of different routes for porous fiber processing. Characterization of the pore size, porosity, and specific area is introduced as well. Applications of porous fibers in various fields are discussed. The emphasis is put on their uses for energy storage components and devices including rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors.

Fibers are promising materials being utilized in electronics, principally in the areas of capacitors and sensors. In this study, we examine the effect of pyrolysis temperature on the electrical conductive behavior and photosensitivity of a carbon-based fiber, which was made by electrospinning a polymer solution containing polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and dimethylformamide (DMF). Converting the polymeric fiber into a carbon fiber was performed through the controlled pyrolysis during which oxidation, stabilization, and carbonization happened. After oxidation at an elevated temperature, the linear polymer fiber was stabilized to have a backbone structure. Then the oxidized fiber was treated in an even higher temperature range to be partially carbonized under the protection of argon gas. We utilized multiple samples of the fibers treated at various pyrolysis temperatures inside a heat furnace and examined the effects of the temperatures on the properties. The partially carbonized fiber is highly active in view of electron generation under photon energy excitation. The unique electrical and photovoltaic property are due to their semiconducting behavior. The morphology of the specimen before and after the pyrolysis was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM images displayed the shrinkage of the fiber due to the pyrolysis. There are two stages of pyrolysis kinetics. Stage I is related to the oxidation of the PAN polymer. Stage II is associated with the carbonization and the activation energy of carbonization is calculated as 118 kJ/mol.

Our current study deals with the dye adsorption and electrical property of a partially carbonized composite fiber containing transition metal oxides including, iron oxide, nickel oxide, and titanium oxide. The fiber was made by electrospinning, carbonization, and hydrothermal treatment. During the electrospinning, titanium oxide particles were dispersed in polyacrylonitrile (PAN) polymer-dimethylformamide (DMF) solution. Nickel chloride and iron nitrate were added into the solution to generate nickel oxide and iron oxide in the subsequent heat treatment processes. The polymer fiber was oxidized first at an elevated temperature of 250 °C to stabilize the structure of PAN. Then, we performed higher temperature heat treatment at 500 °C in a furnace with hydrogen gas protection to partially carbonize the polymer fiber. After that, the oxide-containing fiber was coated with activated carbon in a diluted sugar solution via hydrothermal carbonization at 200 °C for 8 h. The pressure reached 1.45 MPa in the reaction chamber. The obtained product was tested in view of the dye, Rhodamine B, adsorption using a Vis-UV spectrometer. Electrical property characterization was performed using an electrochemical work station. It was found that the hydrothermally treated oxide-containing fiber demonstrated obvious dye adsorption behavior. The visible light absorption intensity of the Rhodamine B dye decreased with the increase in the soaking time of the fiber in the dye solution. The impedance of the fiber was increased due to the hydrothermal carbonization treatment. We also found that charge build-up was faster at the surface of the specimen without the hydrothermally treated carbon layer. Electricity generation under visible light excitation is more intensive at the hydrothermally treated fiber than at the one without the hydrothermal treatment. This result is consistent with that obtained from the dye adsorption/decomposition test because the charge generation is more efficient at the surface of the hydrothermally treated fiber, which allows the dye to be decomposed faster by the treated fibers with activated carbon.

Through this work, a carbon network/aluminum matrix porous composite material was analyzed for its susceptibility to material degradation in sulfuric acid and seawater corrosive media. Simple potentiodynamic electrochemical testing was implemented, and from polarization curves, the Tafel coefficients and exchange current densities were obtained for a comparative analysis. The pseudo exchange current densities for corrosion of the composite material were compared to those found for Al 1235 and 6061-T6. By relating the pseudo icorr of these materials in each environment, an understanding regarding the relative propensity to corrosion was determined. According to the recovered data, the composite had the lowest pseudo icorr in all corrosion systems and was consequently inferred the least likely to corrode. The factor that primarily contests this conclusion is the material’s relatively large exposed surface area. The existence of carbon along the grain boundaries in the C/Al composite improved its corrosion behavior. Further discussion concerning the implication of βc is offered. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) tests were performed in the frequency range from 0.001 Hz to 100 kHz. An immersion corrosion test was conducted to calculate the corrosion rate in different environments. Morphological observation on the corrosion surface was also carried out to evaluate the corrosion product deposition on each material.

In this paper, a titanium dioxide particle coated carbon fiber was prepared by reaction spinning. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was used as the precursor to generate a continuous carbon nanofiber. A solution containing 10% wt PAN polymer dissolved in dimethylformamide (DMF) was made as the core fluid. The sheath fluid contains 10% titanium (IV) isopropoxide, 85% ethanol, and 5% acetic acid. The two solutions were co-spun onto an aluminium plate covered with a layer of soft tissue paper. A titanium hydroxide layer formed at the surface of the PAN fiber through the hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide due to the moisture absorption in the co-spinning process. The reaction spun fiber was converted to a partially carbonized nanofiber by the heat treatment in air at 250 °C for two hours, then in hydrogen at 500 °C for two hours. During the early stage of the heat treatment, the titanium hydroxide decomposed and produced titanium dioxide nanoparticles at the surface of the carbon fiber. The structure and composition of the carbonized fiber were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The photosensitivity of the particle-containing fiber was characterized by measuring the open circuit voltage under visible light excitation. The photoelectric energy conversion behavior of the fiber was confirmed by open circuit potential measurement. The potential applications of the composite fiber for photovoltaics and photonic sensing were discussed.

In this work, iron oxide nanoparticle loaded carbon fibers were prepared by electrohydrodynamic co-casting a polymer and particle mixture followed by carbonization. The precursor used to generate carbon fibers was a linear molecular chain polymer: polyacrylonitrile (PAN). A solution containing iron (II, III) oxide (Fe3O4) particles and the PAN polymer dissolved in dimethylformamide (DMF) was electrohydrodynamically co-cast into fibers. The fibers were stabilized in air and carbonized in hydrogen at elevated temperatures. The microstructure and composition of the fibers were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A quantitative metallographic analysis method was used to determine the fiber size. It was found that the iron (II, III) oxide particles distributed uniformly within the carbonized fibers. Photosensitivity of the particle containing fibers was characterized through measuring the open circuit potential of the fiber samples under the visible light illumination. Potential applications of the fibers for photovoltaics and photonic sensing were discussed.

To increase the performance of photochemical fuel cells, nonequilibrium electrodeposition has been performed on Cu and Ni to make photosensitive anodes. Processing parameters including electrolyte concentration, and electrode potential were studied using cyclic voltammetry. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) were performed to understand the formation of the nanostructures during the nonequilibrium deposition of copper fractals. An increase in the deposition rate was observed with the increase in electrolyte concentration (from 0.05 M to 1.0 M). Similar trend was found when the cathode potential was decreased from −0.5 V to −4.5 V. The effect of substrate material was also examined. Porous fractal structures on copper were achieved, while the deposited material showed high density of surface cracks on nickel. The fractal structures deposited on copper electrode with the increased surface area were converted into copper oxide by oxidation in air. Such oxide samples were made into anodes for photochemical fuel cell application. We demonstrated that an increase in the magnitude of open circuit output voltage is associated with the increase in the fractal surface area under the ultraviolet irradiation test conditions. However, the electrodeposited fractals on nickel showed very limited increase in the magnitude of open circuit voltage.

Abstract Despite being a leading cause of chronic pain and disability, the underlying mechanisms of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IVDD) remain unclear. Emerging evidence suggests that mechanosensation (the ability of the skeletal system to perceive mechanical and biochemical signals) mediated by abnormal mechanical loading plays a critical role in the regulation of IVD health. This review examines the complex interactions amongIVDs, intraosseous sensory mechanisms, and the central nervous system (CNS), with a particular focus on the roles of pathways such as PGE2/EP4, Wnt/β-catenin, and NF-κB. This review elucidates the manner in which mechanical stress and aberrant signaling disrupt the homeostasis of the nucleus pulposus (NP), cartilaginous endplate (CEP) and annulus fibrosus (AF), thereby driving degeneration and exacerbating pain. Furthermore, targeted therapeutic strategies, including the modulation of skeletal interoception and dynamic mechanical loading, present novel avenues for reversing IVDD progression. By integrating skeletal biology with spinal pathology, this work offers a novel perspective on the pathogenesis of IVDD and identifies promising strategies for clinical intervention. These findings highlight the potential of targeting skeletal interoception to mitigate IVDD and associated pain, paving the way for innovative, mechanism-driven therapies.

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to explore the systemic inflammation response in relation to mortality in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, and whether this relationship was mediated by accelerated biological aging. Methods This cross-sectional study encompassed U.S. participants from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in 1999–2000. Kaplan-Meier survival curve, Cox regression analysis, K-means clustering, mediation analysis and restricted cubic spline (RCS) were used to explore the relationships between inflammatory markers, biological aging, H. pylori infection and all-cause mortality. Results A total of 3509 U.S. participants enrolled form NHANES 1999–2000. Compared with H. pylori seronegative participants, H. pylori seropositive participants had significantly higher all-cause mortality (P

Abstract Uncontrolled acute and persistent bleeding, as well as with infection, is a great challenge because of the high mortality during treating the patients with injuries, complex surgery or bone marrow failure. Here, we develop an external form of natural components which is based on phosphorylated methacrylated gelatin (GelMA, G) cryogel (GP) loaded with tannic acid (TA)-mixed copper ion (Cu2+) mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBG), named after GP@MBG-Cu-TA cryogel, to address the goals of reduce persistent bleeding and enhance antibacterial activity. Structurally, GP@MBG-Cu-TA cryogel is based on GP, MBG loaded with TA and Cu2+ adheres to GP via hydrogen bonding. In vitro, GP@MBG-Cu-TA cryogel displays a good biocompatibility, hemostatic and antimicrobial capability. In vivo studies, GP@MBG-Cu-TA cryogel can enhance the hemostatic effect in the liver injury in SD rats for the acute bleeding, as well as in the aplastic anemia and hemophilia A mice with tail amputation for the persistent bleeding. In addition, GP@MBG-Cu-TA cryogel accelerates the skin wound repair in the mice with the bacterial contamination at the injury site. In sum, GP@MBG-Cu-TA cryogel is not only endowed with dual function of hemostatic and antimicrobial capability, but also can stop bleeding of the objects with either normal or abnormal coagulation function. Thus, GP@MBG-Cu-TA cryogel provides a promising candidate dressing for managing bleeding and bacterial complications in clinic. Graphical abstract

Abstract This study compares the performance of two generations of environmentally friendly composite dust suppressants, derived from plant straw, with two commercial suppressants, water, and dust-proof netting. The aim is to address construction-related dust pollution while minimizing environmental impact. Through wind erosion resistance tests under simulated high-wind conditions, the second-generation suppressant at 2 L/m2 concentration is found to decrease the soil mass loss, outperforming others in efficiency. Furthermore, a study on cabbage seed germination and growth under the influence of different solutions shows that the second-generation suppressant exhibits virtually no adverse effects, with results similar to water. In soil impact tests, the second-generation suppressant demonstrates the best solidification effect, with soil parameters meeting standards and outperforming both commercial suppressants and water. Overall, the second-generation environmentally friendly composite dust suppressant has shown favorable performance across all aspects, resulting in a suitable candidate for widespread use in dusty environments.

Scomberomorus niphonius, an important marine economic fish in China, is widely distributed in the Bohai, Yellow, and East China Seas. In 2022, the total catch of Scomberomorus niphonius in China was 356, 100 tons, representing 3.75% of China's overall marine fish catch. Shandong Province accounted for a significant portion, with a catch of 175, 300 tons, constituting 49.22% of the national total. The annual catch of S. niphonius in Shandong ranks first in the country. S. niphonius is rich in protein, unsaturated fatty acids, essential amino acids, minerals, and other nutrients. It has a delicious flavor and is popular with consumers. S. niphonius, during processing and storage, is susceptible to microorganisms, temperature, and other external environmental influences of corruption deterioration and loss of commodity value; therefore, its storage quality must be improved. Among various fish products, vacuum-packed ready-to-eat soft canned products are popular and widely used with high commercial value due to their short sterilization time, low nutritional loss, and easy portability. Sterilization is an important way of ensuring product quality and extending shelf-life. However, the irrationality of the sterilization process, which focuses mainly on the effect of a single sterilization temperature and time on these quality indicators, often results in a reduction in the quality of the product in terms of flavor, texture, and nutritional value.Lipids are important components of seafood and essential biomolecules. They are also involved in organismal processes essential in the nutritional value, texture, and overall organoleptic properties of seafood. For flavor modification, they act as solvents and precursors of volatile compounds. In addition, seafood contains essential nutritional lipids, including phospholipids, triglycerides, and essential fatty acids, which is an important feature distinguishing it from other species. In addition, most of the volatile flavor compounds in meat are produced by the Melad reaction and the thermal degradation of lipids (oxidation) and thiamine. Oxidative degradation of lipids is the main pathway for forming the characteristic flavor of aquatic products. S. niphonius, due to its high content of unsaturated fatty acids, releases unsaturated fatty acids from the lipids during sterilization to further oxidize them into volatile compounds such as aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols, which have a low threshold value and can significantly impact the flavor quality of the product. Currently, the processing of S. niphonius is focused on dry-cured products, and relatively few studies have been conducted on the quality changes during the processing and sterilization of its soft canning. Based on this, the present study took the S. niphonius as a research object and used conventional physicochemical tests combined with the electronic nose, gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), and other technical means to compare the effects of different sterilization conditions on the physicochemical indices and volatile substances of S. niphonius, to extend its shelf life while reducing the effects of sterilization on its flavor, sensory, and nutritional qualities. This will provide a reference for quality control in the processing of prepared fish dishes and enrich the basic theory of flavor formation in thermally sterilized aquatic products.The results showed that the sensory scores of texture, taste, and odor of S. niphonius changed significantly after sterilization. The total lipid, triglyceride, and phospholipid contents in the samples were significantly decreased after sterilization (P < 0.05), and the free fatty acid content was significantly increased (P < 0.05). Differences were observed in lipid composition between different sterilization groups, with the highest degree of lipid loss in Group C samples. The degree of lipid oxidation was significantly affected by sterilization conditions (P < 0.05), peroxidevalue (POV) content was significantly increased, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The results of electronic nose analysis showed that the odor characteristics of fish meat after different sterilization conditions were significantly different. Twenty-two volatile compounds were identified from the four groups of samples using GC-IMS, including seven aldehydes, five ketones, four alcohols, three esters, two acids, and one furan. Among these compounds, heptyl aldehyde, hexaldehyde, 3-hydroxybutane-2-ketone, acetic acid, and 1-octene-3-alcohol were identified as the primary volatile substances in the control group. The signal intensity of valeraldehyde, isovaleraldehyde, butyraldehyde, 3-hydroxy-butanone, and ethyl propionate significantly increased after the fish underwent various sterilization conditions. This observation suggests that sterilization promotes lipid oxidation and decomposition in fish while leading to significant variations in volatile substance profiles among different sterilization processes. Hexanal, pentanal, 2-methylbutanal, 3-pentanone, cyclohexanone, 3-hydroxybutan-2-one, and ethyl acetate were the major aroma compounds in the fish, and the highest levels were found in the samples from Group B. In conclusion, the organoleptic and flavor qualities of the samples at 115 ℃ for 14.7 min (Group B) were significantly better than those of the other sterilization conditions, and the degree of lipid oxidation was lower, which provides technical support for the fine processing of S. niphonius products.

Single-stranded DNA-binding proteins (SSBs) play essential roles in the replication, recombination and repair processes of organellar DNA molecules. In Arabidopsis thaliana, SSBs are encoded by a small family of two genes (SSB1 and SSB2). However, the functional divergence of these two SSB copies in plants remains largely unknown, and detailed studies regarding their roles in the replication and recombination of organellar genomes are still incomplete. In this study, phylogenetic, gene structure and protein motif analyses all suggested that SSB1 and SSB2 probably diverged during the early evolution of seed plants. Based on accurate long-read sequencing results, ssb1 and ssb2 mutants had decreased copy numbers for both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and plastid DNA (ptDNA), accompanied by a slight increase in structural rearrangements mediated by intermediate-sized repeats in mt genome and small-scale variants in both genomes. Our findings provide an important foundation for further investigating the effects of DNA dosage in the regulation of mutation frequencies in plant organellar genomes.

Abstract In this work, we revisit the generation of stochastic gravitational waves (GWs) from interactions in the thermal plasma. We extend the existing literature by incorporating the reheating phase into the thermal history. Our results show that the amplitude of the GW spectrum can be significantly enhanced because the temperature during reheating can be much higher than the reheating temperature. Furthermore, since the temperature evolution during reheating differs from that of free radiation, the peak frequency of the spectrum can also shift. Additionally, the morphology of the spectrum can present characteristic features. We also compute the contribution of the integrated GW spectrum to the effective number of neutrino species, ∆N eff, which can be substantially larger.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the upgrade rate and cancer detection rate between the 18F-DCFPyL PET/MRI-guided ultrasound fusion targeted biopsy (TB) and systematic biopsy in selected patients with suspected prostate cancer (the molecular imaging prostate-specific membrane antigen score of ≥2 and multiparametric MRI Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score of ≥4). Methods: Eighty-seven selected biopsy-naive patients were randomized into two groups: TB (n=41) and systematic biopsy (control; n=46). Patients diagnosed with clinically significant prostate cancer proceeded to radical prostatectomy. The primary outcome was the pathological upgrade rate. Secondary outcomes, including the cancer detection rate, incidence of repeat biopsy, positive surgical margin, complications, and prostate-specific antigen level at 6 weeks postoperatively, were compared between the groups using the Pearson or Fisher's exact test, as appropriate. Results: In the study, prostate cancer was ultimately detected in all patients. The TB group successfully identified all tumors, whereas five patients in the control group initially missed diagnosis. The pathological upgrade rates for the TB and control groups were 31.7 % and 56.5%, respectively. Overall, the detection rate for clinically significant prostate cancer (the International Society of Urological Pathology grade of ≥2) was significantly higher in the TB group (92.7%) compared with the control group (76.1%, p=0.035). However, no significant difference was found in the detection rate of all prostate cancer. Complications (Clavien–Dindo grade of ≤2) occurred in both the TB group (n=11) and control group (n=13). No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of the positive surgical margin, complications, or 6-week postoperative prostate-specific antigen level. Conclusion: The 18F-DCFPyL PET/MRI-guided ultrasound fusion TB alone was an efficient modality in diagnosing selected patients with prostate cancer.

Abstract To develop and validate biopsy-free nomograms to more accurately predict clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) in biopsy-naïve men with prostate imaging reporting and data system (PI-RADS) ≥ 4 lesions. A cohort of 931 patients with PI-RADS ≥ 4 lesions, undergoing prostate biopsies or radical prostatectomy from January 2020 to August 2023, was analyzed. Various clinical variables, including age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, prostate volume (PV), PSA density (PSAD), prostate health index (PHI), and maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) from PSMA PET-CT imaging, were assessed for predicting csPCa. Model performance was evaluated using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration plots, and decision-curve analyses, with internal validation. The foundational model (nomogram 1) encompassed the entire cohort, accurately predicting csPCa by incorporating variables such as age, PSAD, PV, PSA ratio variations, suspicious lesion location, and history of acute urinary retention (AUR). The AUC for csPCa prediction achieved by the foundational model was 0.918, with internal validation confirming reliability (AUC: 0.908). Advanced models (nomogram 2 and 3), incorporating PHI and PHI + PSMA SUVmax, achieved AUCs of 0.908 and 0.955 in the training set and 0.847 and 0.949 in the validation set, respectively. Decision analysis indicated enhanced biopsy outcome predictions with the advanced models. Nomogram 3 could potentially reduce biopsies by 92.41%, while missing only 1.53% of csPCa cases. In conclusion, the newly biopsy-free approaches for patients with PI-RADS ≥ 4 lesions represent a significant advancement in csPCa diagnosis in this high-risk population.

Abstract Background Current evidence on the associations between insulin resistance (IR) and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the association between non-insulin-based surrogate markers of IR, including the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio, and the metabolic score for IR (METS-IR), and H. pylori infection in U.S. populations. Methods This cross-sectional study involving 939 U.S. participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2000. The associations between three IR surrogate markers and H. pylori infection were respectively investigated using logistic regression model, restricted cubic spline (RCS) curve and subgroup analysis. Results Three IR surrogate markers levels were significantly elevated in H. pylori infection participants. There was a positive association between three IR surrogate markers and H. pylori infection, even after adjusting for potential confounding variables by three different models. In subgroup analysis, the adjusted association between three IR surrogate markers and H. pylori infection were more likely to be observed in female and Non-Hispanic White. Additionally, the RCS curve revealed a positive linear correlation between TyG index and H. pylori infection across all three models, and between METS-IR and H. pylori infection in Model 3. However, a positive nonlinear correlation was observed between TG/HDL-C ratio and H. pylori infection in all three models. Conclusions These findings suggest that non-insulin-based IR surrogate markers including TyG index, TG/HDL-C ratio, and METS-IR were all positively associated with H. pylori infection. These markers may serve as the potential indicators for identifying the risk of H. pylori infection in U.S. populations. Clinical trial number Not applicable.

Abstract Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DbCM), a significant chronic complication of diabetes, manifests as myocardial hypertrophy, fibrosis, and other pathological alterations that substantially impact cardiac function and elevate the risk of cardiovascular diseases and patient mortality. Myocardial energy metabolism disturbances in DbCM, encompassing glucose, fatty acid, ketone body and lactate metabolism, are crucial factors that contribute to the progression of DbCM. In recent years, novel protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) such as lactylation, β-hydroxybutyrylation, and succinylation have been demonstrated to be intimately associated with the myocardial energy metabolism process, and in conjunction with acetylation, they participate in the regulation of protein activity and gene expression activity in cardiomyocytes. This review examines the epigenetic pathogenesis of DbCM, primarily focusing on myocardial energy metabolism perturbations and novel PTMs associated with them. It provides a detailed analysis of the mechanisms of these novel PTMs in DbCM to enhance the understanding of DbCM pathophysiology and establish a theoretical foundation for the development of new treatment strategies for DbCM.

Aiming at the problems of large torque ripple in permanent magnet-assisted switched reluctance motor (PMa-SRM) under conventional voltage pulse width modulation (PWM) method. A torque sharing function (TSF) control strategy with interval segmented zero-voltage modulation is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the zero voltage is decentralized by optimizing the PWM modulation method. Secondly, the control interval is divided and a segmented TSF based on hyperbolic tangent function transformation is proposed tailored to the torque characteristics. Then, the PWM variable duty cycle control is carried out according to the inductance characteristics. In the single-phase conduction region (SpC), the optimal duty cycle is predicted by using the deadbeat predictive control (DPC); in the two-phase exchange region (TpE), the duty cycle function is designed for each interval, and the duty cycles of the incoming and outgoing phases are obtained online through the torque error. Finally, simulations and experimental verification of the 6/20 PMa-SRM prototype confirm that the proposed control strategy to have good performance in torque ripple suppression.