Emission characteristics of condensable particulate matter during the production of solid waste-based sulfoaluminate cement: Compositions, heavy metals, and preparation impacts

Recycling solid waste for preparing sulfoaluminate cementitious materials (SACM) represents a promising approach for low-carbon development. There are drastic physical-chemical reactions during SACM calcination. However, there is a lack of research on the flue gas pollutants emissions from this process. Condensable particulate matter (CPM) has been found to constitute the majority of the primary PM emitted from various fuel combustion. In this study, the emission characteristics of CPM during the calcination of SACM were determined using tests in both a real-operated kiln and laboratory experiments. The mass concentration of CPM reached 96.6 mg/Nm3 and occupied 87% of total PM emission from the SACM kiln. Additionally, the mass proportion of SO42- in the CPM reached 93.8%, thus indicating that large quantities of sulfuric acid mist or SO3 were emitted. CaSO4 was one key component for the formation of main mineral ye'elimite (3CaO·3Al2O3·CaSO4), and its decomposition probably led to the high SO42- emission. Furthermore, the use of CaSO4 as a calcium source led to SO42- emission factor much higher than conventional calcium sources. Higher calcination temperature and more residence time also increased SO42- emission. The most abundant heavy metal in kiln flue gas and CPM was Zn. However, the total condensation ratio of heavy metals detected was only 40.5%. CPM particles with diameters below 2.5 μm and 4-20 μm were both clearly observed, and components such as Na2SO4 and NaCl were conformed. This work contributes to the understanding of CPM emissions and the establishment of pollutant reduction strategies for waste collaborative disposal in cement industry.

The oncogenic role and regulatory mechanism of ACAA2 in human ovarian cancer

Acetyl-CoAacyltransferase2 (ACAA2) is a key enzyme in the fatty acid oxidation pathway that catalyzes the final step of mitochondrial β oxidation, which plays an important role in fatty acid metabolism. The expression of ACAA2 is closely related to the occurrence and malignant progression of tumors. However, the function of ACAA2 in ovarian cancer is unclear. The expression level and prognostic value of ACAA2 were analyzed by databases. Gain and loss of function were carried out to explore the function of ACAA2 in ovarian cancer. RNA-seq and bioinformatics methods were applied to illustrate the regulatory mechanism of ACAA2. ACAA2 overexpression promoted the growth, proliferation, migration, and invasion of ovarian cancer, and ACAA2 knockdown inhibited the malignant progression of ovarian cancer as well as the ability of subcutaneous tumor formation in nude mice. At the same time, we found that OGT can induce glycosylation modification of ACAA2 and regulate the karyoplasmic distribution of ACAA2. OGT plays a vital role in ovarian cancer as a function of oncogenes. In addition, through RNA-seq sequencing, we found that ACAA2 regulates the expression of DIXDC1. ACAA2 regulated the malignant progression of ovarian cancer through the WNT/β-Catenin signaling pathway probably. ACAA2 is an oncogene in ovarian cancer and has the potential to be a target for ovarian cancer therapy.

Boosting the Carrier Lifetime and Optical Activity of CsPbX3 Nanocrystals through Aromatic Ligand Passivation

Ligand engineering is crucial for tuning the structural and optoelectronic properties of perovskite nanocrystals (NCs), which also improves their stability. In contrast to the typically used long-chain alkylamine ligands, we successfully introduced an aromatic 1-(p-tolyl)ethylamine (PTEA) ligand to synthesize the CsPbX3 (X = Br or I) NCs. The CsPbI3 and CsPbBr3 NCs demonstrated long carrier lifetimes of ∼877 and 49 ns, respectively, as well as high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) of ∼99% and 95%, respectively. Furthermore, such NCs realized excellent long-term stability in an ambient atmosphere without obvious degradation over one month. All of these properties were better than the properties of NCs coated with the conventional alkylamine ligands. The high performance of these NCs was discussed with the effective surface passivation by PTEA. Our finding suggests a facile and effective ligand (PTEA) for modulating perovskites, achieving enhancement of both the carrier lifetime and the PLQY.

Ruthenium-Cobalt Solid-Solution Alloy Nanoparticles for Enhanced Photopromoted Thermocatalytic CO2 Hydrogenation to Methane

Bimetallic alloy nanoparticles have garnered substantial attention for diverse catalytic applications owing to their abundant active sites and tunable electronic structures, whereas the synthesis of ultrafine alloy nanoparticles with atomic-level homogeneity for bulk-state immiscible couples remains a formidable challenge. Herein, we present the synthesis of RuxCo1-x solid-solution alloy nanoparticles (ca. 2 nm) across the entire composition range, for highly efficient, durable, and selective CO2 hydrogenation to CH4 under mild conditions. Notably, Ru0.88Co0.12/TiO2 and Ru0.74Co0.26/TiO2 catalysts, with 12 and 26 atom % of Ru being substituted by Co, exhibit enhanced catalytic activity compared with the monometallic Ru/TiO2 counterparts both in dark and under light irradiation. The comprehensive experimental investigations and density functional theory calculations unveil that the electronic state of Ru is subtly modulated owing to the intimate interaction between Ru and Co in the alloy nanoparticles, and this effect results in the decline in the CO2 conversion energy barrier, thus ultimately culminating in an elevated catalytic performance relative to monometallic Ru and Co catalysts. In the photopromoted thermocatalytic process, the photoinduced charge carriers and localized photothermal effect play a pivotal role in facilitating the chemical reaction process, which accounts for the further boosted CO2 methanation performance.

Noninvasive Assessment of hiPSC Differentiation toward Cardiomyocytes Using Pretrained Convolutional Neural Networks and the Channel Pruning Algorithm

Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) offer versatile applications in tissue engineering and drug screening. To facilitate the monitoring of hiPSC cardiac differentiation, a noninvasive approach using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) was explored. HiPSCs were differentiated into cardiomyocytes and analyzed using the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The bright-field images of the cells at different time points were captured to create the dataset. Six pretrained models (AlexNet, GoogleNet, ResNet 18, ResNet 50, DenseNet 121, VGG 19-BN) were employed to identify different stages in differentiation. VGG 19-BN outperformed the other five CNNs and exhibited remarkable performance with 99.2% accuracy, recall, precision, and F1 score and 99.8% specificity. The pruning process was then applied to the optimal model, resulting in a significant reduction of model parameters while maintaining high accuracy. Finally, an automation application using the pruned VGG 19-BN model was developed, facilitating users in assessing the cell status during the myocardial differentiation of hiPSCs.

Functionalized chitosan hydrogel promotes osseointegration at the interface of3D printed titanium alloy scaffolds

Autogenous bone transplantation is a prevalent clinical method for addressing bone defects. However, the limited availability of donor bone and the morbidity associated with bone harvesting have propelled the search for suitable bone substitutes. Bio-inspired scaffolds, particularly those fabricated using electron beam melting (EBM) deposition technology, have emerged as a significant advancement in this field. These 3D-printed titanium alloy scaffolds are celebrated for their outstanding biocompatibility and favorable elastic modulus. Thermosensitive chitosan hydrogel, which transitions from liquid to solid at body temperature, serves as a popular carrier in bone tissue engineering. Icariin (ICA), known for its efficacy in promoting osteoblast differentiation from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), plays a crucial role in this context. We developed a system combining a 3D-printed titanium alloy with a thermosensitive chitosan hydrogel, capable of local bone regeneration and integration through ICA delivery. Our in vitro findings reveal that this system can gradually release ICA, demonstrating excellent biocompatibility while fostering BMSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Immunohistochemistry and Micro-CT analyses further confirm the effectiveness of the system in accelerating in vivo bone regeneration and enhancing osseointegration. This composite system lays a significant theoretical foundation for advancing local bone regeneration and integration.

An Overview and Future Perspectives of Rechargeable Flexible Zn-air Batteries

Environmental friendliness and low-cost zinc-air batteries for flexible rechargeable applications have great potential in the field of flexible electronics and smart wearables owing to high energy density and long service life. However, the current technology of flexible rechargeable zinc-air batteries to meet the commercialization needs still facing enormous challenges due to the poor adaptability of each flexible component of the zinc-air batteries. This review focused on the latest progress over the past 5 years in designing and fabricating flexible self-standing air electrodes, flexible electrolytes and zinc electrodes of flexible Zn-air batteries, meanwhile the basic working principle of each component of flexible rechargeable zinc-air batteries and battery structures optimization are also described. Finally, challenges and prospects for the future development of flexible rechargeable zinc-air batteries are discussed. This work is intended to provide insights and general guidance for future exploration of the design and fabrication on high-performance flexible rechargeable zinc-air batteries.

Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis in an African Lion: A Rare Case Report

BACKGROUND

Feline pulmonary Langerhans cells histiocytosis (PLCH) is a rare disorder that results in progressive respiratory failure secondary to pulmonary parenchymal infiltration with Langerhans cells (LCs). A diagnosis of PLCH is proposed based on the clinical features and pathological findings and confirmed based on the infiltrating histiocytic cells. There are few documented cases of feline PLCH, and this case report of PLCH in an African Lion could present new information and aspects of this feline histiocytic disease.

CASE PRESENTATION

An African lion at Hohhot Zoo showing severe hyporexia and dyspnea with subsequent mental depression and emaciation died of exhaustion after a 35-day course of illness. Empirical treatment did not have a significant effect. An autopsy revealed that the lungs were enlarged and hardened due to infiltrative lesions, with many yellowish-white foci in all the lobes and sections. Furthermore, the kidneys were atrophied and had scattered grayish-white lesions on the surface. At the same time, congestion was widely distributed in various locations, including the liver, subcutaneous loose connective tissues, serosal surface and other tissues and organs. Histologically, proliferative histiocytic cells (PHCs) were scattered in the alveolar cavities, bronchioles and submucosa of bronchioles, with evident cellular and nuclear pleomorphism, and thus the alveolar septa were obliterated. The histopathological changes in other organs included chronic sclerosing glomerulonephritis, proliferated Kupffer cells in the liver, adrenal edema and interstitial connective tissue hyperplasia, as well as atrophy of the small intestines and spleen. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analysis results were strongly positive for CD1a, vimentin, S100 and E-cadherin in the membrane or cytoplasm of PHCs, supporting an LC phenotype.

CONCLUSIONS

Here, we present a rare pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis case in an African lion.

Classification Algorithm for fNIRS-based Brain Signals Using Convolutional Neural Network with Spatiotemporal Feature Extraction Mechanism

Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is a highly promising human-computer interaction method that can utilize brain signals to control external devices. BCI based on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is considered a relatively new and promising paradigm. fNIRS is a technique of measuring functional changes in cerebral hemodynamics. It detects changes in the hemodynamic activity of the cerebral cortex by measuring oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin (HbR) concentrations and inversely predicts the neural activity of the brain. At the present time, Deep learning (DL) methods have not been widely used in fNIRS decoding, and there are fewer studies considering both spatial and temporal dimensions for fNIRS classification. To solve these problems, we proposed an end-to-end hybrid neural network for feature extraction of fNIRS. The method utilizes a spatial-temporal convolutional layer for automatic extraction of temporally valid information and uses a spatial attention mechanism to extract spatially localized information. A temporal convolutional network (TCN) is used to further utilize the temporal information of fNIRS before the fully connected layer. We validated our approach on a publicly available dataset including 29 subjects, including left-hand and right-hand motor imagery (MI), mental arithmetic (MA), and a baseline task. The results show that the method has few training parameters and high accuracy, providing a meaningful reference for BCI development.

Analysis of health risk factors for older adults living alone in China and establishment and evaluation of a nomogram prediction model

Objective

To understand the health status of older adults living alone in China and analyze the influencing factors, so as to provide reference for improving the health status of older adults living alone.

Methods

Based on CGSS data from China General Social Survey (2017), the influencing factors of health status of older adults living alone were analyzed by unconditional Logistic regression, and the R software was used to develop a nomogram for predicting the risk of self-assessed unhealthy adverse outcomes.

Results

Gender, annual income, mandarin listening level and participation in medical insurance were the influencing factors of self-rated health of older adults living alone. Age and annual income are the influencing factors of physiological health. Annual income and Internet use were influential factors for mental health. C-Statistic of nomogram prediction model was 0.645. The calibration curve showed that goodness of fit test (χ2 = 58.09, p < 0.001), and the overall prediction ability of the model was good.

Conclusion

The health status of older adults living alone in the home-based older adults care is worrying, and it is affected by various factors. We should pay more attention to older adults living alone, improve the ability of listening and distinguishing mandarin and the use of health information platforms for older adults living alone, and further implement medical insurance policies and health services. Announcing the solution to promote healthy home-based care for older adults living alone.

Pulmonary flow-study can predict in-hospital prognosis of unifocalization and corrective repair of pulmonary atresia/ventricular septal defect with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries

Objectives

With the development of perioperative treatment, the results of the unifocalization and corrective repair of pulmonary atresia/ventricular septal defect with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries have been significantly improved. However, the in-hospital recovery is quite different individually. Therefore, it is essential to find prognostic indicators to avoid unsatisfactory recovery.

Design

This was a case-control study.

Setting

The study was conducted in the national center for cardiovascular diseases in China.

Participants

Pediatric patients between 2014 and 2022.

Interventions

None.

Measurements & main results

A total of 19 patients were included. The possible prognostic indicators included were commonly used clinical data. Unsatisfactory postoperative recovery was defined as mechanical ventilation≥ 7 days and/or in-hospital death. Satisfactory postoperative recovery was defined as mechanical ventilation<7 days and survival at discharge. We separated patients into two groups and compared the peri-operative data through univariable analysis. There were 8 patients in unsatisfactory recovery group (including 1 death) and 11 patients in satisfactory recovery group. Among all the possible prognostic indicators, through univariable analysis, pulmonary arterial pressure in pulmonary flow study was statistically different (p = 0.027 < 0.05). The ROC curve showed that the area under curve and cut-off values in predicting satisfactory recovery were 0.841 and 22 mmHg; the corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 72.7%. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in ventricular septal fenestration and pulmonary hypertension targeting drugs.

Conclusion

A pulmonary arterial pressure <22 mmHg in pulmonary flow study may avoid unsatisfactory in-hospital recovery after unifocalization and corrective repair of pulmonary atresia/ventricular septal defect with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries.

Watt-level all polarization-maintaining femtosecond fiber laser source at 1100 nm

We demonstrate a compact watt-level all polarization-maintaining (PM) femtosecond fiber laser source at 1100 nm. The fiber laser source is seeded by an all PM fiber mode-locked laser employing a nonlinear amplifying loop mirror. The seed laser can generate stable pulses at a fundamental repetition rate of 40.71 MHz with a signal-to-noise rate of >100 dB and an integrated relative intensity noise of only ∼0.061%. After two-stage external amplification and pulse compression, an output power of ∼1.47 W (corresponding to a pulse energy of ∼36.1 nJ) and a pulse duration of ∼251 fs are obtained. The 1100 nm femtosecond fiber laser is then employed as the excitation light source for multicolor multi-photon fluorescence microscopy of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells stably expressing red fluorescent proteins.

Behavioral dynamics of neuroprotective macrophage polarization in neuropathic pain observed by GHz femtosecond laser two-photon excitation microscopy

Macrophage polarization in neurotoxic (M1) or neuroprotective (M2) phenotypes is known to play a significant role in neuropathic pain, but its behavioral dynamics and underlying mechanism remain largely unknown. Two-photon excitation microscopy (2PEM) is a promising functional imaging tool for investigating the mechanism of cellular behavior, as using near-infrared excitation wavelengths is less subjected to light scattering. However, the higher-order photobleaching effect in 2PEM can seriously hamper its applications to long-term live-cell studies. Here, we demonstrate a GHz femtosecond (fs) 2PEM that enables hours-long live-cell imaging of macrophage behavior with reduced higher-order photobleaching effect-by leveraging the repetition rate of fs pulses according to the fluorescence lifetime of fluorophores. Using this new functional 2PEM platform, we measure the polarization characteristics of macrophages, especially the long-term cellular behavior in efferocytosis, unveiling the dynamic mechanism of neuroprotective macrophage polarization in neuropathic pain. These efforts can create new opportunities for understanding long-term cellular dynamic behavior in neuropathic pain, as well as other neurobiological problems, and thus dissecting the underlying complex pathogenesis.

Causality of the gut microbiome and atherosclerosis-related lipids: a bidirectional Mendelian Randomization study

AIMS

Recent studies have indicated an association between intestinal flora and lipids. However, observational studies cannot indicate causality. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potentially causal relationships between the intestinal flora and blood lipids.

METHODS

We performed a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal relationship between intestinal flora and blood lipids. Summary statistics of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for the 211 intestinal flora and blood lipid traits (n = 5) were obtained from public datasets. Five recognized MR methods were applied to assess the causal relationship with lipids, among which, the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) regression was used as the primary MR method. A series of sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the causal estimates.

RESULTS

The results indicated a potential causal association between 19 intestinal flora and dyslipidemia in humans. Genus Ruminococcaceae, Christensenellaceae, Parasutterella, Terrisporobacter, Parabacteroides, Class Erysipelotrichia, Family Erysipelotrichaceae, and order Erysipelotrichales were associated with higher dyslipidemia, whereas genus Oscillospira, Peptococcus, Ruminococcaceae UCG010, Ruminococcaceae UCG011, Dorea, and Family Desulfovibrionaceae were associated with lower dyslipidemia. After using the Bonferroni method for multiple testing correction, Only Desulfovibrionaceae [Estimate = -0.0418, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9362-0.9826, P = 0.0007] exhibited stable and significant negative associations with ApoB levels. The inverse MR analysis did not find a significant causal effect of lipids on the intestinal flora. Additionally, no significant heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy for IVs was observed in the analysis.

CONCLUSION

The study suggested a causal relationship between intestinal flora and dyslipidemia. These findings will provide a meaningful reference to discover dyslipidemia for intervention to address the problems in the clinic.

The effects of glycosylation modifications on monocyte recruitment and foam cell formation in atherosclerosis

The monocyte recruitment and foam cell formation have been intensively investigated in atherosclerosis. Nevertheless, as the study progressed, it was obvious that crucial molecules participated in the monocyte recruitment and the membrane proteins in macrophages exhibited substantial glycosylation modifications. These modifications can exert a significant influence on protein functions and may even impact the overall progression of diseases. This article provides a review of the effects of glycosylation modifications on monocyte recruitment and foam cell formation. By elaborating on these effects, we aim to understand the underlying mechanisms of atherogenesis further and to provide new insights into the future treatment of atherosclerosis.

Pyrolysis characteristics and product distribution of oil sludge based on radiant heating

It needs to be improved the conversion efficiency and stable operation of conventional pyrolysis with high-temperature flue gas heating (HFH). Herein, a new radiative heating (RH) pyrolysis method is proposed. Experimental studies are carried out on a self-made radiation pyrolysis pilot plant to investigate the effects of different factors (pyrolysis final temperature, residence time, and carrier gas volume) on product distribution. The results show that with the increase of pyrolysis temperature, the yield of the gas phase consistently increases, and the proportion of CH4 and H2 in the pyrolysis gas reaches 62.31% at 700 °C. The yield of the liquid phase increases and then decreases. The recovery rate of pyrolysis oil achieves 68.07% when the pyrolysis temperature is 600 °C with main components of ketones and unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds. The yield of the solid phase consistently decreases. The RH in this work generates more pyrolysis gas in the pyrolysis process and alleviates the effects of fouling layers on the continuous operation of the equipment which has guiding significance for the efficient resource utilization of oil sludge.

Functional groups effect on the toxicity of modified ZIF-90 to Photobacterium phosphoreum

Zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) is of wide interest in biomedical applications due to its extraordinary properties such as high storage capacity, functionality and favorable biocompatibility. However, more comprehensive safety assessments are still essential before ZIF is broadly used in biomedicine. Using the characteristic that aldehyde groups on the surface of ZIF-90 can be modified with other functional groups, a series of ZIF-90s modified with different functional groups (oxime group, carboxyl group, amino group and sulfhydryl group) were synthesized to investigate the effect of functionalization on the toxicity of ZIF-90. ZIF-90 series showed concentration-dependent toxic effects on Photobacterium phosphoreum T3 and the functionalized ZIF-90s are more toxic than pristine ZIF-90, with the ZIF-90 modified with amino group (ZIF-90-NH2) showing the strongest toxicity (IC50 = 23.06 mg/L). Based on the results of the cellular assay and stability exploration, we concluded that corresponding imidazole-ligand release and the property of positively charged are responsible for the elevated toxicity of ZIF-90-NH2. Cell membrane damage, oxidative damage and luminescence damage are the main contributors to the toxic effects of ZIF-90 series. This study explored the effect of surface functionalization on the toxicity of ZIF and proposed mechanistic clues for the safety application of ZIF.

Semantic segmentation for tooth cracks using improved DeepLabv3+ model

Objective

Accurate and prompt detection of cracked teeth plays a critical role for human oral health. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the performance of a tooth crack segmentation model (namely, FDB-DeepLabv3+) on optical microscopic images.

Method

The FDB-DeepLabv3+ model proposed here improves feature learning by replacing the backbone with ResNet50. Feature pyramid network (FPN) is introduced to fuse muti-level features. Densely linked atrous spatial pyramid pooling (Dense ASPP) is applied to achieve denser pixel sampling and wider receptive field. Bottleneck attention module (BAM) is embedded to enhance local feature extraction.

Results

Through testing on a self-made hidden cracked tooth dataset, the proposed method outperforms four classical networks (FCN, U-Net, SegNet, DeepLabv3+) on segmentation results in terms of mean pixel accuracy (MPA) and mean intersection over union (MIoU). The network achieves an increase of 11.41% in MPA and 12.14% in MIoU compared to DeepLabv3+. Ablation experiments shows that all the modifications are beneficial.

Conclusion

An improved network is designed for segmenting tooth surface cracks with good overall performance and robustness, which may hold significant potential in computer-aided diagnosis of cracked teeth.

Highly efficient carbonation and dechlorination using flue gas micro-nano bubble for municipal solid waste incineration fly ash pretreatment and its applicability to sulfoaluminate cementitious materials

Cement production is a primary source of global carbon emissions. As a hazardous waste, municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWI-FA) can be pretreated as a cementitious and effective carbon capture material. This study proposes an efficient carbonation dechlorination pretreatment and resource recovery strategy using flue gas micro-nano bubble (MNB) to wash MSWI-FA. The results showed that the flue gas MNB water washing reaction solution inhibited CaCO3 boundary layer blocking and adsorption on NaCl and KCl leaching. Under low water-to-solid ratio and CO2 concentration conditions, two-step washing reduced the MSWI-FA chlorine content to <1%, improving the dechlorination effect by 19.72% compared to conventional carbonation. The flue gas MNB water accelerated the precipitation of Ca2+ and Ca(ClO)2 in the form of calcite. The higher the CO2 concentration in the flue gas MNB, the better the fragmentation and purification of the MSWI-FA shell, leading to improved dechlorination and CO2 fixation. Under optimized conditions, the mean particle size of MSWI-FA decreased by 47.82%, and the CO2 fixation rate reached 73.80%, with a 58.35% increase in the washing carbonation rate. MSWI-FA pretreated by flue gas MNB washing was used as both the raw material and supplementary cementitious material for sulfoaluminate cementitious (SAC) material, exhibiting excellent compressive strength and heavy metal stabilization. The maximum compressive strength of the MSWI-FA-based SAC material cured for 28 d reached 130 MPa. Cr leaching was inhibited with increased hydration time, and the leaching concentration was far below the standard limit.

Transcriptome reveals the roles and potential mechanisms of lncRNAs in the regulation of albendazole resistance in Haemonchus contortus

BACKGROUND

Haemonchus contortus (H. contortus) is the most common parasitic nematode in ruminants and is prevalent worldwide. H. contortus resistance to albendazole (ABZ) hinders the efficacy of anthelmintic drugs, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms that regulate this of drug resistance. Recent research has demonstrated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) can exert significant influence as pivotal regulators of the emergence of drug resistance.

RESULTS

In this study, transcriptome sequencing was conducted on both albendazole-sensitive (ABZ-sensitive) and albendazole-resistant (ABZ-resistant) H. contortus strains, with three biological replicates for each group. The analysis of lncRNA in the transcriptomic data revealed that there were 276 differentially expressed lncRNA (DElncRNA) between strains with ABZ-sensitive and ABZ-resistant according to the criteria of |log2Foldchange|≥ 1 and FDR < 0.05. Notably, MSTRG.12969.2 and MSTRG.9827.1 exhibited the most significant upregulation and downregulation, respectively, in the resistant strains. The potential roles of the DElncRNAs included catalytic activity, stimulus response, regulation of drug metabolism, and modulation of the immune response. Moreover, we investigated the interactions between DElncRNAs and other RNAs, specifically MSTRG.12741.1, MSTRG.11848.1, MSTRG.5895.1, and MSTRG.14070.1, involved in regulating drug stimulation through cis/trans/antisense/lncRNA‒miRNA-mRNA interaction networks. This regulation leads to a decrease (or increase) in the expression of relevant genes, consequently enhancing the resistance of H. contortus to albendazole. Furthermore, through comprehensive analysis of competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) involved in drug resistance-related pathways, such as the mTOR signalling pathway and ABC transporter signalling pathway, the relevance of the MSTRG.2499.1-novel-m0062-3p-HCON_00099610 interaction was identified to mainly involve the regulation of catalytic activity, metabolism, ubiquitination and transcriptional regulation of gene promoters. Additionally, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) validation indicated that the transcription profiles of six DElncRNAs and six DEmRNAs were consistent with those obtained by RNA-seq.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present study allowed us to better understand the changes in the lncRNA expression profile of ABZ-resistant H. contortus. In total, these results suggest that the lncRNAs MSTRG.963.1, MSTRG.12741.1, MSTRG.11848.1 and MSTRG.2499.1 play important roles in the development of ABZ resistance and can serve as promising biomarkers for further study.

Flexible liquid metal-based microfluidic strain sensors with fractal-designed microchannels for monitoring human motion and physiological signals

With the rapid advancement of wearable electronics, there is an increasing demand for high-performance flexible strain sensors. In this work, a flexible strain sensor based on liquid metal (LM)-integrated into a microfluidic device is developed with Peano-type fractal structure design. Compared with the microfluidic sensors with straight and wavy microchannels, the sensor with Peano-shaped channels shows lower hysteresis and improved stretchability. Furthermore, the increase of the fractal order can further improve the sensing performances. The third-order Peano sensor exhibits excellent mechanical and electrical properties, including high tensile capability (490.3%), minimal hysteresis (DH = 0.86%), ultra-low detection limit (0.1%), low overshoot, rapid response time (117 ms), as well as good stability and durability. By adding two independent and perpendicular straight channels to the Peano sensing unit, the feasibility of multi-directional strain recognition is demonstrated. To further improve the sensitivity of the Peano-shaped sensor, a multi-layer Peano sensor is developed, exhibiting remarkably enhanced sensitivity while maintaining low hysteresis. Overall, the developed LM-based microfluidic strain sensors enrolling Peano fractal geometry hold high potential for various wearable electronics applications.

Determinants of health poverty vulnerability in rural areas of Western China in the post-poverty relief era: an analysis based on the Anderson behavioral model

BACKGROUND

Although China has eliminated absolute poverty, the effects of sickness still pose a threat to the prospect of returning to poverty in western rural areas. However, poverty governance extends beyond solving absolute poverty, and should enhance the family's ability to resist risks, proactively identify the existence of risks, and facilitate preventive measures to reduce the probability of falling into poverty again. This study aimed to assess the health poverty vulnerability of rural households in western China and decompose its determinants.

METHODS

Based on survey data from 2022, the three-stage feasible generalized least squares method was used to calculate the health poverty vulnerability index. Then, Anderson's health behavior theory model was extended to analyse various influencing factors using binary logistic regression, and the contribution of each influencing factor was decomposed using the Shapley index. Finally, Tobit regression and the censored least absolute deviations estimation (clad) method were used to test the model's robustness.

RESULTS

A total of 5455 families in the rural Ningxia region of western China were included in the study. The health poverty vulnerability index of the sample population in 2022 was 0.3000 ± 0.2223, and families with vulnerability ≥0.5 accounted for 16.9% of the sample population. From the Anderson behavioral model, the three models including propensity, enabling, and demand factors had the best fit, and the AIC and BIC values were the smallest. The Shapley decomposition showed that the dimensions of the propensity factor, number of residents, age and educational level of the household head, and dependency ratio were the most important factors influencing vulnerability to health poverty. Tobit regression and the clad method proved the reliability of the constructed model through a robustness test.

CONCLUSION

Rural areas still face the risk of becoming poor or falling into poverty owing to residents' health problems. Health poverty alleviation should gradually change from a focus on treatment to prevention, and formulate a set of accurate and efficient intervention policies from a forward-looking perspective to consolidate the results of health poverty alleviation and prevent widescale poverty return.

Interfacial Electronic Modulation of Mo5 N6 /Ni3 S2 Heterojunction Array Boosts Electrocatalytic Alkaline Overall Water Splitting

Bifunctional electrocatalysts with excellent activity and durability are highly desirable for alkaline overall water splitting, yet remain a significant challenge. In this contribution, palm-like Mo5 N6 /Ni3 S2 heterojunction arrays anchored in conductive Ni foam (denoted as Mo5 N6 -Ni3 S2 HNPs/NF) are developed. Benefiting from the optimized electronic structure configuration, hierarchical branched structure and abundant heterogeneous interfaces, the as-synthesized Mo5 N6 -Ni3 S2 HNPs/NF electrode exhibits remarkably stable bifunctional electrocatalytic activity in 1 m KOH solution. It only requires ultralow overpotentials of 59 and 190 mV to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm-2 for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in 1 m KOH solution, respectively. Importantly, the overall water splitting electrolyzer assembled by Mo5 N6 -Ni3 S2 HNPs/NF exhibits an exceptionally low cell voltage (1.48 V@10 mA cm-2 ) and outstanding durability, surpassing most of the reported Ni-based bifunctional materials. Density functional theory (DFT) further confirms the heterostructure can optimize the Gibbs free energies of H and O-containing intermediates (OH, O, OOH) during HER and OER processes, thereby accelerating the catalytic kinetics of electrochemical water splitting. The findings provide a new design strategy toward low-cost and excellent catalysts for overall water splitting.

Healthcare associated infection management in 62 intensive care units for patients with congenital heart disease in China, a survey study

OBJECTIVES

All patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) receive postoperative management in ICUs. Infection prevention and control (IPC) has a significant impact on prognosis. This study provides a preliminary understanding of the fundamental aspects of IPC in ICUs following CHD surgery in China.

METHODS

From September to October 2023, we initiated a survey on HAI management in hospitals that perform CHD surgeries independently. The questionnaires were jointly completed by the ICU physicians and IPC personnel. Duplicate or unqualified questionnaires were excluded from the study. The contents of our questionnaires covered hospital and ICU capacity, performance of the infection control department, HAI surveillance, implementation of IPC measures, and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). Qualified questionnaires were compared according to the volume of annual CHD surgeries performed in different ICUs. Group 1 was defined as volume > 300 cases and group 2 was defined as volume ≤300 cases.

RESULTS

62 of the 118 questionnaires were completed, with a response rate of 53%. The CHD surgical volume in 2022 of the 62 hospitals was 36342, accounting for 52% of the annual CHD surgical volume (69672) across the country. The postoperative infection rates obtained from the 15 ICUs varied from 1.3% to 15%, with a median rate of 4.5%. A total of 16 ICUs provided data on drug-resistant bacteria, Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibiting the highest frequency. More than 95% of ICUs have established complete HAI management systems. Information-based HAI surveillance was conducted in 89% of ICUs. Approximately 67% of ICUs stopped prophylactic antibiotics within 48 hours after surgery. In complex cases, carbapenems were administered empirically in 89% of ICUs. Group 1 had an advantage over group 2 in preventing multidrug-resistant organisms (all instruments should be used alone 100% vs. 86%, P=0.047; cleaning and disinfection of environmental surfaces, 100% vs. 81%, P=0.035; antibiotic consumption control 85% vs. 61%, P=0.044) and in preventing surgical site infections (perioperative blood glucose monitoring, 88% vs. 67%, P=0.048). However, Group 1 did not perform well in preventing catheter-related bloodstream infection (delayed catheter removal due to convenience of laboratory tests, 31% vs. 6%, P=0.021) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (delayed catheter removal due to muscle relaxant administration, 88% vs. 58%, P=0.022).

CONCLUSIONS

A relatively complete HAI management system has been established throughout the country in ICUs for CHD patients. Information-based surveillance of HAI needs to be promoted, and actions should be taken to facilitate the implementation of IPC measures and AMS bundles. Training and feedback are critical for implementing IPC measures.

Biportal endoscopic bone graft repair and percutaneous screw fixation for lumbar spondylolysis-technical note and clinical outcomes

BACKGROUND

Lumbar spondylolysis involves a bony defect in the vertebral pars interarticularis, predominantly affecting the lower lumbar spine. This condition is a significant etiological factor in lumbar instability and recurrent lower back pain, particularly in young individuals. While conservative treatments are the primary intervention, they often fail to provide relief, necessitating surgical approaches. Notwithstanding, executing bone grafting and fixation in the pars interarticularis defect simultaneously through minimally invasive surgery remains challenging.

METHOD

This study elucidates the biportal endoscopic spinal surgery (BESS) technique, innovatively applied for bone graft repair and percutaneous cannulated screw fixation in a patient with lumbar spondylolysis. We offer a detailed walkthrough of the technical procedures supplemented with follow-up radiographic evidence.

RESULTS

The BESS technique facilitated meticulous clearance of the defect site, coupled with bone grafting and cannulated screw fixation, effectively addressing lumbar spondylolysis through a minimally invasive approach. This method holds promise for achieving substantial osseous fusion at the vertebral pars interarticularis defect site.

CONCLUSION

The BESS procedure for lumbar spondylolysis ensures a clean and prepared defect site for grafting and encourages successful osseous fusion, spotlighting its potential as a viable surgical strategy in managing this condition.

m6A reader IGF2BP2 promotes lymphatic metastasis by stabilizing DPP4 in papillary thyroid carcinoma

Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a major cause of locoregional recurrence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). However, the mechanisms responsible for LNM are unclear. Aberrant N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification plays a vital role in cancer progression and metastasis, and whether m6A modification regulates LNM in PTC remains to be determined. This study showed that IGF2BP2 was upregulated in PTC and positively associated with LNM. Functionally, IGF2BP2 knockdown significantly inhibited PTC cell proliferation and invasion in vitro, and vice versa. Moreover, IGF2BP2 knockdown significantly inhibited lymphatic metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, Human m6A epitranscriptomic microarray, MeRIP, and RIP assays demonstrated that IGF2BP2 activated the NF-KB pathway by enhancing DPP4 stability in an m6A-dependent manner. Furthermore, IGF2BP2 knockdown increased the sensitivity of PTC cells to cisplatin therapy to a certain extent, while its overexpression produced the opposite effects. Overall, this study uncovers that IGF2BP2 promotes lymphatic metastasis via stabilizing DPP4 in an m6A-dependent manner, and provides new insights for understanding the mechanism of lymphatic metastasis in PTC.

Identification and prediction of molecular subtypes of atherosclerosis based on m6A immune cell infiltration

BACKGROUND

Atherosclerosis is a complex disease with multiple molecular subtypes that are not yet fully understood. Recent studies have suggested that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) alterations may play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. However, the relationship between m6A regulators and atherosclerosis remains unclear.

METHODS

In this study, we analyzed the expression levels of 25 m6A regulators in a cohort of atherosclerosis (AS) and non-AS patients using the R "limma" package. We also used machine learning models, including random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), generalized linear model (GLM), and extreme gradient boosting (XGB), to predict the molecular subtypes of atherosclerosis based on m6A immune cell infiltration.

RESULTS

We found that METTL3, YTHDF2, IGFBP1, and IGF2BP1 were overexpressed in AS patients compared to non-AS patients, while the other significant m6A regulators showed no significant difference. Our machine learning models achieved high accuracy in predicting the molecular subtypes of atherosclerosis based on m6A immune cell infiltration.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that m6A alterations may play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, and that machine learning models can be used to predict molecular subtypes of atherosclerosis based on m6A immune cell infiltration. These findings may have important implications for the detection and management of atherosclerosis.

Electron Redistribution in Iridium-Iron Dual-Metal-Atom Active Sites Enables Synergistic Enhancement for H2O2 Decomposition

Developing efficient heterogeneous H2O2 decomposition catalysts under neutral conditions is of great importance in many fields such as clinical therapy, sewage treatment, and semiconductor manufacturing but still suffers from low intrinsic activity and ambiguous mechanism understanding. Herein, we constructed activated carbon supported with an Ir-Fe dual-metal-atom active sites catalyst (IrFe-AC) by using a facile method based on a pulsed laser. The electron redistribution in Ir-Fe dual-metal-atom active sites leads to the formation of double reductive metal active sites, which can strengthen the metal-H2O2 interaction and boost the H2O2 decomposition performance of Ir-Fe dual-metal-atom active sites. Ir-Fe dual-metal-atom active sites show a high second-order reaction rate constant of 3.53 × 106 M-1·min-1, which is ∼106 times higher than that of Fe3O4. IrFe-AC is effective in removing excess intracellular reactive oxygen species, protecting DNA, and reducing inflammation under oxidative stress, indicating its therapeutic potential against oxidative stress-related diseases. This study could advance the mechanism understanding of H2O2 decomposition by heterogeneous catalysts and provide guidance for the rational design of high-performance catalysts for H2O2 decomposition.

ETCNet: An EEG-based motor imagery classification model combining efficient channel attention and temporal convolutional network

Brain-computer interface (BCI) enables the control of external devices using signals from the brain, offering immense potential in assisting individuals with neuromuscular disabilities. Among the different paradigms of BCI systems, the motor imagery (MI) based electroencephalogram (EEG) signal is widely recognized as exceptionally promising. Deep learning (DL) has found extensive applications in the processing of MI signals, wherein convolutional neural networks (CNN) have demonstrated superior performance compared to conventional machine learning (ML) approaches. Nevertheless, challenges related to subject independence and subject dependence persist, while the inherent low signal-to-noise ratio of EEG signals remains a critical aspect that demands attention. Accurately deciphering intentions from EEG signals continues to present a formidable challenge. This paper introduces an advanced end-to-end network that effectively combines the efficient channel attention (ECA) and temporal convolutional network (TCN) components for the classification of motor imagination signals. We incorporated an ECA module prior to feature extraction in order to enhance the extraction of channel-specific features. A compact convolutional network model uses for feature extraction in the middle part. Finally, the time characteristic information is obtained by using TCN. The results show that our network is a lightweight network that is characterized by few parameters and fast speed. Our network achieves an average accuracy of 80.71% on the BCI Competition IV-2a dataset.

Low-noise mode-locking in a GHz repetition rate Tm3+-doped fiber laser

We demonstrate a GHz repetition rate mode-locked Tm3+-doped fiber laser with low noise. Based on a home-made Tm3+-doped barium gallo-germanate fiber with reduced dispersion, a broad optical spectrum of mode-locking is achieved, and its amplified spontaneous emission quantum-limited timing jitter is largely suppressed. Besides, we carefully investigate the influence of the intracavity pump strength on the noise performance of the mode-locked pulses and find that manipulating the intracavity pump power can be an effective method for optimizing the timing jitter and relative intensity noise (RIN). Particularly, RIN, which originated from the relaxation oscillation, can be effectively suppressed by 33 dB at offset frequencies of >1 MHz. The integrated timing jitter and RIN are only 7.9 fs (10 kHz-10 MHz) and 0.05% (10 Hz-10 MHz), respectively.

Electron transport bifurcation in bioanode with the metabolic shift to nitrate reduction

Electron transport bifurcation in bioanode determines the performance of microbial electrochemical technologies with the presence of an alternative electron acceptor. Here, the bioanode responses including electron transfer efficiency, microbial community, and microbial structure are investigated with the metabolic shift from current production to denitrification. Electrochemical measurements including cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectra are performed to identify the change of electron transfer pathways in bioanode. Electron transfer efficiency for electrode reduction decreases ∼17 % with nitrate reduction. Biofilm resistance and charge transfer resistance increase from 23.3 Ω and 22.5 Ω to 36.6 Ω and 61.4 Ω with the metabolic shift, respectively. These results are mainly due to the loss of exoelectrogens inhabited in bioanode. Confocal imaging results indicate the elevated proportion of inactive cells in bioanode as the denitrification. Our results propose a possible mechanism for electron transfer bifurcation in bioanode with the metabolic shift from electrode reduction to soluble electron acceptor reduction.

Relationship between the health poverty vulnerability and multimorbidity patterns identified with latent class analysis aged 45 years or more adults in Northwestern China: A cross-section study

This study aims to identify multimorbidity patterns and examine whether health poverty vulnerability (HPV) varies among adults aged 45 years or more. Data from 4338 participants were extracted from a Chinese cross-sectional study. Latent class analysis was used to identify multimorbidity patterns based on 11 self-reported chronic diseases. A 3-stage feasible generalized least-squares method was used to measure the HPV. The associations and influencing factors were analyzed using the Tobit model. The mean HPV values were 0.105 ± 0.225 and 0.329 ± 0.357, based on extreme poverty and those of low- and middle-income countries' poverty line, respectively. Four latent multimorbidity patterns were identified, comprising hypertension (57.33%), cardiovascular diseases (19.94%), the musculoskeletal system (13.09%), and spine (9.64%). The HPV value from hypertension (coefficient [Coef] =0.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.00-0.05) was significantly higher than that of the musculoskeletal system based on extreme poverty. In addition, the HPV values for hypertension (Coef =0.08, 95% CI = 0.05-0.11), spine (Coef =0.06, 95% CI = 0.02-0.11), and cardiovascular diseases (Coef =0.07, 95% CI = 0.03-0.11) were significantly high based on low- and middle-income countries' poverty line. Age ≥75 years, registered poor households, catastrophic medical expenditure, and toilet style were major risk factors. Although the multimorbidity pattern-induced HPV has been significant improved on extreme poverty, it still poses a very serious challenge with regard to low- to middle-income countries' poverty line. The sensitivity analysis proved the robustness of the results. Policymakers should focus on adults with 3 multimorbidity patterns, namely, registered poor households, age ≥75 years, and catastrophic health expenditure, to adopt targeted interventions to prevent and eliminate HPV.

Housing conditions, cooking fuels, and health-related quality of life among rural middle-aged and elderly in northwest China: A ten-year balanced panel study

To investigate the impacts of improving housing conditions and transitioning to clean cooking fuels on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among middle-aged and elderly populations in rural China.

METHODS

Using a 10-year longitudinal follow-up study, we examined changes in housing conditions, cooking fuel use, and HRQOL among 690 Chinese adults aged 45 above in rural areas. HRQOL was assessed using the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions 3 Levels (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire. Generalized estimating equations were utilized to analyze correlations between variables.

RESULTS

Using four-period balanced panel data of 10 years, there were significant differences in the self-reporting of mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain / discomfort and anxiety / depression in rural middle-aged and elderly people (p < 0.05). In terms of the EQ-5D index score and EQ-VAS score, showed a decreasing trend (p < 0.05). The housing area, housing material type, utilization of sanitary toilets, separation of housing and kitchen were separated and non-solid fuels used as cooking fuel were significantly associated with high HRQOL (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that good housing conditions and the use of non-solid cooking fuel had positive effects on health-related quality of life of middle-aged and elderly people in rural areas of northwest China.

EEG-FMCNN: A fusion multi-branch 1D convolutional neural network for EEG-based motor imagery classification

Motor imagery (MI) electroencephalogram (EEG) signal is recognized as a promising paradigm for brain-computer interface (BCI) systems and has been extensively employed in various BCI applications, including assisting disabled individuals, controlling devices and environments, and enhancing human capabilities. The high-performance decoding capability of MI-EEG signals is a key issue that impacts the development of the industry. However, decoding MI-EEG signals is challenging due to the low signal-to-noise ratio and inter-subject variability. In response to the aforementioned core problems, this paper proposes a novel end-to-end network, a fusion multi-branch 1D convolutional neural network (EEG-FMCNN), to decode MI-EEG signals without pre-processing. The utilization of multi-branch 1D convolution not only exhibits a certain level of noise tolerance but also addresses the issue of inter-subject variability to some extent. This is attributed to the ability of multi-branch architectures to capture information from different frequency bands, enabling the establishment of optimal convolutional scales and depths. Furthermore, we incorporate 1D squeeze-and-excitation (SE) blocks and shortcut connections at appropriate locations to further enhance the generalization and robustness of the network. In the BCI Competition IV-2a dataset, our proposed model has obtained good experimental results, achieving accuracies of 78.82% and 68.41% for subject-dependent and subject-independent modes, respectively. In addition, extensive ablative experiments and fine-tuning experiments were conducted, resulting in a notable 7% improvement in the average performance of the network, which holds significant implications for the generalization and application of the network.

[Construction of prediction model of severe acute pancreatitis based on serum soluble T cell immunogloblulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the predictive value of the model based on soluble T cell immunogloblulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3 (sTIM3) for the progression of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP).

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The AP patients admitted to Changzhou First People's Hospital and Changzhou Second People's Hospital from June 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022 were enrolled. Mild AP (MAP) and moderately severe AP (MSAP) patients were classified as non-SAP group, and SAP patients were classified as SAP group according to the progression of AP patients during hospitalization. The basic data, blood biological indicators, serum sTIM3 level, bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, modified computed tomography severity index (MCTSI) score within 48 hours of admission, and prognosis indicators were collected. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze the risk factors of the progression of SAP in patients with AP during hospitalization. Based on the results of multivariate analysis and the best parameters selected based on the minimal Akaike information criterion (AIC), the SAP prediction model based on sTIM3 was constructed. The receive operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was plotted to analyze the predictive efficacy of the model.

RESULTS

A total of 99 AP patients were enrolled, 80 patients in the non-SAP group and 19 patients in the SAP group. Compared with the non-SAP group, body mass index (BMI), drinking history ratio, heart rate (HR), respiration rate (RR), white blood cell count (WBC), red blood cell count (RBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), serum creatinine (SCr), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), sTIM3, BISAP score, APACHE II score and MCTSI score were significantly increased, and pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2), direct bilirubin (DBil) and IL-10 were significantly decreased. The length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay and total length of hospital stay of patients in the SAP group were significantly longer than those in the non-SAP group [length of ICU stay (days): 1.0 (0, 1.5) vs. 0 (0, 0), total length of hospital stay (days): 17.11±9.39 vs. 8.40±3.08, both P < 0.01]. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that HR [odds ratio (OR) = 1.059, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.010-1.110, P = 0.017], DBil (OR = 0.981, 95%CI was 0.950-0.997, P = 0.043), and sTIM3 (OR = 1.002, 95%CI was 1.001-1.003, P = 0.027) were independent risk factors for predicting the progression of SAP in patients with AP, and the SAP prediction model based on sTIM3 was constructed: Logit(P) = -14.602+0.187×BMI+0.057×HR+0.006×CRP-0.020×DBil+0.002×sTIM3. ROC curve analysis showed that among the aforementioned single factor quantitative indicators, IL-6 was the most effective in predicting the progression of AP patients to SAP during hospitalization, but the predictive performance of prediction model based on the sTIM3 was significantly better than IL-6 [area under the ROC curve (AUC) and 95%CI: 0.957 (0.913-1.000) vs. 0.902 (0.845-0.958), P < 0.05].

CONCLUSIONS

The model based on serum sTIM3 demonstrated good predictive value for the progression of SAP in patients with AP.

TaSRO1 interacts with TaVP1 to modulate seed dormancy and pre-harvest sprouting resistance in wheat

Dormancy is an adaptive trait which prevents seeds from germinating under unfavorable environmental conditions. Seeds with weak dormancy undergo pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) which decreases grain yield and quality. Understanding the genetic mechanisms that regulate seed dormancy and resistance to PHS is crucial for ensuring global food security. In this study, we illustrated the function and molecular mechanism of TaSRO1 in the regulation of seed dormancy and PHS resistance by suppressing TaVP1. The tasro1 mutants exhibited strong seed dormancy and enhanced resistance to PHS, whereas the mutants of tavp1 displayed weak dormancy. Genetic evidence has shown that TaVP1 is epistatic to TaSRO1. Biochemical evidence has shown that TaSRO1 interacts with TaVP1 and represses the transcriptional activation of the PHS resistance genes TaPHS1 and TaSdr. Furthermore, TaSRO1 undermines the synergistic activation of TaVP1 and TaABI5 in PHS resistance genes. Finally, we highlight the great potential of tasro1 alleles for breeding elite wheat cultivars that are resistant to PHS.

p16 and p53 can Serve as Prognostic Markers for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to explore the expression and clinical significance of human papilloma virus-related pathogenic factors (p16, cyclin D1, p53) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and construct a predictive model.

METHODS

The Cancer Genome Atlas was used to obtain clinical data for 112 patients with HNSCC. Expression of p16, p53, and cyclin D1 was quantified. We used the survival package of the R program to set the cut-off value. Values above the cut-off were considered positive, while values below the cut-off were negative. Kaplan-Meier analysis and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to investigate prognostic clinicopathological indicators and the expression of p16, p53, and cyclin D1. A predictive model was constructed based on the results of multifactor Cox regression analysis, and the accuracy of the predictive model was verified through final calibration analysis. Follow-up of patients with HNSCC at the Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University was conducted from 2015 to 2017, and reliability of the predictive model was validated based on follow-up data and molecular expression levels.

RESULTS

According to the results, expression of p16 and p53 was significantly associated with prognosis (P < .05). The predictive model constructed based on the expression levels of p16 and p53 was useful for evaluating the prognosis of patients with HNSCC. The predictive model was validated using follow-up data obtained from the hospital, and the trend of the follow-up results was consistent with the predictive model.

CONCLUSION

p16 and p53 can be used as key indicators to predict the prognosis of HNSCC patients and as critical immunohistochemical indicators in clinical practice. The survival model constructed based on p16 and p53 expression levels reliably predicts patient prognosis.

Sparse Bayesian Learning for End-to-End EEG Decoding

Decoding brain activity from non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG) is crucial for brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and the study of brain disorders. Notably, end-to-end EEG decoding has gained widespread popularity in recent years owing to the remarkable advances in deep learning research. However, many EEG studies suffer from limited sample sizes, making it difficult for existing deep learning models to effectively generalize to highly noisy EEG data. To address this fundamental limitation, this paper proposes a novel end-to-end EEG decoding algorithm that utilizes a low-rank weight matrix to encode both spatio-temporal filters and the classifier, all optimized under a principled sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) framework. Importantly, this SBL framework also enables us to learn hyperparameters that optimally penalize the model in a Bayesian fashion. The proposed decoding algorithm is systematically benchmarked on five motor imagery BCI EEG datasets ( N=192) and an emotion recognition EEG dataset ( N=45), in comparison with several contemporary algorithms, including end-to-end deep-learning-based EEG decoding algorithms. The classification results demonstrate that our algorithm significantly outperforms the competing algorithms while yielding neurophysiologically meaningful spatio-temporal patterns. Our algorithm therefore advances the state-of-the-art by providing a novel EEG-tailored machine learning tool for decoding brain activity.

Wheat cis-zeatin-O-glucosyltransferase cZOGT1 interacts with the Ca2+-dependent lipid binding protein TaZIP to regulate senescence

Premature senescence is an important factor affecting wheat yield and quality. Wheat yield can be increased by delaying senescence and prolonging the effective photosynthetic time. Previously, we found that the cis-zeatin-O-glucosyltransferase (cZOGT1) gene plays an important role in the stay-green wheat phenotype. In this study, cZOGT1-overexpressing lines exhibited a delayed senescence phenotype, despite a significant reduction in the total cytokinin content. Further, we found that cZOGT1 interacted with the Ca2+-dependent lipid binding protein TaZIP (cZOGT1-interacting protein), and that a high level of cZOGT1 expression led to the suppression of TaZIP expression, which in turn, reduced abscisic acid (ABA) content. The synergistic reduction in cytokinins and ABA levels eventually caused the stay-green phenotype in cZOGT1-overexpressing lines. This study provides a new theoretical basis to explain the mechanism underlying the wheat stay-green phenotype and provides a genetic resource for wheat molecular-design breeding.

Nano-semiconductor material stabilized Zn metal anode for long-life aqueous Zn-ion batteries

The advantages of aqueous Zn-ion batteries lie in the affordability and environmental friendliness. Nonetheless, the use of aqueous Zn-ion batteries is severely hindered by key issues such dendrite formation and side reactions in Zn metal anodes. It is able to works well so as to create a stable interface layer, which controls the development of dendrites and adverse reactions. In this study, it is recommended that the coating formed by nano-semiconductor material graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) should be applied to the surface of Zn metal to evenly disperse the electric field, as well as inhibit the development of tip effect, thus preventing Zn dendrite growth. Zn deposition occurs quickly and steadily as a result of Zn2+ ions being adsorbed and the Zn2+ ion flow being reallocated by the zincophilicity of N atoms in the coating. The Zn symmetrical battery can be stable cycled for 1,000 h at a current density of 0.5 mA cm-2, with its overall areal capacity of 0.5mAh cm-2, which is attributed to these benefits of the coating. It can be stable circulated for 500 h at a high current density of 5 mA cm-2, with its total areal capacity of 1mAh cm-2. The completely constructed Zn-g-C3N4//V2O5 according exhibits exceptional long-termcycle stability. Under the current density of 2 A/g, the initial capacity is 312.3 mAh g-1, which can cycle be stable circulated for 1,000 cycles.Under the high current density of 5 A/g, the whole battery's capacity keeping holdingrate is 70% after 2000 cycles, and the coulomb efficiency (CE) is extremely near to 100%.

Insights into the underpinning effect of graphene in Cu1Mn10 on enhancing the low-temperature catalytic activity for CO oxidation

CO emission is a critical issue of industrial processes such as steel-smelting, cement manufacturing, and waste incineration. Catalytic oxidation based on Cu-Mn binary catalysts shows great potential for efficient removal of CO, whereas their practical applicability is limited by the inferior low-temperature catalytic activity and the high catalyst cost owing to a substantial quantity of Cu. In this study, doping graphene is designed to adjust the electron transfer capability to improve the low-temperature catalytic activity as well as reduce the amount of Cu, and thereby Cu1Mn10 catalysts doped with slight amounts of graphene (x%G-Cu1Mn10, x is 1∼5) were fabricated. It was found that the introduction of graphene could form effective electron transport channels to enhance the intermetallic interaction and oxygen vacancy generation, thus improving the low-temperature catalytic performance of the Cu1Mn10 catalyst. Among all the catalysts, 4%G-Cu1Mn10 exhibited the highest activity, achieving CO conversion of 92% at 110 °C at a weight hourly space velocity of 120,000 mL/(g∙h). The introduction of graphene also enabled the catalyst with excellent catalytic activity and stability at a relative humidity of 70%. Attractively, 4%G-Cu1Mn10 can be further loaded into the polyester fabric, presenting great application potentials in the effective elimination of CO during the dust removal process since the flue gas temperature in the dust collector is just around the T90% and the catalyst that is inside of fabric fiber rather than on the fabric surface can be rarely influenced by the dust. In general, doping graphene provides a facile method to enhance the low-temperature activities of the Cu-Mn binary catalysts and cut down the use of valuable Cu, showing great application potential.

Calcination of sewage sludge-based sulphoaluminate cement clinker: Mineral formation mechanism and heavy metal transition behaviors

Utilizing sewage sludge (SS) to calcinate sulphoaluminate cement (SAC) is a promising technology for low-carbon transition of cement industry, but the unclear effects of SS-contained heavy metals limit the application of this technology. In this study, the effects of SS addition on the calcination of SAC clinker and the transformation of heavy metals were studied from the aspects of mineral phase change, microstructure evolution and heavy metal speciation respectively, covering the mineral formation temperature 900-1250 °C. The results show that the added SS will reduce the formation temperature and change the reaction pathways of mineral phases. When the content of SS increases from 10% to 25%, the compositions of mesophases CaO·Al2O3 and 4CaO·2SiO2·CaSO4 increase by 6.33% and 9.73%, respectively. Meanwhile, the formation of minerals will solidify Zn, Ni, Mn, Cu, Cr, and convert them into a more stable fraction (residual fraction), indicating a lower probability to harm the environment. Moreover, heavy metals present different migration behaviors. After calcination, Mn migrates from SS to 4CaO·Al2O3·Fe2O3 (52.48%), while Zn prefers to enter 3CaO·3Al2O3·CaSO4 (43.74%) and 4CaO·Al2O3·Fe2O3 (38.06%). This study offers new insights into the mineral formation mechanism and heavy metal transition behaviors of sewage sludge-based SAC.

Heck Migratory Insertion Catalyzed by a Single Pt Atom Site

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have generated excitement for their potential to downsize metal particles to the atomic limit with engineerable local environments and improved catalytic reactivities and selectivities. However, successes have been limited to small-molecule transformations with little progress toward targeting complex-building reactions, such as metal-catalyzed cross-coupling. Using a supercritical carbon-dioxide-assisted protocol, we report a heterogeneous single-atom Pt-catalyzed Heck reaction, which provides the first C-C bond-forming migratory insertion on SACs. Our quantum mechanical computations establish the reaction mechanism to involve a novel C-rich coordination site (i.e., PtC4) that demonstrates an unexpected base effect. Notably, the base was found to transiently modulate the coordination environment to allow migratory insertion into an M-C species, a process with a high steric impediment with no previous example on SACs. The studies showcase how SACs can introduce coordination structures that have remained underexplored in catalyst design. These findings offer immense potential for transferring the vast and highly versatile reaction manifold of migratory-insertion-based bond-forming protocols to heterogeneous SACs.

Effect of temperature on the reaction path of pyrite (FeS2)-based catalyst catalyzed CO reduction of SO2 to sulfur

To understand the physical phase structural variation and activation pathway of the active component during the catalytic reduction of pyrite (FeS2)-based catalysts, multiple methods, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and high-temperature in situ XRD, were applied to characterize the catalyst and reaction process. The reaction mechanism was simulated and verified using density functional theory. The results indicated that pyrite-based catalysts promote the CO reduction of SO2 to S through the dynamic transformation of three phases (FeS2, Fe7S8, and FeS), in which S-vacancy formation is the most important step. As the critical temperature for the reaction of FeS2 and CO was initiated at approximately 525 °C, the active component's physical phase structure and activation pathway could be controlled by adjusting the temperature.

The m5 C methyltransferase NSUN2 promotes codon-dependent oncogenic translation by stabilising tRNA in anaplastic thyroid cancer

BACKGROUND

Translation dysregulation plays a crucial role in tumourigenesis and cancer progression. Oncogenic translation relies on the stability and availability of tRNAs for protein synthesis, making them potential targets for cancer therapy.

METHODS

This study performed immunohistochemistry analysis to assess NSUN2 levels in thyroid cancer. Furthermore, to elucidate the impact of NSUN2 on anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) malignancy, phenotypic assays were conducted. Drug inhibition and time-dependent plots were employed to analyse drug resistance. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and bisulphite sequencing were used to investigate the m5 C methylation of tRNA at both global and single-base levels. Puromycin intake and high-frequency codon reporter assays verified the protein translation level. By combining mRNA and ribosome profiling, a series of downstream proteins and codon usage bias were identified. The acquired data were further validated by tRNA sequencing.

RESULTS

This study observed that the tRNA m5 C methyltransferase NSUN2 was up-regulated in ATC and is associated with dedifferentiation. Furthermore, NSUN2 knockdown repressed ATC formation, proliferation, invasion and migration both in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, NSUN2 repression enhanced the sensitivity of ATC to genotoxic drugs. Mechanically, NSUN2 catalyses tRNA structure-related m5 C modification, stabilising tRNA that maintains homeostasis and rapidly transports amino acids, particularly leucine. This stable tRNA has a substantially increased efficiency necessary to support a pro-cancer translation program including c-Myc, BCL2, RAB31, JUNB and TRAF2. Additionally, the NSUN2-mediated variations in m5C levels and different tRNA Leu iso-decoder families, partially contribute to a codon-dependent translation bias. Surprisingly, targeting NSUN2 disrupted the c-Myc to NSUN2 cycle in ATC.

CONCLUSIONS

This research revealed that a pro-tumour m5C methyltransferase, dynamic tRNA stability regulation and downstream oncogenes, c-Myc, elicits a codon-dependent oncogenic translation network that enhances ATC growth and formation. Furthermore, it provides new opportunities for targeting translation reprogramming in cancer cells.

Novel Flavonoid Photoswitchable "Turn-On" Fluorescent Chemosensors: Synthesis of Bromo Flavonols for Nanomolar Aluminum Ion Detection and Cellular Imaging, among Other Applications

Aluminum (Al), a non-essential element in living systems, can potentially cause chronic toxicity. Therefore, it is crucial to have a specific and sensitive method for detecting Al3+ in order to assess its risk to life. In this study, we designed and synthesized a novel fluorescent probe (IV) based on bromoflavonol. Upon binding to Al3+, probe IV exhibits a blue shift in emission and enhanced fluorescence, making it suitable for Al3+ detection. Our UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectra demonstrate that probe IV has high selectivity and sensitivity towards Al3+ while being immune to interference from other metal ions. Through fluorescence titration, we determined that the detection limit (LOD) of probe IV for Al3+ is 1.8 × 10-8 mol/L. Job's curve and 1 H NMR titration further confirmed a 1:1 binding stoichiometry between probe IV and Al3+. Additionally, using DFT (Density Functional Theory), we calculated the energy gap difference between IV and IV + Al3+ and found that the complex formed by probe IV and Al3+ is more stable than IV alone. We successfully detected Al3+ in tap water and river water from the middle regions of the Han River, achieving recoveries of over 96% using this probe. This demonstrates its potential for quantitative detection of Al3+ in environmental water samples. Moreover, we successfully used the probe for imaging Al3+ in MG63 cells, suggesting its potential application in biological imaging.

Nickel/Photoredox Dual-Catalyzed Regiodivergent Aminoalkylation of Unactivated Alkyl Halides

A mild and regiodivergent aminoalkylation of unactivated alkyl halides is disclosed via a dual photoredox/nickel catalysis. Bipyridyl-type ligands without an ortho-substituent control the site-selective coupling at the original position, while ortho-disubstituted ligands tune the site-selectivity at a remote, unprefunctionalized position. Mechanistic studies combined with DFT calculations give insight into the mechanism and the origins of the ligand-controlled regioselectivity. Notably, this redox-neutral, regiodivergent alkyl-alkyl coupling features mild conditions, broad substrate scope for both alkyl coupling partners, and excellent site-selectivity and offers a straightforward way for α-alkylation of tertiary amines to synthesize structurally diverse alkylamines and value-added amino acid derivatives.

Multi-target photothermal immunochromatography for simultaneous detection of three mycotoxins in foods

BACKGROUND

Mycotoxin contaminated food poses a threat to human health. On-site detection of mycotoxin contamination is of significance to reduce the agricultural and food industries loss. Lateral flow immunochromatography (LFIC) as on-site detection method for mycotoxins has the advantages of low cost, easy to operate and short time-consuming. Of the various types of LFIC, photothermal LFIC possesses better sensitivity and stronger quantitative capability, but is unable to conduct synchronous multi-target analysis because that the laser can only activate one test area at a time. It was clear that a synchronous multi-target photothermal LFIC method was needed.

RESULTS

In this study, a photothermal LFIC method for the simultaneous detection of three mycotoxins, deoxynivalenol (DON), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and zearalenone (ZEN), was developed. We broadened the laser source with a beam expander and realized the irradiation and activation of three test zones simultaneously. In addition, the competitive photothermal LFIC was constructed by using Cu2-xSe-Au nanocomposites with excellent photothermal properties (η = 87.47%) as photothermal signal probes and thermal imager as photothermal signal collector. Under optimized experimental conditions, the limits of detection (LOD) were 73 ng L-1, 45 ng L-1 and 43 ng L-1 for DON, AFB1 and ZEN, respectively. The method had good linearity in three orders of magnitude and good specificity. The recoveries of the three mycotoxins in oat, cornmeal and millet samples ranged from 78.6% to 112.4%.

SIGNIFICANCE

Compared with previous studies, this method improved the sensitivity, broadened the linear range of detection without large equipment and realized synchronous multi-target analysis for DON, AFB1 and ZEN. We addressed a key limitation of photothermal LFIC by a simple way, facilitating the application of this technique in multi-target on-site detection in wider fields.