Enhancing electrochemiluminescence for chloramphenicol detection based on the synergistic effect of doped Ti3C2 with ultrasound

Chloramphenicol (CAP) is known to be harmful to the environment and food, posing a threat to human health. Developing an effective and convenient method for detecting CAP is crucial. An electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor has been designed for sensitive detection of CAP. The improved ECL behavior was attributed to the synergistic effect of N and P co-doped Ti3C2-Apt1 (N, P-Ti3C2-Apt1) nanoprobes and high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) pretreatment. The doping of N and P could improve the electrochemical performance of Ti3C2. HIFU pretreatment generated more reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the luminol-O2 system. N, P-Ti3C2 could aggregate and catalyze ROS, causing an increase in ECL intensity. Furthermore, N, P-Ti3C2 as a carrier loaded more aptamer, which could recognize CAP with high specificity. The detection limit was 0.01 ng/mL. This biosensor has been successfully applied in milk and environmental water samples, highlighting its potential in the field of food and environmental analysis.

Carboxymethylcellulose-induced depletion attraction to stabilize high internal phase Pickering emulsions for the elderly: 3D printing and β-carotene delivery

In this study, a carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) induced depletion attraction was developed to stabilize high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs) as age-friendly 3D printing inks. The results demonstrated that depletion force induced the adsorption of yolk particles at the droplet interface and the formation of osmotic droplet clusters, thereby increasing the stability of HIPPEs. In addition, the rheological properties and nutrient delivery properties of HIPPEs could be adjusted by the mass ratio of yolk/CMC. The HIPPEs stabilized at yolk/CMC mass ratio 20:7.5 showed optimal printability, viscoelastic, structural recovery, and swallowability. HIPPEs have been applied to 3D printing, International Dysphagia Dietary Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) test, and in vitro digestive simulation in the elderly, indicating their attractive appearance, safe swallowability, and enhanced bioaccessibility of β-carotene. Our work provides new ideas for developing age-friendly foods with plasticity and nutrient delivery capacity by depletion attraction stabilizing HIPPEs.

Charge transport properties and mechanisms of bacterial cellulose (BC)-Zinc complexes

Most current flexible electronic devices are based on petroleum materials that are difficult to degrade. The exploration of sustainable and eco-friendly materials has become a major focus in both the scientific and industrial communities. In this study, BC-Zn-BIM (bacterial cellulose-Zn-benzimidazole), a novel composite electrode material based on biodegradable BC was developed. Here, BC acted as a conductive medium involved in the conductive behavior of the composite material. We've explored the charge transport mechanisms of BC-Zn-BIM by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and applied it in the electrochemical detection of Bisphenol A (BPA). The results indicated that the oxygen-containing groups in BC and the nitrogen-containing heterocycles in BIM have a tendency to lose electrons, whereas zinc ions actively acquire electrons from these groups. This process promoted charge transfer within BC-Zn-BIM and endowed it with semiconductor-like properties, enhancing the electrocatalytic reaction of BPA. The detection limit of the electrochemical biosensor was 12 nM, and the sample recovery was 95.1%105.6%. This study clarified the mechanism of the higher electrical properties achieved in Zn-BIM complex grown in-situ on dielectric BC. This will further promote the development of low-cost, environmentally friendly flexible electronic devices.

Identification of multiple plasma lipids as diagnostic biomarkers of hypercholesterolemia and the underlying mechanisms based on pseudo-targeted lipidomics

RATIONALE

Hypercholesterolemia is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and death. This study performed pseudo-targeted lipidomics to identify differentially expressed plasma lipids in hypercholesterolemia, to provide a scientific basis for the diagnosis and pathogenesis of hypercholesterolemia.

METHODS

Pseudo-targeted lipidomic analyses of plasma lipids from 20 patients with hypercholesterolemia and 20 normal control subjects were performed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Differentially expressed lipids were identified by principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to identify differentially expressed lipids with high diagnostic value. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway database was used to identify enriched metabolic pathways.

RESULTS

We identified 13 differentially expressed lipids in hypercholesterolemia using variable importance of projection > 1 and p < 0.05 as threshold parameters. The levels of eight sphingomyelins and cholesterol sulfate were higher and those of three triacylglycerols and lysophosphatidylcholine were reduced in hypercholesterolemia. Seven differentially expressed plasma lipids showed high diagnostic value for hypercholesterolemia. Functional enrichment analyses showed that pathways related to necroptosis, sphingolipid signaling, sphingolipid metabolism, and steroid hormone biosynthesis were enriched.

CONCLUSIONS

This pseudo-targeted lipidomics study demonstrated that multiple sphingomyelins and cholesterol sulfate were differentially expressed in the plasma of patients with hypercholesterolemia. We also identified seven plasma lipids, including six sphingomyelins and cholesterol sulfate, with high diagnostic value.

Association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d concentrations with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among individuals with depression: A cohort study

BACKGROUND

Limited evidence exists on the relationship between vitamin D status and mortality in depressed patients.

METHODS

This study investigates serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations in 8417 adults with depression among the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2005-2018). Mortality outcomes were assessed through National Death Index records up to December 31, 2019. Cox proportional risk models estimated risk ratios (HR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality. Restricted cubic spline analyses explored the nonlinear association of serum 25(OH)D levels with mortality, using the likelihood ratio test for nonlinearity.

RESULTS

The weighted mean serum 25(OH)D level was 66.40 nmol/L (95 % CI: 65.8, 67.0), with 36.3 % having deficient vitamin D (<50 nmol/L [20 ng/mL]). Over an average 7.16-year follow-up, 935 deaths were documented, including 296 CVD deaths and 191 cancer deaths. Higher serum 25(OH)D levels were associated with reduced all-cause mortality (HRs 0.55-1.00, p trend = 0.006) and cancer-specific mortality (HRs 0.36-1.00, p trend = 0.015) after multivariate adjustment. The relationship between serum 25(OH)D and all-cause mortality exhibited a nonlinear pattern (P for nonlinearity <0.001), with a 34 % lower risk for each unit increase in natural log-transformed 25(OH)D levels. Significant interactions were observed with age, antidepressant use, and diabetes status.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher serum 25(OH)D levels were associated with decreased all-cause and cancer-specific mortality in depressed adults, particularly among younger individuals and those using antidepressants or without diabetes. Further research is essential to understand mechanisms and interventions related to vitamin D in depression.

Precise Regulation in Chain-Edge Structural Microenvironments of 1D Covalent Organic Frameworks for Photocatalysis

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) constitute a promising research topic for photocatalytic reactions, but the rules and conformational relationships of 1D COFs are poorly defined. Herein, the chain edge structure is designed by precise modulation at the atomic level, and the 1D COFs bonded by C, O, and S elements is directionally prepared for oxygen-tolerant photoinduced electron transfer-atom transfer radical polymerization (PET-ATRP) reactions. It is demonstrated that heteroatom-type chain edge structures (─O─, ─S─) lead to a decrease in intra-plane conjugation, which restricts the effective transport of photogenerated electrons along the direction of the 1D strip. In contrast, the all-carbon type chain edge structure (─C─) with higher intra-plane conjugation not only reduces the energy loss of photoexcited electrons but also enhances the carrier density, which exhibits the optimal photopolymerization performance. This work offers valuable guidance in the exploitation of 1D COFs for high photocatalytic performance. This work offers valuable guidance in the exploitation of 1D COFs for high photocatalytic performance.

Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Optimization of Antipigmentation Tyrosinase Inhibitors: De Novo Molecular Generation Based on a Low Activity Lead Compound

Artificial intelligence (AI) de novo molecular generation is a highly promising strategy in the drug discovery, with deep reinforcement learning (RL) models emerging as powerful tools. This study introduces a fragment-by-fragment growth RL forward molecular generation and optimization strategy based on a low activity lead compound. This process integrates fragment growth-based reaction templates, while target docking and drug-likeness prediction were simultaneously performed. This comprehensive approach considers molecular similarity, internal diversity, synthesizability, and effectiveness, thereby enhancing the quality and efficiency of molecular generation. Finally, a series of tyrosinase inhibitors were generated and synthesized. Most compounds exhibited more improved activity than lead, with an optimal candidate compound surpassing the effects of kojic acid and demonstrating significant antipigmentation activity in a zebrafish model. Furthermore, metabolic stability studies indicated susceptibility to hepatic metabolism. The proposed AI structural optimization strategies will play a promising role in accelerating the drug discovery and improving traditional efficiency.

Comparative Pharmacokinetics and Safety Assessment of 1st- and 2nd-Generation Zinpentraxin Alfa Drug Products in Healthy Volunteers: A Randomized Crossover Study

Zinpentraxin alfa is a recombinant form of the human pentraxin-2 that was studied in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). To improve the purity and yield of the drug material, a 2nd-generation drug product was developed. To characterize and compare the pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of the 1st- and 2nd-generation zinpentraxin alfa, PK studies were conducted in healthy volunteers (HVs). In a phase 1 randomized, double-blind, 2-sequence crossover, sequential 2-stage study (ISRCTN59409907), single intravenous (IV) doses of 1st- and 2nd-generation zinpentraxin alfa at 10 mg/kg were studied with a blinded interim analysis (IA) at the end of stage 1. Bioequivalence (BE) was achieved for the maximum observed plasma concentration (Cmax), but the overall exposure was higher for the 2nd- compared to the 1st-generation zinpentraxin alfa. The study was stopped after stage 1 as the gating criteria were met based on the result of the blinded IA. Safety profiles were similar for the 1st- and 2nd-generation drug products, and antidrug antibody (ADA) was not observed in this study.

Defective UiO-66-NH2 (Zr) for Simultaneous Adsorption of Phosphate and Pb2+ for Hydrogen Peroxide Purification

Removal of hetero ions from the hydrogen peroxide solution is a crucial step in purifying electronic-grade H2O2. Conventional adsorption materials are challenged to meet the need for the simultaneous adsorption of both anions and cations in solvents. UiO-66 (Zr) modified by acetic acid and amino group for simultaneous adsorption of phosphate and Pb2+ in H2O2 purification was fabricated in this work. The as-prepared defective UiO-66-NH2 (Zr) demonstrated a significant increase in specific surface area and porosity, along with more exposed sites for phosphate and Pb2+ adsorption. The adsorption capacity of De-UiO-66-NH2 for phosphate and Pb2+ in H2O2 solution was 52.28 mg g-1 and 35.4 mg g-1, which is 1.19 times and 1.88 times that of unmodified UiO-66 (Zr), respectively. The trace simultaneous adsorption with both 100 ppb phosphate and Pb2+ showed removal rates of 94.0% and 88.7%, respectively, confirming the practicality of MOF materials in the purification of electronic chemicals. This work highlights the potential of Zr-based MOFs as anionic and cationic simultaneous adsorbents for highly efficient purification of electronic-grade solvents.

Exploring sleep characteristics in Chinese patients with narcolepsy: insights from the nocturnal sleep onset rapid eye movement period (nSOREMP)

STUDY OBJECTIVES

This study aims to investigate the unique characteristics and clinical significance of the nocturnal sleep onset rapid eye movement period (nSOREMP) in the Chinese population with narcolepsy, enhancing our understanding and management of the disorder globally.

METHODS

This retrospective analysis investigated narcolepsy in Chinese patients from six hospitals, using International Classification of Sleep Disorders. A parallel retrospective analysis of the Chinese Clinical Sleep Database (CCSD) focused on polysomnography (PSG) records was conducted to evaluate nSOREMP prevalence in other sleep disorders.

RESULTS

The study found a 2.51% nSOREMP prevalence in other sleep disorders of CCSD. Significant differences in age, N2 and rapid eye movement (REM) percentages, REM latency, and various indexes were noted among narcolepsy with/without nSOREMP, and other sleep disorders with nSOREMP of CCSD. nSOREMP prevalence in NT1 was 33.33% and in NT2, 28.30%. Noteworthy disparities in NT1 included N2 percentages, REM latency, and SOREMPs in Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). In NT2, differences were significant in age, sleep latency, N2 and REM latencies, arousal index, mean sleep latency in MSLT, and MSLT SOREMPs.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the distinct characteristics of nSOREMP in the Chinese population. Patients exhibiting symptoms suggestive of the onset of narcolepsy are advised to undergo an MSLT, irrespective of the occurrence of SOREMP during nocturnal PSG.

Dissecting the shared genetic landscape of anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Numerous studies highlight the genetic underpinnings of mental disorders comorbidity, particularly in anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. However, their shared genetic loci are not well understood. Our study employs Mendelian randomization (MR) and colocalization analyses, alongside multi-omics data, to uncover potential genetic targets for these conditions, thereby informing therapeutic and drug development strategies.

METHODS

We utilized the Consortium for Linkage Disequilibrium Score Regression (LDSC) and Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis to investigate genetic correlations among anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. Utilizing GTEx V8 eQTL and deCODE Genetics pQTL data, we performed a three-step summary-data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) and protein-protein interaction analysis. This helped assess causal and comorbid loci for these disorders and determine if identified loci share coincidental variations with psychiatric diseases. Additionally, phenome-wide association studies, drug prediction, and molecular docking validated potential drug targets.

RESULTS

We found genetic correlations between anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia, and under a meta-analysis of MR from multiple databases, the causal relationships among these disorders are supported. Based on this, three-step SMR and colocalization analyses identified ITIH3 and CCS as being related to the risk of developing depression, while CTSS and DNPH1 are related to the onset of schizophrenia. BTN3A1, PSMB4, and TIMP4 were identified as comorbidity loci for both disorders. Molecules that could not be determined through colocalization analysis were also presented. Drug prediction and molecular docking showed that some drugs and proteins have good binding affinity and available structural data.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study indicates genetic correlations and shared risk loci between anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. These findings offer insights into the underlying mechanisms of their comorbidities and aid in drug development.

A highly efficient blocking ELISA based on p72 monoclonal antibody for the detection of African swine fever virus antibodies and identification of its linear B cell epitope

Due to the absence of effective vaccine and treatment, African swine fever virus (ASFV) control is entirely dependent on accurate and early diagnosis, along with culling of infected pigs. The B646L/p72 is the major capsid protein of ASFV and is an important target for developing a diagnostic assays and vaccines. Herein, we generated a monoclonal antibody (mAb) (designated as 2F11) against the trimeric p72 protein, and a blocking ELISA (bELISA) was established for the detection of both genotype I and II ASFV antibodies. To evaluate the performance of the diagnostic test, a total of 506 porcine serum samples were tested. The average value of percent of inhibition (PI) of 133 negative pig serum was 8.4 % with standard deviation (SD) 6.5 %. Accordingly, the cut-off value of the newly established method was set at 28 % (mean + 3SD). Similarly, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was applied to determine the cut off value and the p72-bELISA exhibited a sensitivity of 100 % and a specificity of 99.33 % when the detection threshold was set at 28 %. The bELISA was also able to specifically recognize anti-ASFV sera without cross-reacting with other positive serums for other major swine pathogens. Moreover, by designing a series of overlapped p72 truncated proteins, the linear B cell epitope recognized by 2F11 mAb was defined to be 283NSHNIQ288. Amino acid sequence comparison revealed that the amino acid sequence 283NSHNIQ288 is highly conserved between different ASFV isolates. Our findings indicate that the newly established mAb based blocking ELISA may have a great potential in improving the detection of ASFV antibodies and provides solid foundation for further studies.

A first-principles study of the BC3N2 monolayer and a BC3N2/graphene heterostructure as promising anode materials for sodium-ion batteries

High-performance sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) require anode materials with high capacity and fast kinetics. Based on first-principles calculations, we propose BC3N2 and BC3N2/graphene (B/G) heterostructure as potential SIB anode materials. The BC3N2 monolayer exhibits intrinsic metallic behavior. In addition, BC3N2 possesses a low Na+ diffusion barrier (0.15 eV), a high storage capacity (777 mA h g-1), a low open-circuit voltage (0.72 V), and a tiny axial expansion (0.36%). Compared with the BC3N2 monolayer, the B/G heterostructure exhibits a lower diffusion barrier of 0.027 eV, suggesting a much faster diffusion. More importantly, although the B/G heterostructure possesses heavier molar weight, its theoretical capacity (689 mA h g-1) is comparable to that of the BC3N2 monolayer. Based on the above-mentioned properties, we hope both the BC3N2 monolayer and the B/G heterostructure would be promising anodes for SIBs.

Axo-axonic synaptic input drives homeostatic plasticity by tuning the axon initial segment structurally and functionally

Homeostatic plasticity maintains the stability of functional brain networks. The axon initial segment (AIS), where action potentials start, undergoes dynamic adjustment to exert powerful control over neuronal firing properties in response to network activity changes. However, it is poorly understood whether this plasticity involves direct synaptic input to the AIS. Here we show that changes of GABAergic synaptic input from chandelier cells (ChCs) drive homeostatic tuning of the AIS of principal neurons (PNs) in the prelimbic (PL) region, while those from parvalbumin-positive basket cells do not. This tuning is evident in AIS morphology, voltage-gated sodium channel expression, and PN excitability. Moreover, the impact of this homeostatic plasticity can be reflected in animal behavior. Social behavior, inversely linked to PL PN activity, shows time-dependent alterations tightly coupled to changes in AIS plasticity and PN excitability. Thus, AIS-originated homeostatic plasticity in PNs may counteract deficits elicited by imbalanced ChC presynaptic input at cellular and behavioral levels.

Teaser

Axon initial segment dynamically responds to changes in local input from chandelier cells to prevent abnormal neuronal functions.

Fructose Potentiates Bone Loss and Marrow Adipose Tissue Accumulation by Inhibiting Adenosine 5'-Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase in Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Increased fructose consumption has been elucidated to contribute to metabolic diseases. Bone is a dynamic organ that undergoes constant remodeling. However, the effects of fructose on bone health are still in dispute. Here, we identified fructose deteriorated bone mineral density while promoting the abundance of bone marrow adipose tissue. Fructose remarkably promoted the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells' (BMMSCs) adipogenic commitment at the expense of osteogenic commitment. Fructose boosted the glycolysis of BMMSCs and inhibited phosphorylation of adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which played a crucial role in bone-fat alteration. Our results suggested that fructose potentiated bone loss and marrow adipose tissue accumulation by suppressing AMPK activation in BMMSCs. Understanding fructose which affected bone metabolism was thus of primary importance in order to establish preventative measures or treatments for this condition.

Codon usage bias analysis in the mitochondrial genomes of five Rhingia Scopoli (Diptera, Syrphidae, Eristalinae) species

This study presents the sequencing and annotation of mitochondrial genomes from five Rhingia species of the family Syrphidae, focusing on codon bias. Each species possessed 22 tRNAs genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNAs genes, and a control region, without any observed gene rearrangements. Nucleotide composition analysis revealed a higher AT content compared with GC content, indicating AT enrichment. Neutrality plot, Parity rule 2 bias, and effective number of codons plot analyses collectively indicated that natural selection primarily influences the codon usage bias in the five Rhingia species. Relative synonymous codon usage analysis identified the optimal codons for Rhingia binotata, R. fromosana, R. campestris, R. louguanensis, and R. xanthopoda as 10, 14, 10, 11, and 12, respectively, all ending with A/U and exhibiting AT preference. Phylogenetic analysis, based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods applied to three datasets, confirmed the monophyly of Rhingia. In conclusion, this research establishes a foundation for understanding the phylogenetic evolution and codon usage patterns in Rhingia, offering valuable for future studies.

An abundant bacterial phylum with nitrite-oxidizing potential in oligotrophic marine sediments

Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) are important nitrifiers whose activity regulates the availability of nitrite and dictates the magnitude of nitrogen loss in ecosystems. In oxic marine sediments, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and NOB together catalyze the oxidation of ammonium to nitrate, but the abundance ratios of AOA to canonical NOB in some cores are significantly higher than the theoretical ratio range predicted from physiological traits of AOA and NOB characterized under realistic ocean conditions, indicating that some NOBs are yet to be discovered. Here we report a bacterial phylum Candidatus Nitrosediminicolota, members of which are more abundant than canonical NOBs and are widespread across global oligotrophic sediments. Ca. Nitrosediminicolota members have the functional potential to oxidize nitrite, in addition to other accessory functions such as urea hydrolysis and thiosulfate reduction. While one recovered species (Ca. Nitrosediminicola aerophilus) is generally confined within the oxic zone, another (Ca. Nitrosediminicola anaerotolerans) additionally appears in anoxic sediments. Counting Ca. Nitrosediminicolota as a nitrite-oxidizer helps to resolve the apparent abundance imbalance between AOA and NOB in oxic marine sediments, and thus its activity may exert controls on the nitrite budget.

Automatic in situ short-distance deposition of PLGA/PLLA composite nanofibrous membranes for personalized wound dressings

Improving the mechanical properties of wound dressings and achieving personalized automatic real-time in situ deposition are important for accelerating wound management and repair. In this study, we report a self-designed automatic in situ deposition device based on solution blow spinning (SBS) to prepare poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) composite (PLGA/PLLA) nanofibrous membranes for wound dressing at a short distance. Polymer solution and in situ deposition conditions, including air pressure, spinning distance, solvent extrusion rate, and spinning rate, were optimized using orthogonal experiments and characterized via dynamic mechanical analysis. The microscopic morphology and physical properties of the prepared PLGA/PLLA composite nanofibrous membranes show that their strength, adhesion, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), water retention, water absorption, degradation, and other properties were sufficient for wound-dressing applications. To investigate the possibility of a biomedical wound-dressing material, tannic acid (TA) was incorporated into the PLGA/PLLA composite nanofibrous membranes. The resultant PLGA/PLLA/TA composite nanofibrous membranes exhibited good biocompatibility and exceptional antibacterial properties against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. A pilot animal study illustrated the potential of this in situ deposition of PLGA/PLLA/TA composite nanofibrous membranes across multiple applications in wound healing/repair by reducing wound scar tissue formation and fibroblast overactivation.

Enhancing Electrochemical Signal for Efficient Chiral Recognition by Encapsulating C60 Fullerene into Chiral Lanthanum-Based MOFs

Chiral metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted much attention due to their highly tunable regular microporous structures. However, chiral electrochemical recognition based on chiral MOFs is often limited by poor charge separation and slow charge transfer kinetics. In this case, C60 can be encapsulated into the cavity of [La(BTB)]n by virtue of host-guest interactions through π-π stacking to synthesize the chiral composite C60@[La(BTB)]n and amplify electrochemically controlled enantioselective interactions with the target enantiomers. A large electrostatic potential difference is generated in chiral C60@[La(BTB)]n due to the host-guest interaction and the inhomogeneity of the charge distribution, leading to the generation of a strong built-in electric field and thus an overall enhancement of the conductivity of the chiral material. Their enantioselective detection of tryptophan enantiomers was demonstrated by electrochemical measurement. The results showed that chiral MOF materials can be used for enantiomeric recognition. It is worth noting that this new material derived from the concept of host-guest interaction to enhance charge separation opens up unprecedented possibilities for future enantioselective recognition and separation.

Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir Reduced Mortality in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 During the Omicron Outbreak: Real-World Evidence from Beijing

Objective

The efficacy of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 has not been fully established.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with high risk for disease progression at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital from October 15, 2022, to March 31, 2023. Patients ≥18 years old who were hospitalized with COVID-19 within 5 days of symptom onset were included. Baseline data were obtained from the routine electronic health record database of the hospital information system. Outcomes were monitored at 28 days via electronic medical record reviews or telephone interviews.

Results

We identified 1120 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the study period. After exclusions, 167 nirmatrelvir-ritonavir users and 132 controls were included. 28-day all-cause mortality rate was 12.0% (20/167) in the nirmatrelvir-ritonavir group, versus 22.7% (30/132) in the control group (unadjusted log-rank p = 0.010; HR = 0.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.28-0.86, IPTW-adjusted HR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.40-0.86). The 28-day disease progression rates did not differ between the two groups (unadjusted HR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.34-1.02, IPTW-adjusted HR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.50-1.06). Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir significantly reduced all-cause mortality and disease progression within 28 days among patients aged ≥65 years without ≥2 vaccine doses.

Conclusion

We found significantly reduced all-cause mortality in the nirmatrelvir-ritonavir group, particularly in elderly patients who were incompletely vaccinated. Future randomized controlled studies are needed to validate our findings.

Populus euphratica R2R3-MYB transcription factor RAX2 binds ANN1 promoter to increase cadmium enrichment in Arabidopsis

The expression of R2R3-MYB transcription factor PeRAX2 increased transiently upon CdCl2 exposure (100 μM, 48 h) in leaves and roots of Populus euphratica. We observed that overexpression of PeRAX2 increased Cd2+ concentration in Arabidopsis root cells and Cd2+ amount in whole plant, which was due to the increased Cd2+ influx into root tips. However, the Cd2+ influx facilitated by PeRAX2 overexpression was substantially reduced by LaCl3 (an inhibitor of Ca2+-channels), suggesting that PeRAX2 could promote the Cd2+ entering through PM Ca2+-permeable channels (CaPCs) in the roots. It is noting that the expression of annexin1 (AtANN1), which mediates the influx of divalent cations through the PM calcium channels, was upregulated by Cd2+ in PeRAX2-transgenic Arabidopsis. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that the AtANN1 promoter (AtANN1-pro) contains four cis-elements for MYB binding. The PeRAX2 interaction with AtANN1-pro was validated by LUC reporter assay, EMSA, and Y1H assay. Our data showed that PeRAX2 binds to the AtANN1 promoter region to regulate gene transcription and that AtANN1 mediates the Cd2+ entry through CaPCs in the PM, leading to a Cd2+ enrichment in transgenic plants. The PeRAX2-stimulated Cd2+ enrichment consequently resulted in high H2O2 production in root cells of transgenic plants. The expression of AtSOD and AtPOD and activities of CAT, SOD, POD increased in the transgenic lines under Cd2+ stress. However, the Cd2+-upregulated expression and activity of antioxidative enzymes were less pronounced in the PeRAX2-overexpressed lines, compared to the wildtype and vector controls. As a result, root length and plant growth were more suppressed by Cd2+ in the transgenic lines. Our data suggest that transcriptional regulation of AtANN1 by PeRAX2 can be utilized to improve Cd2+ enrichment and phytoremediation, although the enriched Cd2+ affected antioxidant defense system and plant growth in the model species.

Rapid profiling of transcription factor-cofactor interaction networks reveals principles of epigenetic regulation

Transcription factor (TF)-cofactor (COF) interactions define dynamic, cell-specific networks that govern gene expression; however, these networks are understudied due to a lack of methods for high-throughput profiling of DNA-bound TF-COF complexes. Here we describe the Cofactor Recruitment (CoRec) method for rapid profiling of cell-specific TF-COF complexes. We define a lysine acetyltransferase (KAT)-TF network in resting and stimulated T cells. We find promiscuous recruitment of KATs for many TFs and that 35% of KAT-TF interactions are condition specific. KAT-TF interactions identify NF-κB as a primary regulator of acutely induced H3K27ac. Finally, we find that heterotypic clustering of CBP/P300-recruiting TFs is a strong predictor of total promoter H3K27ac. Our data supports clustering of TF sites that broadly recruit KATs as a mechanism for widespread co-occurring histone acetylation marks. CoRec can be readily applied to different cell systems and provides a powerful approach to define TF-COF networks impacting chromatin state and gene regulation.

Thermal Stability and Crystallization Processes of Pd78Au4Si18 Thin Films Visualized via In Situ TEM

Amorphous alloys or metallic glasses (MGs) thin films have attracted extensive attention in various fields due to their unique functional properties. Here, we use in situ heating transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to investigate the thermal stability and crystallization behavior of Pd-Au-Si thin films prepared by a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. Upon heating treatment inside a TEM, we trace the structural changes in the Pd-Au-Si thin films through directly recording high-resolution images and diffraction patterns at different temperatures. TEM observations reveal that the Pd-Au-Si thin films started to nucleate with small crystalline embryos uniformly distributed in the glassy matrix upon approaching the glass transition temperature Tg=625K, and subsequently, the growth of crystalline nuclei into sub-10 nm Pd-Si nanocrystals commenced. Upon further increasing the temperature to 673K, the thin films transformed to micro-sized patches of stacking-faulty lamellae that further crystallized into Pd9Si2 and Pd3Si intermetallic compounds. Interestingly, with prolonged thermal heating at elevated temperatures, the Pd9Si2 transformed to Pd3Si. Simultaneously, the solute Au atoms initially dissolved in glassy alloys and eventually precipitated out of the Pd9Si2 and Pd3Si intermetallics, forming nearly spherical Au nanocrystals. Our TEM results reveal the unique thermal stability and crystallization processes of the PLD-prepared Pd-Au-Si thin films as well as demonstrate a possibility of producing a large quantity of pure nanocrystals out of amorphous solids for various applications.

Populus euphratica PeNADP-ME interacts with PePLDδ to mediate sodium and ROS homeostasis under salinity stress

Populus euphratica phospholipase Dδ (PePLDδ) is transcriptionally regulated and mediates reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ion homeostasis under saline conditions. The purpose of this study is to explore the post-transcriptional regulation of PePLDδ in response to salt environment. P. euphratica PePLDδ was shown to interact with the NADP-dependent malic enzyme (NADP-ME) by screening the yeast two-hybrid libraries. The transcription level of PeNADP-ME increased upon salt exposure to NaCl (200 mM) in leaves and roots of P. euphratica. PeNADP-ME had a similar subcellular location with PePLDδ in the cytoplasm, and the interaction between PeNADP-ME and PePLDδ was further verified by GST pull-down and yeast two-hybrid. To clarify whether PeNADP-ME interacts with PePLDδ to enhance salt tolerance, PePLDδ and PeNADP-ME were overexpressed singly or doubly in Arabidopsis thaliana. Dual overexpression of PeNADP-ME and PePLDδ resulted in an even more pronounced improvement in salt tolerance compared with single transformants overexpressing PeNADP-ME or PePLDδ alone. Greater Na+ limitation and Na+ efflux in roots were observed in doubly overexpressed plants compared with singly overexpressed plants with PeNADP-ME or PePLDδ. Furthermore, NaCl stimulation of SOD, APX, and POD activity and transcription were more remarkable in the doubly overexpressed plants. It is noteworthy that the enzymic activity of NADP-ME and PLD, and total phosphatidic acid (PA) concentrations were significantly higher in the double-overexpressed plants than in the single transformants. We conclude that PeNADP-ME interacts with PePLDδ in Arabidopsis to promote PLD-derived PA signaling, conferring Na+ extrusion and ROS scavenging under salt stress.

[Application of acellular dermal matrix in prevention of laryngeal stenosis in glottic carcinoma]

Objective:To investigate the effect of acellular dermal matrix in preventing laryngeal stenosis in glottic carcinoma patients. Methods:Fifty-five patients with glottic carcinoma（T2, T3） from February 2018 to December 2022 were divided into experimental group（28 cases） and control group（27 cases） according to their wishes. Acellular dermal matrix was placed in the operation cavity in the experimental group after laryngofission, while control group 12 cases were sutured by pulling the upper and lower edges, 15 cases were repaired with sternohyoid muscle fascia flap. Results:In the experimental group, 1 case had laryngeal stenosis caused by laryngeal mucosa swelling after operation, and extubated successfully after symptomatic treatment. In the control group, 7 cases had laryngeal stenosis after operation, of which 3 cases were caused by granulation tissue hyperplasia in laryngeal cavity, and extubated after symptomatic treatment. 2 cases extubated after operation suffered from progressive dyspnea during radiotherapy, and underwent tracheotomy again, extubation successful after treatment. 2 cases caused by laryngeal mucosa swelling, after symptomatic treatment, one case was successfully extubated, and one case had long-term intubation. The laryngeal stenosis rate of the experimental group was 3.6%（1/28） , which was lower than control group 25.9%（7/27）, and the therapeutic effect of the experimental group was significantly better than control group （χ²=5.526, P=0.019）. Conclusion:Implanting acellular dermal matrix in the operation cavity of glottic carcinoma can reduce the occurrence of laryngeal stenosis and have satisfactory preventive effect on laryngeal stenosis.

Structural and functional abnormalities in the medial prefrontal cortex were associated with pain and depressive symptoms in patients with adhesive capsulitis

Introduction

Chronic pain and depression have been shown to coexist in patients with adhesive capsulitis (AC). Recent studies identified the shared brain plasticity between pain and depression; however, how such neuroplasticity contributes to AC remains unclear. Here, we employed a combination of psychophysics, structural MRI, and functional MRI techniques to examine the brain's structural and functional changes in AC.

Methods

Fifty-two patients with AC and 52 healthy controls (HCs) were included in our study. Voxelwise comparisons were performed to reveal the differences in grey matter volume (GMV) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) between AC and HCs. Furthermore, region of interest to whole brain functional connectivity (FC) was calculated and compared between the groups. Finally, Pearson correlation coefficients were computed to reveal the association between clinical data and brain alterations. Mediation analyses were performed to investigate the path association among brain alterations and clinical measures.

Results

Three main findings were observed: (1) patients with AC exhibited a higher depression subscale of hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS-D) score correlating with the GMV within the right medial prefrontal cortices (mPFC) compared with HCs; (2) relative to HCs, patients with AC exhibited lower ReHo within the right mPFC, which largely overlapped with the structural abnormalities; (3) the impact of pain duration on HADS-D score was mediated by ventral part of medial prefrontal cortices (vmPFC) GMV in patients with AC.

Conclusion

In summary, our current findings suggest that vmPFC alterations correlate with both the pain duration and the emotional comorbidities experienced by patients with AC. Our research provides an enhanced comprehension of the underlying mechanisms of AC, thereby facilitating the development of more effective treatment approaches for AC.

Pancoronary plaque characteristics in STEMI patients with rapid plaque progression: An optical coherence tomography study

BACKGROUND

Non-culprit plaque progression is associated with recurrent cardiac ischemic events and worse clinical outcomes. Given that atherosclerosis is a systemic disease, the pancoronary characteristics of patients with rapid plaque progression are unknown. This study aims to identify pancoronary plaque features in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with and without rapid plaque progression, focused on the patient level.

METHODS AND RESULTS

From January 2017 to July 2019, 291 patients underwent 3-vessel optical coherence tomography imaging at the time of the primary procedure and a follow-up angiography interval of 12 months. The final analysis included 237 patients. Overall, 308 non-culprit lesions were found in 78 STEMI patients with rapid plaque progression, and 465 non-culprit plaques were found in 159 STEMI patients without rapid plaque progression. These patients had a higher pancoronary vulnerability (CLIMA-defined high-risk plaque: 47.4% vs. 33.3%; non-culprit plaque rupture: 25.6% vs. 14.5%) and a significantly higher prevalence of other vulnerable plaque characteristics (i.e., lipid-rich plaque, cholesterol crystal, microchannels, calcification, spotty calcification, and thrombus) at baseline versus those without rapid plaque progression. Lesions with rapid progression were highly distributed at the LAD, tending to be near the bifurcation. In multivariate analysis, age ≥ 65 years was an independent predictor of subsequent rapid lesion progression at the patient level, whereas microchannel, spotty calcification, and cholesterol crystal were independent predictors for STEMI patients ≥65 years old.

CONCLUSIONS

STEMI patients with subsequent rapid plaque progression had higher pancoronary vulnerability and commonly presented vulnerable plaque morphology. Aging was the only predictor of subsequent rapid plaque progression.

Textbook Outcomes Among Patients with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Following Endovascular Treatment

INTRODUCTION

The case fatality rate among patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) has decreased progressively, with numerous patients subjected to contemporary paradigms that minimize the use of agonizing therapeutic processes. The concept of the "Textbook Outcome" (TO), a composite outcome that highlights numerous favorable outcomes, was developed in the context of gastrointestinal tumor surgeries and expeditiously extended across diverse surgical spheres. The aim of this study was to explore the factors hindering the achievement of optimal prognoses in postinterventional aSAH patients, employ textbook outcomes, and establish predictive models.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of data from 1270 aSAH patients who received endovascular treatment between 2012 and 2018. We delineated an exemplary TO within the aSAH domain, characterized by favorable clinical results, minimal complications, and the absence of retreatments. This TO-oriented approach is explained within the manuscript.

RESULTS

The findings revealed that preoperative intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), preoperative Hunt and Hess grade (H&H) ≥ 3, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) grade ≥ 3, the presence of blebs on the aneurysm, aneurysms situated at branching sites, and non-stent-assisted endovascular intervention were the strongest risk factors for not achieving textbook outcomes (non-"Textbook Outcome" [N-TO]). Decision curve analysis and calibration analyses revealed strong concordance between the predictions of the N-TO nomogram model and the actual observations.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment Outcomes hold significant practical value in clinical studies of aSAH patients receiving endovascular treatment. The likelihood of N-TOs was predicted by IVH, H&H grade ≥ 3, WFNS grade ≥ 2, presence o f bleb on the aneurysm, and aneurysms located at branching sites.

Sevelamer reverses liver fibrosis by deactivation of hepatic stellate cells

Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver disease characterized by a progressive wound healing response caused by chronic liver injury. Currently, there are no approved clinical treatments for liver fibrosis. Sevelamer is used clinically to treat hyperphosphatemia and has shown potential therapeutic effects on liver diseases. However, there have been few studies evaluating the therapeutic effects of sevelamer on liver fibrosis, and the specific mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the antifibrotic effects of sevelamer-induced low inorganic phosphate (Pi) stress in vitro and in vivo and analyzed the detailed mechanisms. We found that low Pi stress could inhibit the proliferation of activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) by promoting apoptosis, effectively suppressing the migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of hepatic stellate cells. Additionally, low Pi stress significantly increased the antioxidant stress response. It is worth noting that low Pi stress indirectly inhibited the activation and migration of HSCs by suppressing transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) expression in macrophages. In a rat model of liver fibrosis, oral administration of sevelamer significantly decreased blood phosphorus levels, improved liver function, reduced liver inflammation, and increased the antioxidant stress response in the liver. Our study revealed that the key mechanism by which sevelamer inhibited liver fibrosis involved binding to gastrointestinal phosphate, resulting in a decrease in blood phosphorus levels, the downregulation of TGF-β expression in macrophages, and the inhibition of HSC migration and fibrosis-related protein expression. Therefore, our results suggest that sevelamer-induced low Pi stress can attenuate hepatic stellate cell activation and inhibit the progression of liver fibrosis, making it a potential option for the treatment of liver fibrosis and other refractory chronic liver diseases.

Left atrial reservoir longitudinal strain and its incremental value to the left ventricular global longitudinal strain in predicting anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity

BACKGROUND

Left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) has been recommended by current guidelines for diagnosing anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. However, little is known about the early changes in left atrial (LA) morphology and function in this population. Our study aimed to evaluate the potential usefulness of LA indices and their incremental value to LVGLS with three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) in the early detection of subclinical cardiotoxicity in patients with lymphoma receiving anthracycline.

METHODS

A total of 80 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who received six cycles of anthracycline-based treatment were enrolled. Echocardiography was performed at baseline (T0), after four cycles (T1), and after the completion of six cycles of chemotherapy (T2). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), LVGLS, LA volumes, LA emptying fraction (LAEF), LA active emptying fraction (LAAEF), and LA reservoir longitudinal strain (LASr) were quantified with 3DE. Left atrioventricular global longitudinal strain (LAVGLS) was calculated as the sum of peak LASr and the absolute value of peak LVGLS (LAVGLS = LASr+|LVGLS|). LV cardiotoxicity was defined as a new LVEF reduction by ≥10 percentage points to an LVEF of ≤50%.

RESULTS

Fourteen (17.5%) patients developed LV cardiotoxicity at T2. LA volumes, LAEF, and LAAEF remained stable over time. Impairment of LASr (28.35 ± 5.03 vs. 25.04 ± 4.10, p < .001), LVGLS (-22.77 ± 2.45 vs. -20.44 ± 2.62, p < .001), and LAVGLS (51.12 ± 5.63 vs. 45.61 ± 5.22, p < .001) was observed by the end of the fourth cycle of chemotherapy (T1). Statistically significant declines in LVEF (61.30 ± 4.73 vs. 57.08 ± 5.83, p < .001) were only observed at T2. The relative decrease in LASr (ΔLASr), LVGLS (ΔLVGLS), and LAVGLS (ΔLAVGLS) from T0 to T1 were predictors of LV cardiotoxicity. A ΔLASr of >19.75% (sensitivity, 71.4%; specificity, 87.9%; area under the curve (AUC), .842; p < .001), a ΔLVGLS of >13.19% (sensitivity, 78.6%; specificity, 74.2%; AUC, .763; p < .001), and a ΔLAVGLS of >16.80% (sensitivity, 78.6%; specificity, 93.9%; AUC, .905; p < .001) predicted subsequent LV cardiotoxicity at T2, with the AUC of ΔLAVGLS significantly larger than that of ΔLVGLS (.905 vs. .763, p = .027). Compared to ΔLVGLS, ΔLAVGLS showed improved specificity (93.9% vs. 74.2%, p = .002) and maintained sensitivity in predicting LV cardiotoxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

LASr could predict anthracycline-induced LV cardiotoxicity with excellent diagnostic performance. Incorporating LASr into LVGLS (LAVGLS) led to a significantly improved specificity and maintained sensitivity in predicting LV cardiotoxicity.

MRI-based Multiregional Radiomics for Pretreatment Prediction of Distant Metastasis After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

To develop and validate a nomogram based on intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics signatures for pretreatment prediction of distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) in patients after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study included 230 patients (161 training cohort; 69 validation cohort) with LARC who underwent NCRT and surgery. Radiomics features were extracted on T2-weighted images from gross tumor volume (GTV) and volumes of 4-mm, 6-mm, and 8-mm peritumoral regions (PTV4, PTV6, and PTV8). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-Cox analysis were used for features selection and models construction. The performance of each model in predicting DMFS was evaluated by the Concordance index (C-index) and time-independent receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC).

RESULTS

The PTV4 radiomics model demonstrated superior performance compared to the PTV6 and PTV8 radiomics models, with C-indexes of 0.750 and 0.703 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. The nomogram was constructed by integrating the GTV radiomics signature, PTV4 radiomics signature, and relevant clinical characteristics, including CA19-9 level, clinical T stage, and clinical N stage. The nomogram achieved C-indexes of 0.831 and 0.748, with corresponding AUCs of 0.872 and 0.808 for 5-year DMFS in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that a cut-off value of 1.653 effectively stratified patients into high- and low-risk groups for DM (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The intra-peritumoral radiomics nomogram is a favorable tool for clinicians to develop personalized systemic treatment and intensive follow-up strategies to improve patient prognosis.

Single-Cell Profiling of Bone Marrow B Cells and Early B Cell Developmental Disorders Associated With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

OBJECTIVE

The peripheral B cell compartment is heavily disturbed in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but whether B cells develop aberrantly in the bone marrow (BM) is largely unknown.

METHODS

We performed single-cell RNA/B cell receptor (BCR) sequencing and immune profiling of BM B cells and classified patients with SLE into two groups: early B cell (Pro-B and Pre-B) normal (EBnor) and EB defective/low (EBlo) groups.

RESULTS

The SLE-EBlo group exhibited more severe disease activity and proinflammatory status, overaction of type I interferon signaling and metabolic pathways within the B cell compartment, and aberrant BCR repertoires compared with the SLE-EBnor group. Moreover, in one patient with SLE who was initially classified in the SLE-EBlo group, early B cell deficiency and associated abnormalities were largely rectified in a second BM sample at the remission phase.

CONCLUSION

In summary, this study suggests that early B cell loss in BM defines a unique pathological state in a subset of patients with SLE that may play an active role in the dysregulated autoimmune responses.

Forb stability, dwarf shrub stability and species asynchrony regulate ecosystem stability along an experimental precipitation gradient in a semi-arid desert grassland

Precipitation pattern changes may affect plant biodiversity, which could impact ecosystem stability. However, the effects of changes in precipitation regime on ecosystem stability and their potential mechanisms are still unclear. We conducted a 3-year field manipulation experiment with five precipitation treatments (-40%, -20%, 0% (CK), +20% and +40% of ambient growing season precipitation) in a semi-arid desert grassland to examine the effects of precipitation alterations on functional group stability, species asynchrony, and diversity, and the underlying mchanisms of ecosystem stability using structural equation modelling. Alterations in precipitation had different effects on community biomass and functional group biomass. Moreover, ecosystem stability was mainly driven by forb stability (path coefficient = 0.79). Changes in precipitation had significant effects on soil dissolved inorganic N (P < 0.01) further affecting ecosystem stability through species asynchrony (path coefficient = 0.25). Dwarf shrubs had a stabilizing effect on ecosystem stability (path coefficient = 0.32), mainly via deep roots. Ecosystem stability tended to be lower in the -40% (4.72) and +40% (2.74) precipitation treatments. The common reduction in species asynchrony and stability of forb and dwarf shrub functional groups resulted in lower ecosystem stability under the -40% treatment. The lower stability under the +40% treatment might be ascribed to unimproved dwarf shrub stability. Higher dwarf shrub and forb stability contributed to higher ecosystem stability under normal precipitation changes (±20% treatments) and CK. Species diversity was not a crucial driver of ecosystem stability. Our results indicate that precipitation alteration can regulate ecosystem stability via functional group stability (e.g. forb stability, dwarf shrub stability) and species asynchrony in a semiarid desert grassland.

Association between two different lipid injectable emulsions and parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis in very low birth weight infants: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Using soybean oil-based lipid emulsions (Intralipid), which contain higher amounts of ω-6 fatty acids and phytosterols in parenteral nutrition, is a risk factor for cholestasis (parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis [PNAC]). An alternative form of a mixed lipid emulsion (SMOFlipid) has been developed to reduce the risk of PNAC, but significant benefits over Intralipid in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants have yet to be demonstrated. The aim of this study was to compare the differences in PNAC incidence in VLBW infants receiving SMOFlipid vs Intralipid.

METHODS

The study was conducted in Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of the Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China, from January 2016 to March 2022. In total, 235 VLBW infants were administered SMOFlipid or Intralipid for ≥21 days and were included in the study. The primary outcome was the incidence of PNAC. Secondary outcomes included bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity, necrotizing enterocolitis, late-onset sepsis, length of stay, weight 28 days after birth, severity of PNAC, and the time to reversal of PNAC.

RESULTS

Forty-four VLBW infants (35.5%) in the SMOFlipid group vs 41 (36.9%) in the Intralipid group achieved PNAC (P = 0.817). The subgroup analysis showed that the peak direct bilirubin level was lower (median [interquartile range] 55.6 [36.4] vs 118.4 [77.2] μmol/L; P < 0.001), and the time to reversal of PNAC was shorter (44 [49] vs 96 [61]; P < 0.001) in the SMOFlipid group than in the Intralipid group.

CONCLUSION

SMOFlipid may represent a better alternative for VLBW infants who require prolonged parenteral nutrition.

Psychometric assessment of the Adherence to Asthma Medication Questionnaire in asthma patients in China: a validation study

BACKGROUND

Patients' medication adherence plays a critical role in the treatment and rehabilitation of disease. However, few tools are currently available that can be used to identify the reasons for their nonadherence with their medication regimens. It is possible to evaluate both the level of medication adherence of a patient as well as the reasons for it using the Adherence to Asthma Medication Questionnaire (AAMQ). The purpose of this study was to adapt the AAMQ for use in Chinese patients and a variety of asthma patients.

METHODS

A total of 242 asthma patients were recruited from Jinzhou in China. The Adherence to Asthma Medication Questionnaire was translated and back-translated using the Brislin translation model. Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and stability all play a large role in determining the reliability of a scale. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the scale's construct validity, and expert consultation was used to verify the scale's content validity. Statistics were deemed significant at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

The Cronbach's α value of the Chinese version of the AAMQ was 0.866, and the coefficient values for the three domains ranged between 0.702 and 0.798. The split-half reliability and stability values were 0.794 and 0.772, respectively. The content validity index of the scale (S-CVI) was 0.923, and the content validity index of the level of scale entry was 0.857-1.000. According to the confirmatory factor analysis, the chi-square degreed of freedom were 1.484, and the model fitting indices were all within normal limits.

CONCLUSIONS

The AAMQ had good reliability and validity for asthmatic patients. The results of the scale's assessment can be used as a criterion for medication adherence among asthmatic patients and to understand the causes. This study provides a reference for solving the problem of medication adherence among asthma patients and implementing targeted nursing measures.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Gratitude is extended to all individuals collaborating in completing the survey and to the author.

Refining postoperative monitoring of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in esophagectomy patients through transcutaneous laryngeal ultrasonography

BACKGROUND

Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (RLNI) leading to vocal cord paralysis (VCP) is a significant complication following minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) with upper mediastinal lymphadenectomy. Transcutaneous laryngeal ultrasonography (TLUSG) has emerged as a non-invasive alternative to endoscopic examination for evaluating vocal cord function. Our study aimed to assess the diagnostic value of TLUSG in detecting RLNI by evaluating vocal cord movement after MIE.

METHODS

This retrospective study examined 96 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent MIE between January 2021 and December 2022, using both TLUSG and endoscopy.

RESULTS

VCP was observed in 36 out of 96 patients (37.5%). The incidence of RLNI was significantly higher on the left side than the right (29.2% vs. 5.2%, P < 0.001). Postoperative TLUSG showed a sensitivity and specificity of 88.5% (31/35) and 86.5% (45/52), respectively, with an AUC of 0.869 (P < 0.001, 95% CI 0.787-0.952). The percentage agreement between TLUSG and endoscopy in assessing VCP was 87.4% (κ = 0.743).

CONCLUSIONS

TLUSG is a highly effective screening tool for VCP, given its high sensitivity and specificity. This can potentially eliminate the need for unnecessary endoscopies in about 80% of patients who have undergone MIE.

In Vivo Corneal Confocal Microscopy for Detecting Corneal Nerve Fiber Changes in Patients with Different Types of Optic Neuritis: A Cross-Sectional Study

PURPOSE

Optic neuritis (ON), a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, is often a precursor manifestation of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) or multiple sclerosis (MS). Reduced corneal nerve fiber counts have been found in patients with NMOSD or MS. This study aimed to observe and compare the corneal subbasal nerve plexus in patients with three types of ON and controls without ON using in vivo corneal confocal microscopy (IVCM).

METHODS

Data were analyzed for 77 eyes of 48 patients with ON, grouped according to seropositivity for anti-aquaporin-4 IgG, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody, or no seropositivity, and 35 healthy eyes in the control group. Corneal parameters were quantified based on IVCM images. Visual function indicators were recorded, following which their correlations with IVCM parameters were analyzed.

RESULTS

Significant differences in IVCM parameters were detected among the different groups. Reductions in corneal nerve fiber counts were negatively correlated with visual acuity. Corneal nerve fibers were significantly more damaged in the affected eye than in the unaffected eye in patients with ON.

CONCLUSION

IVCM revealed corneal nerve fiber loss of varying degrees, depending on the type of ON. This indicates that, although ON primarily affects the central nervous system, peripheral nerves, such as the trigeminal nerve, which innervates the corneal subbasal nerve plexus may also be damaged in affected patients.

Holistic-Guided Disentangled Learning With Cross-Video Semantics Mining for Concurrent First-Person and Third-Person Activity Recognition

The popularity of wearable devices has increased the demands for the research on first-person activity recognition. However, most of the current first-person activity datasets are built based on the assumption that only the human-object interaction (HOI) activities, performed by the camera-wearer, are captured in the field of view. Since humans live in complicated scenarios, in addition to the first-person activities, it is likely that third-person activities performed by other people also appear. Analyzing and recognizing these two types of activities simultaneously occurring in a scene is important for the camera-wearer to understand the surrounding environments. To facilitate the research on concurrent first- and third-person activity recognition (CFT-AR), we first created a new activity dataset, namely PolyU concurrent first- and third-person (CFT) Daily, which exhibits distinct properties and challenges, compared with previous activity datasets. Since temporal asynchronism and appearance gap usually exist between the first- and third-person activities, it is crucial to learn robust representations from all the activity-related spatio-temporal positions. Thus, we explore both holistic scene-level and local instance-level (person-level) features to provide comprehensive and discriminative patterns for recognizing both first- and third-person activities. On the one hand, the holistic scene-level features are extracted by a 3-D convolutional neural network, which is trained to mine shared and sample-unique semantics between video pairs, via two well-designed attention-based modules and a self-knowledge distillation (SKD) strategy. On the other hand, we further leverage the extracted holistic features to guide the learning of instance-level features in a disentangled fashion, which aims to discover both spatially conspicuous patterns and temporally varied, yet critical, cues. Experimental results on the PolyU CFT Daily dataset validate that our method achieves the state-of-the-art performance.

Functionalized lignin nanoparticles assembled with MXene reinforced polypropylene with favorable UV-aging resistance, electromagnetic shielding effects and superior fire-safety

Deterioration in mechanical performances and aging resistance due to the introduction of flame retardants is a major obstacle for bio-based fire-safety polypropylene (PP). Herein, we reported a kind of functionalized lignin nanoparticles assembled with MXene (MX@LNP), and applied it to construct the flame-retardant PP composites (PP-MA) with superior fire safety, excellent mechanical performance, electromagnetic shielding effects and aging resistance. Specifically, the PP-MA doped with only 18 wt% flame-retardant additives (PP-MA18) achieved the UL-94 V-0 rating. In comparison to pure PP, PP-MA18 presented a greatly decreased peak of heat release rate (pHRR), total heat rate (THR), and peak smoke production rate (pSPR) by 79.7 %, 69.0 % and 75.8 %, respectively, and satisfactory decrease in total flammable and toxic volatiles evolved. The formed fine solid microstructure of carbon residuals effectively promoted the compactness of char layers. More importantly, the nano-effect and the strong interface interaction between the complexed MX@LNP and PP enhanced the tensile strength (45.78 MPa) and elongation at break (725.95 %) of PP-MA. Additionally, the significant ultraviolet absorption and electromagnetic wave dissipation performance of MXene and lignin enabled excellent aging resistance and electromagnetic shielding effects of PP-MA compared with PP. This achieved MX@LNP afforded a novel approach for developing flame retardant materials with excellent application performance.

Cardiac magnetic resonance-based layer-specific strain in immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated myocarditis

AIMS

To assess the different imaging characteristics between corticosteroid-sensitive (CS) and corticosteroid-refractory (CR) immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated myocarditis (ICIaM) with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and the potential CMR parameters in the early detection of CR ICIaM.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Thirty-five patients diagnosed with ICIaM and 30 age and gender-matched cancer patients without a history of ICI treatment were enrolled. CMR with contrast was performed within 2 days of clinical suspicion. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) were assessed by CMR. LV sub-endocardial (GLSendo) and sub-epicardial (GLSepi) global longitudinal strains were quantified by offline feature tracking analysis. CS and CR ICIaM were defined based on the trend of Troponin I and clinical course during corticosteroid treatment. All 35 patients presented with non-fulminant symptoms upon initial assessment. Twenty patients (57.14%) were sensitive, and 15 (42.86%) were refractory to corticosteroids. Compared with controls, 22 patients (62.86%) with ICIaM developed LGE. LVEF decreased in CR ICIaM compared with the CS group and controls. GLSendo (-14.61 ± 2.67 vs. -18.50 ± 2.53, P < 0.001) and GLSepi (-14.75 ± 2.53 vs. -16.68 ± 2.05, P < 0.001) significantly increased in patients with CR ICIaM compared with the CS ICIaM. In patients with CS ICIaM, although GLSepi (-16.68 ± 2.05 vs. -19.31 ± 1.80, P < 0.001) was impaired compared with the controls, GLSendo was preserved. There was no difference in CMR parameters between LGE-positive and negative groups. LVEF, GLSendo, and GLSepi were predictors of CR ICIaM. When LVEF, GLSendo, and GLSepi were included in multivariate analysis, only GLSendo remained an independent predictor of CR ICIaM (OR: 2.170, 95% CI: 1.189-3.962, P = 0.012). A GLSendo of ≥-17.10% (sensitivity, 86.7%; specificity, 80.0%; AUC, 0.860; P < 0.001) could predict CR ICIaM in the ICIaM cohort. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that in patients with impaired GLSendo of ≥-17.10%, cardiovascular adverse events (CAEs) occurred much earlier than in patients with preserved GLSendo of <-17.10% (Log-rank test P = 0.017).

CONCLUSIONS

CR and CS ICIaM demonstrated different functional and morphological characteristics in different myocardial layers. An impaired GLSendo could be a helpful parameter in early identifying corticosteroid-refractory individuals in the ICIaM population.

All eyes on Eya: A unique transcriptional co-activator and phosphatase in cancer

The Eya family of proteins (consisting of Eyas1-4 in mammals) play vital roles in embryogenesis by regulating processes such as proliferation, migration/invasion, cellular survival and pluripotency/plasticity of epithelial and mesenchymal states. Eya proteins carry out such diverse functions through a unique combination of transcriptional co-factor, Tyr phosphatase, and PP2A/B55α-mediated Ser/Thr phosphatase activities. Since their initial discovery, re-expression of Eyas has been observed in numerous tumor types, where they are known to promote tumor progression through a combination of their transcriptional and enzymatic activities. Eya proteins thus reinstate developmental processes during malignancy and represent a compelling class of therapeutic targets for inhibiting tumor progression.

Isolation, identification and transcriptome analysis of triadimefon-degrading strain Enterobacter hormaechei TY18

Triadimefon, a type of triazole systemic fungicide, has been extensively used to control various fungal diseases. However, triadimefon could lead to severe environmental pollution, and even threatens human health. To eliminate triadimefon residues, a triadimefon-degrading bacterial strain TY18 was isolated from a long-term polluted site and was identified as Enterobacter hormaechei. Strain TY18 could grow well in a carbon salt medium with triadimefon as the sole nitrogen source, and could efficiently degrade triadimefon. Under triadimefon stress, a total of 430 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 197 up-regulated and 233 down-regulated DEGs, were identified in strain TY18 using transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq). Functional classification and enrichment analysis revealed that these DEGs were mainly related to amino acid transport and metabolism, carbohydrate transport and metabolism, small molecule and pyrimidine metabolism. Interestingly, the DEGs encoding monooxygenase and hydrolase activity acting on carbon-nitrogen were highly up-regulated, might be mainly responsible for the metabolism in triadimefon. Our findings in this work suggest that strain E. hormaechei TY18 could efficiently degrade triadimefon for the first time. They provide a great potential to manage triadimefon biodegradation in the environment successfully.

Early smoking lead to worse prognosis of COPD patients: a real world study

BACKGROUND

Smoking remains a major risk factor for the development and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Due to the adolescent smoking associated with worse health state, the age, at which an individual started smoking, might play a key role in shaping the trajectory of COPD development and the severity.

METHODS

We conducted an observational study from September 2016 through January 2023 of eligible patients hospitalized with COPD. Patients who started smoking during the alveolar development stage (ADS, smoking initiation ≤ 24 years old) were defined as early smoking patients, and patients who started smoking after ADS (smoking initiation > 24 years old) were defined as late smoking patients. We collected demographic and clinical data characterizing the patients and documented their condition from hospital discharge to follow-up. The primary endpoints were short-term (within one year), 3-year, and long-term (beyond 3 years) all-cause mortality after discharge.

RESULTS

Among 697 COPD patients, early smoking patients had a lower smoking cessation rate (P < 0.001) and a higher smoking index (P < 0.001) than late smoking patients. Although adjusted smoking index, early smoking patients still had poorer lung function (P = 0.023), thicker left ventricular diameters (P = 0.003), higher frequency of triple therapy use during stable stage (P = 0.049), and more acute exacerbations in the past year before enrollment (P < 0.05). Survival analysis showed that they had a higher risk of death after discharge within three years (P = 0.004) and beyond three years (P < 0.001). Furthermore, even in early smoking COPD patients who quit smoking after adjusting the smoking index had poorer lung function (P < 0.05) and thicker left ventricular diameters (P = 0.003), and survival analysis also showed that they had a higher long-term mortality rate (P = 0.010) and shorter survival time (P = 0.0128).

CONCLUSION

Early smoking COPD patients exhibited multiple adverse clinical outcomes, including heavy cigarette addiction, compromised pulmonary function, augmented left ventricular diameter, and elevated mortality risk. Additional, smoking cessation could not bring enough improvement of health state in early smoking COPD patients as late smoking COPD patients. Consequently, early intervention and specialized cessation approaches for younger smokers are of paramount importance in this context.

Goal-Guided Graph Attention Network with Interactive State Refinement for Multi-Agent Trajectory Prediction

The accurate prediction of the future trajectories of traffic participants is crucial for enhancing the safety and decision-making capabilities of autonomous vehicles. Modeling social interactions among agents and revealing the inherent relationships is crucial for accurate trajectory prediction. In this context, we propose a goal-guided and interaction-aware state refinement graph attention network (SRGAT) for multi-agent trajectory prediction. This model effectively integrates high-precision map data and dynamic traffic states and captures long-term temporal dependencies through the Transformer network. Based on these dependencies, it generates multiple potential goals and Points of Interest (POIs). Through its dual-branch, multimodal prediction approach, the model not only proposes various plausible future trajectories associated with these POIs, but also rigorously assesses the confidence levels of each trajectory. This goal-oriented strategy enables SRGAT to accurately predict the future movement trajectories of other vehicles in complex traffic scenarios. Tested on the Argoverse and nuScenes datasets, SRGAT surpasses existing algorithms in key performance metrics by adeptly integrating past trajectories and current context. This goal-guided approach not only enhances long-term prediction accuracy, but also ensures its reliability, demonstrating a significant advancement in trajectory forecasting.

Two cuticle-enriched chemosensory proteins confer multi-insecticide resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda

Recent studies revealed that insect chemosensory proteins (CSPs) both play essential roles in insect olfaction and insect resistance. However, functional evidence supporting the crosslink between CSP and insecticide resistance remains unexplored. In the present study, 22 SfruCSP transcripts were identified from the fall armyworm (FAW) and SfruCSP1 and SfruCSP2 are enriched in the larval cuticle and could be induced by multiple insecticides. Both SfruCSP1 and SfruCSP2 are highly expressed in the larval inner endocuticle and outer epicuticle, and these two proteins exhibited high binding affinities with three insecticides (chlorfenapyr, chlorpyrifos and indoxacarb). The knockdown of SfruCSP1 and SfruCSP2 increased the susceptibility of FAW larvae to the above three insecticides, and significantly increased the penetration ratios of these insecticides. Our in vitro and in vivo evidence suggests that SfruCSP1 and SfruCSP2 are insecticide binding proteins and confer FAW larval resistance to chlorfenapyr, chlorpyrifos and indoxacarb by an insecticide sequestration mechanism. The study should aid in the exploration of larval cuticle-enriched CSPs for insect resistance management.

An RRM domain protein SOE suppresses transgene silencing in rice

Gene expression is regulated at multiple levels, including RNA processing and DNA methylation/demethylation. How these regulations are controlled remains unclear. Here, through analysis of a suppressor for the OsEIN2 over-expressor, we identified an RNA recognition motif protein SUPPRESSOR OF EIN2 (SOE). SOE is localized in nuclear speckles and interacts with several components of the spliceosome. We find SOE associates with hundreds of targets and directly binds to a DNA glycosylase gene DNG701 pre-mRNA for efficient splicing and stabilization, allowing for subsequent DNG701-mediated DNA demethylation of the transgene promoter for proper gene expression. The V81M substitution in the suppressor mutant protein mSOE impaired its protein stability and binding activity to DNG701 pre-mRNA, leading to transgene silencing. SOE mutation enhances grain size and yield. Haplotype analysis in c. 3000 rice accessions reveals that the haplotype 1 (Hap 1) promoter is associated with high 1000-grain weight, and most of the japonica accessions, but not indica ones, have the Hap 1 elite allele. Our study discovers a novel mechanism for the regulation of gene expression and provides an elite allele for the promotion of yield potentials in rice.

Pulley Effect in the Capture of DNA Translocation through Solid-State Nanopores

Nanopores are powerful single-molecule sensors for analyzing biomolecules such as DNA and proteins. Understanding the dynamics of DNA capture and translocation through nanopores is essential for optimizing their performance. In this study, we examine the effects of applied voltage and pore diameter on current blockage, translocation time, collision, and capture location by translocating λ-DNA through 5.7 and 16 nm solid-state nanopores. Ionic current changes are used to infer DNA conformations during translocation. We find that translocation time increases with pore diameter, which can be attributed to the decrease of the stall force. Linear and exponential decreases of collision frequency with voltage are observed in the 16 and 5.7 nm pores, respectively, indicating a free energy barrier in the small pore. Moreover, the results reveal a voltage-dependent bias in the capture location toward the DNA ends, which is explained by a "pulley effect" deforming the DNA as it approaches the pore. This study provides insights into the physics governing DNA capture and translocation, which can be useful for promoting single-file translocation to enhance nanopore sensing.

Tumor-derived exosomal PD-L1: a new perspective in PD-1/PD-L1 therapy for lung cancer

Exosomes play a crucial role in facilitating intercellular communication within organisms. Emerging evidence indicates that a distinct variant of programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), found on the surface of exosomes, may be responsible for orchestrating systemic immunosuppression that counteracts the efficacy of anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) checkpoint therapy. Specifically, the presence of PD-L1 on exosomes enables them to selectively target PD-1 on the surface of CD8+ T cells, leading to T cell apoptosis and impeding T cell activation or proliferation. This mechanism allows tumor cells to evade immune pressure during the effector stage. Furthermore, the quantification of exosomal PD-L1 has the potential to serve as an indicator of the dynamic interplay between tumors and immune cells, thereby suggesting the promising utility of exosomes as biomarkers for both cancer diagnosis and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy. The emergence of exosomal PD-L1 inhibitors as a viable approach for anti-tumor treatment has garnered significant attention. Depleting exosomal PD-L1 may serve as an effective adjunct therapy to mitigate systemic immunosuppression. This review aims to elucidate recent insights into the role of exosomal PD-L1 in the field of immune oncology, emphasizing its potential as a diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tool in lung cancer.

Fabrication strategies for chiral self-assembly surface

Chiral self-assembly is the spontaneous organization of individual building blocks from chiral (bio)molecules to macroscopic objects into ordered superstructures. Chiral self-assembly is ubiquitous in nature, such as DNA and proteins, which formed the foundation of biological structures. In addition to chiral (bio) molecules, chiral ordered superstructures constructed by self-assembly have also attracted much attention. Chiral self-assembly usually refers to the process of forming chiral aggregates in an ordered arrangement under various non-covalent bonding such as H-bond, π-π interactions, van der Waals forces (dipole-dipole, electrostatic effects, etc.), and hydrophobic interactions. Chiral assembly involves the spontaneous process, which followed the minimum energy rule. It is essentially an intermolecular interaction force. Self-assembled chiral materials based on chiral recognition in electrochemistry, chiral catalysis, optical sensing, chiral separation, etc. have a broad application potential with the research development of chiral materials in recent years.

Machine learning reveals serum myristic acid, palmitic acid and heptanoylcarnitine as biomarkers of coronary artery disease risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most important complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the leading cause of death. Identifying the risk of CHD in T2DM patients is important for early clinical intervention.

METHODS

A total of 213 participants, including 81 healthy controls (HCs), 69 T2DM patients and 63 T2DM patients complicated with CHD were recruited in this study. Serum metabolomics were conducted by using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Demographic information and clinical laboratory test results were also collected.

RESULTS

Metabolic phenotypes were significantly altered among HC, T2DM and T2DM-CHD. Acylcarnitines were the most disturbed metabolites between T2DM patients and HCs. Lower levels of bile acids and higher levels of fatty acids in serum were closely associated with CHD risk in T2DM patients. Artificial neural network model was constructed for the discrimination of T2DM and T2DM complicated with CHD based on myristic acid, palmitic acid and heptanoylcarnitine, with accuracy larger than 0.95 in both training set and testing set.

CONCLUSION

Altogether, these findings suggest that myristic acid, palmitic acid and heptanoylcarnitine have a good prospect for the warning of CHD complications in T2DM patients, and are superior to traditional lipid, blood glucose and blood pressure indicators.