Evaluating the protective effectiveness and risk factors of ursodeoxycholic acid on COVID-19 among outpatients.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the chemopreventive effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) against COVID-19 and to analyze infection risk factors, symptoms, and recovery in outpatients with UDCA exposure. Methods: The study enrolled outpatients prescribed UDCA from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China, between 01 July 2022, and 31 December 2022. Data on demographics, comorbidities, and drug combinations were collected using electronic medical records. COVID-19 infection, symptoms, severity, prognosis, vaccinations, and UDCA administration were surveyed by telephone interviews. UDCA non-users served as controls and were matched in a 1:2 ratio with UDCA users using propensity score matching with the nearest neighbor algorithm. Infection rates, symptomatology, severity, and prognosis were compared between matched and control cohorts, and risk factors and infection and recovery symptoms were analyzed in UDCA-exposed outpatients. Results: UDCA-exposed outpatients (n = 778, 74.8%) and matched UDCA users (n = 95, 74.2%) showed significantly lower SARS-CoV-2 infection rates than control patients (n = 59, 92.2%) (p < 0.05). The matched UDCA group exhibited substantially lower fever, cough, sore throat, and fatigue rates than controls (p < 0.05). Participants with UDCA exposure generally experienced mild symptoms, while those without UDCA had moderate symptoms. The matched UDCA group also had significantly shorter durations of fever and cough (p < 0.05). Risk factors such as age over 60, less than 1 month of UDCA administration, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease significantly increased SARS-CoV-2 infection rates (p < 0.05), while smoking led to a decrease (p < 0.05). Hypertension was associated with a prolonged COVID-19 recovery (p < 0.05), while smoking, vaccination, and fatty liver disease were associated with shorter recovery periods (p < 0.05). The main symptoms in the full UDCA cohort were fever, cough, and sore throat, with fatigue, cough, and hyposthenia being the most persistent. Conclusion: UDCA demonstrated chemopreventive effect against SARS-CoV-2 in outpatients by significantly reducing infection incidence and mitigating COVID-19 symptoms, severity, and recovery duration. Old age, short UDCA course, and comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus and CAD increased infection rates, while hypertension prolonged recovery. Smoking, vaccination, and fatty liver disease reduced infection rates and shortened recovery. UDCA had minimal impact on symptom types. Larger and longer-term clinical studies are needed further to assess UDCA's effectiveness in COVID-19 prevention or treatment.

Angioarchitecture Classification and Treatment Modalities of Craniocervical Junction Arteriovenous Fistulas: A Cohort Study of 155 Patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Craniocervical junction (CCJ) arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are rare. Variability in clinical manifestations and treatment strategies for CCJ AVFs stems from differences in their angioarchitecture. Our study aims to categorize CCJ AVFs based on their angioarchitecture and explore the associated clinical features and treatment modalities for distinct CCJ AVF types. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with CCJ AVFs treated at a single neurosurgical facility over the past decade. These patients were classified based on the angioarchitecture of their CCJ AVFs. The analysis included an evaluation of angioarchitecture, clinical characteristics, treatment strategies, and outcomes. RESULTS: The study included 155 patients, with a median age of 56 years, collectively manifesting 165 CCJ AVFs. Our classification identified 4 distinct CCJ AVF types: epidural AVFs (19 [11.5%]), dural AVFs (98 [59.4%]), radicular AVFs (33 [20.0%]), and perimedullary AVFs (15 [9.1%]). Further differentiation was applied based on the presence of pial feeders. The predominant fistula location was at cervical-1 (77.0%). Ascending intradural drainage (52.7%) and descending intradural drainage (52.1%) were frequently observed drainage patterns. Patients with dural AVF predominantly presented with venous hypertensive myelopathy, whereas patients with other types of CCJ AVFs showed a higher incidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage (P = .012). Microsurgery was the predominant treatment, applied in the management of 126 (76.4%) AVFs, whereas 8 (4.8%) AVFs exclusively underwent interventional embolization and 25 (15.2%) received a combination of interventional embolization and microsurgical treatment. CONCLUSION: CCJ AVFs can be distinguished based on the fistula location and the arterial feeders. Currently, microsurgery stands as the preferred treatment strategy for CCJ AVFs, whereas interventional embolization plays a distinctive role in cases with specific angioarchitecture or as a pretreatment measure before microsurgery.

Influence of cascade reservoirs on the distribution, transport, and retention patterns of biogenic elements in the Jinsha River.

Cascade reservoirs construction can greatly alter flow regime and sediment transport of rivers, further affecting migration and transformation processes of biogenic elements. The Jinsha River (JSR) is the China's largest hydropower base and the main runoff, sediment suspension, and nutrient source areas of the Yangtze River. However, the distribution, transport, and retention patterns of biogenic elements in the JSR are still unclear under the influence of cascade reservoirs. Therefore, monthly concentration monitoring work was conducted from November 2021 to October 2023 for various forms of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and silicon (Si). Results showed that the concentrations and fluxes of total phosphorus (TP) and particulate phosphorus (PP) exhibited continuous decreasing trends along the reservoirs cascade, whereas N exhibited contrasting trends. The concentrations of dissolved total carbon (DTC), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and total silicon also showed decreasing trends from upstream to downstream, whereas their fluxes were primarily influenced by runoff and exhibited upward fluctuations. Compared with other biogenic elements, there was a more pronounced retention effect on TP and PP by reservoirs, with average retention rates of 8.29 % and 16.01 %, respectively. Longer hydraulic retention time (HRT) can retain more TP and PP. Meanwhile, the retention rates of DTC, DIC, and particulate silicon were positively correlated with HRT, while the retention rate of dissolved silicon (DSi) showed a positive correlation with reservoir age. Moreover, the higher ratios of dissolved inorganic nitrogen to dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) and DSi to DIP have occurred, resulting in apparent P limitation, particularly during the non-flood season due to lower DIP concentration. Overall, cascade reservoirs construction exists great influences on the spatial allocation, fluxes transport, and biogeochemical cycles of biogenic elements, potentially affecting the stability of rivers ecosystem along the food chain network.

Effects of Different Drying Methods on the Structural Characteristics and Multiple Bioactivities of Rosa roxburghii Tratt Fruit Polysaccharides.

Drying conditions significantly impact the compositions and microstructures of polysaccharides, leading to various effects on their chemical characteristics and bioactivities. The objective of this study was to investigate how different industrial drying techniques, i.e., hot air drying, infrared drying, microwave vacuum drying, and freeze drying, affect the structural properties and biological activities of polysaccharides extracted from Rosa roxburghii Tratt fruit (RRTP). Results revealed that these drying methods significantly altered the extraction yield, molecular weights, monosaccharide ratios, contents of uronic acid and total sugars, gelling properties, particle sizes, thermal stability, and microstructures of RRTPs. However, the monosaccharide composition and functional groups of polysaccharides remained consistent across the different drying techniques. Biological activity assays demonstrated that RRTPs, particularly those processed through microwave vacuum drying (MVD-RRTP), exhibited excellent anti-linoleic acid oxidation, robust anti-glycosylation effects, and significant α-glucosidase inhibition in vitro. The outcomes of this research demonstrate that microwave vacuum drying serves as an effective pre-extraction drying method for RRTPs, enhancing their biological activities. This technique is particularly advantageous for preparing RRTPs intended for use in functional foods and pharmaceuticals, optimizing their health-promoting properties for industrial applications.

scPriorGraph: constructing biosemantic cell-cell graphs with prior gene set selection for cell type identification from scRNA-seq data.

Cell type identification is an indispensable analytical step in single-cell data analyses. To address the high noise stemming from gene expression data, existing computational methods often overlook the biologically meaningful relationships between genes, opting to reduce all genes to a unified data space. We assume that such relationships can aid in characterizing cell type features and improving cell type recognition accuracy. To this end, we introduce scPriorGraph, a dual-channel graph neural network that integrates multi-level gene biosemantics. Experimental results demonstrate that scPriorGraph effectively aggregates feature values of similar cells using high-quality graphs, achieving state-of-the-art performance in cell type identification.

The changes of coagulation profiles in Kawasaki disease and its associations with clinical classification, intravenous immunoglobulin responsiveness and coronary artery involvement.

Coagulation disorders are common in Kawasaki disease (KD). The main objectives of the present study were to probe the associations of coagulation profiles with clinical classification, IVIG responsiveness, coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) in the acute episode of KD. A total of 313 KD children were recruited and divided into six subgroups, including complete KD (n = 217), incomplete KD (n = 96), IVIG-responsive KD (n = 293), IVIG-nonresponsive KD (n = 20), coronary artery noninvolvement KD (n = 284) and coronary artery involvement KD (n = 29). Blood samples were collected within 24-h pre-IVIG therapy and 48-h post-IVIG therapy. Coagulation profiles, conventional inflammatory mediators and blood cell counts were detected. Echocardiography was performed during the period from 2- to 14-day post-IVIG infusion. In addition, 315 sex- and age-matched healthy children were enrolled as the controls. (1) Before IVIG therapy, coagulation disorders were more prone to appear in KD patients than in healthy controls, and could be overcome by IVIG therapy. FIB and DD significantly increased in the acute phase of KD, whereas reduced to normal levels after IVIG therapy. (2) PT and APTT were significantly longer in patients with complete KD when compared with their incomplete counterparts after IVIG therapy. (3) The larger δDD, δFDP and the smaller δPT, δINR predicted IVIG nonresponsiveness. (4) The higher δDD and δFDP correlated with a higher risk for CAAs (DD: r = -0.72, FDP: r = -0.54). Coagulation disorders are correlated with complete phenotype, IVIG nonresponsiveness and CAA occurrence in the acute episode of KD, and can be rectified by synergistic effects of IVIG and aspirin.

Efficacy and safety of combining short-course neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with envafolimab in locally advanced rectal cancer patients with microsatellite stability: A phase II PRECAM experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Conventional neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) yields a pathologic complete response (pCR) rate of 15%-30% for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). This study ventures to shift this paradigm by incorporating short-course nCRT with immunotherapy, specifically Envafolimab, to achieve improved treatment efficacy and possibly redefine the standard of care for LARC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The PRECAM study is a prospective, single-arm, phase 2 clinical trial for LARC in patients with microsatellite stable (MSS) tumors. Participants received short-course radiotherapy (25Gy/5f), followed by two cycles of CAPEOX chemotherapy and six weekly doses of Envafolimab, a PD-L1 antibody, before total mesorectal excision surgery. The primary endpoint was the pCR rate. RESULTS: From April to December 2022, 34 patients were enrolled, of whom 32 completed the study, each diagnosed with an MSS rectal adenocarcinoma. All patients underwent preoperative CRT combined with Envafolimab. Remarkably, a pCR rate of 62.5% (20/32) was attained, and a significant pathologic response rate of 75% (24/32) was achieved. Additionally, 21 of 32 participants achieved a neoadjuvant rectal (NAR) score below 8, suggesting an effective treatment response. Common adverse events included tenesmus (78.1%), diarrhea (62.5%), and leukocyte decrease (40.6%). Two Grade 3 adverse events were noted, one related to liver function abnormality and the other to a decrease in platelet count. Surgical procedures were performed in all cases, with minor complications, including ileus, infections, and anastomotic leakage. As of this report, there have been no reported cases of recurrence or death during the follow-up period, ranging from 12 to 20 months. CONCLUSION: In LARC patients exhibiting MSS tumors, combining short-course nCRT with Envafolimab demonstrated favorable efficacy, leading to a significant pCR rate. Minor adverse effects and surgical complications were observed. These preliminary but promising results underscore the potential of this approach and call for further exploration and validation through a randomized controlled trial.

The hidden RNA viruses in Blattodea (cockroaches and termites).

The insect order Blattodea (cockroaches and termites) has drawn substantial research attention for their dietary habits and lifestyle of living with or around humans. In the present study, we focused on the discovery of RNA viruses hidden in Blattodea insects using the publicly available RNA sequencing datasets. Overall, 136 distinctive RNA viruses were identified from 36 Blattodea species, of which more than 70 % were most closely related to the invertebrate-associated viral groups within Picornavirales, Sobelivirales, Bunyaviricetes, Jingchuvirales, Durnavirales, Lispiviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Permutotetraviridae, Flaviviridae and Muvirales. Several viruses were associated with pathogens of vertebrates (Paramyxoviridae), plants (Tymovirales), protozoa (Totiviridae), fungi (Narnaviridae) and bacteria (Norzivirales). Collectively, 93 complete or near-complete viral genomes were retrieved from the datasets, and several viruses appeared to have remarkable temporal and spatial distributions. Interestingly, the newly identified Periplaneta americana dicistrovirus displayed a remarkable distinct bicistronic genome arrangement from the well-recognized dicistroviruses with the translocated structural and non-structural polyprotein encoding open reading frames over the genome. These results significantly enhance our knowledge of RNA virosphere in Blattodea insects, and the novel genome architectures in dicistroviruses and other RNA viruses may break our stereotypes in the understanding of the genomic evolution and the emergence of potential novel viral species.

Is the regulation of lamotrigine on depression in patients with epilepsy related to cytokines?

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of lamotrigine on peripheral blood cytokines and depression in patients with epilepsy and to explore the possible mechanism by which lamotrigine regulates depression in patients with epilepsy. Methods: 50 healthy people, 72 patients treated with lamotrigine (LTG group) and 72 patients treated with valproate were enrolled (VPA group). Cytokine levels in the peripheral blood of the subjects were measured and their level of depression was scored according to the self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Chinese version of Epilepsy Depression Scale (c-NDDI-E). The cytokine levels and depression scale scores were compared between the three groups. The correlation between cytokine levels and depression scale scores was analyzed. Results: The levels of IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α and the SDS, HAMD, and c-NDDI-E scores in healthy group was lower than that in epileptic group. After 6 months of treatment, the difference valule of IL-1ß、IL-6、TNF-α、SDS and HAMD before and after treatment in LTG group significantly higher than that in VPA group. Correlation analysis showed that the SDS scores were correlated with the levels of IL-1ß and TNF-α, and the HAMD scores were correlated with the levels of TNF-α. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the HAMD scores were correlated with the levels of TNF-α. Conclusion: Lamotrigine can inhibit peripheral blood inflammation and improve depression in epileptic patients. Lamotrigine improved depressive mood in epileptic patients, which may be related to reduced TNF-α levels.

Construction of dual driving force in carbon nitride for highly efficient hydrogen evolution: Simultaneously manipulating carriers transport in intra- and interlayer.

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is widely recognized as an environmentally friendly approach to address future energy crises and environmental issues. However, rapid recombination of photo-induced charges over carbon nitride in lateral and vertical direction hinder this process. Herein, we proposed an effective strategy involving the embedding of benzene rings and the intercalation of platinum atoms on carbon nitride for a controlled intralayer and interlayer charges flow. Modified carbon nitride exhibits a significant higher hydrogen evolution rate (6288.5 µmol/g/h), which is 42 times greater than that of pristine carbon nitride. Both experiments and simulations collectively indicate that the improved photocatalytic activities can be attributed to the adjustment of the highly symmetric structure of carbon nitride, achieved by embedding benzene rings to induce the formation of an intralayer build-in electric field and intercalating Pt atoms to enhance interlayer polarization, which simultaneously accelerate lateral and vertical charges migration. This dual-direction charges separation mechanism in carbon nitride provides valuable insights for the development of highly active photocatalysis.

Transcatheter embolization for duodenal ulcer bleeding originating from cystic artery erosion.

BACKGROUND: Ulcer erosion into the cystic artery is a rare cause of bleeding in duodenal ulcers, with only a limited number of cases described in the literature. Historically, treatment has predominantly involved surgical intervention. We present three cases of duodenal ulcer bleeding due to cystic artery erosion, which were successfully managed with cystic artery embolization. CASE PRESENTATION: This case series includes three male patients with duodenal ulcer bleeding, aged 90, 81, and 82 years, respectively, and no prior history of biliary system disorders. The ulcer locations were identified as two in the post-bulbar region and one in the anterior bulb. After the failure of medical and endoscopic treatment, transcatheter arterial embolization was adopted. Initial angiography did not reveal any contrast medium extravasation. Empirical embolization of the gastroduodenal artery using gelatin sponge particles and coils failed to achieve hemostasis. Super-selective cystic artery angiography confirmed the source of bleeding as the cystic artery. One patient was embolized with gelatin sponge particles and coils, while the other two patients were embolized with N-butyl-cyanoacrylate. All patients achieved successful hemostasis without gallbladder infraction. CONCLUSIONS: Cystic artery embolization proved to be a minimally invasive technique for achieving hemostasis in these cases, indicating that it may be a safe and effective alternative to surgery for this uncommon cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Validation through further studies is warranted.

Multiomic meta-analysis suggests a correlation between steroid hormone-related genes and litter size in goats.

Litter size is a key indicator of production performance in livestock. However, its genetic basis in goats remains poorly understood. In this work, a genome-wide selection sweep analysis (GWSA) on 100 published goat genomes with different litter rates was performed for the first time to identify candidate genes related to kidding rate. This analysis was combined with the public RNA-sequencing data of ovary tissues (follicular phase) from high- and low-yielding goats. A total of 2278 genes were identified by GWSA. Most of these genes were enriched in signaling pathways related to ovarian follicle development and hormone secretion. Moreover, 208 differentially expressed genes between groups were obtained from the ovaries of goats with different litter sizes. These genes were substantially enriched in the cholesterol and steroid synthesis signaling pathways. Meanwhile, the weighted gene co-expression network was used to perform modular analysis of differentially expressed genes. The results showed that seven modules were reconstructed, of which one module showed a very strong correlation with litter size (r = -0.51 and p-value <0.001). There were 51 genes in this module, and 39 hub genes were screened by Pearson's correlation coefficient between core genes > 0.4, correlation coefficient between module members > 0.80 and intra-module connectivity ≥5. Finally, based on the results of GWSA and hub gene Venn analysis, seven key genes (ACSS2, HECW2, KDR, LHCGR, NAMPT, PTGFR and TFPI) were found to be associated with steroid synthesis and follicle growth development. This work contributes to understanding of the genetic basis of goat litter size and provides theoretical support for goat molecular breeding.

Chiral Star-Shaped [CoIII3LnIII] Clusters with Enantiopure Schiff Bases: Synthesis, Structure, and Magnetism.

Two enantiomeric pairs of new 3d-4f heterometallic clusters have been synthesized from two enantiomer Schiff base derivatives: (R/S)-2-[(2-hydroxy-1-phenylethylimino)methyl] phenol (R-/S-H2L). The formulae of the series clusters are Co3Ln(R-L)6 (Ln = Dy (1R), Gd (2R)), Co3Ln (S-L)6 (Ln = Dy (1S), Gd (2S)), whose crystal structures and magnetic properties have been characterized. Structural analysis indicated that the above clusters crystallize in the chiral P213 group space. The central lanthanide ion has a coordination geometry of D3 surrounded by three [CoIII(L)2]- anions using six aliphatic oxygen atoms of L2- featuring a star-shaped [CoIII3LnIII] configuration. Magnetic measurements showed the presence of slow magnetic relaxation with an effective energy barrier of 22.33 K in the DyIII derivatives under a zero-dc field. Furthermore, the circular dichroism (CD) spectra of 1R and 1S confirmed their enantiomeric nature.

Treatment of Patients With Electrical Injury by Using Modified Forearm Venous Flap: Retrospective Case Series Study.

OBJECTIVE: Severe hand electrical injuries often occur in functional areas such as joints; the repair requires attention to both appearance and function due to the visibility of the hand. This study aimed to present the clinical experience of successfully repairing hand electrical injuries using improved forearm venous flaps. METHODS: From 2020 to 2022, 15 cases of severe hand electrical injuries were diagnosed, including 10 males and 5 females. Among them, 6 cases were repaired in the first web space, 4 in the thumb, 3 in the index finger, 2 in the middle finger, 2 in the ring finger, and 2 in the little finger. The size of venous flaps ranged from 2.0 cm × 1.8 cm to 12 cm × 4.0 cm. All patients underwent repair using improved forearm venous flaps. The follow-up period ranged from 5 to 8 months. RESULTS: All flaps survived without serious complications. All patients were satisfied with the postoperative aesthetics and function of their hands. CONCLUSION: The improved forearm venous flap is a simple and reliable method for repairing hand electrical injuries.

Bidirectional transitions of sarcopenia states in older adults: The longitudinal evidence from CHARLS.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and function, brings multiple adverse outcomes including disability and death. Several sarcopenia consensuses have newly introduced the premorbid concept of possible sarcopenia and recommended early lifestyle interventions. Bidirectional transitions of premorbid states have been revealed in several chronic diseases yet not clarified in sarcopenia. This study aims to investigate the underlying transition patterns of sarcopenia states. METHODS: The study utilized three waves of data from a nationally representative survey, the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), and included community-dwelling individuals aged 60 years and older with at least two sarcopenia states assessments based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria 2019 (AWGS2019) between 2011 and 2015. The estimated transition intensity and probability between non-sarcopenia, possible sarcopenia, sarcopenia, and death were investigated using multi-stage Markov (MSM) models. RESULTS: The study comprised 4395 individuals (49.2% female, median age 67 years) with a total of 10 778 records of sarcopenia state assessment, and the mean follow-up period was 3.29 years. A total of 24.5% of individuals with a current state of possible sarcopenia returned to non-sarcopenia, 60.3% remained possible sarcopenia, 6.7% progressed to sarcopenia, and 8.5% died by the next follow-up. The transition intensity of recovery to non-sarcopenia (0.252, 95% CI 0.231-0.275) was 2.8 times greater than the deterioration to sarcopenia (0.090, 95% CI 0.080-0.100) for individuals with possible sarcopenia. For individuals with possible sarcopenia, the estimated probabilities of recovering to non-sarcopenia, progressing to sarcopenia, and transitioning to death within a 1-year observation were 0.181, 0.066, and 0.035, respectively. For individuals with sarcopenia, the estimated probabilities of recovering to non-sarcopenia, recovering to possible sarcopenia, and transitioning to death within 1-year observation were 0.016, 0.125, and 0.075, respectively. In covariables analysis, age, sex, body mass index, physical function impairment, smoking, hypertension, and diabetes are important factors influencing bidirectional transitions. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the bidirectional transitions of sarcopenia states among older adults and reveal a notable proportion of possible sarcopenia show potential for recovery in the natural course. Screening and intensifying interventions based on risk factors may facilitate a recovery transition.

Designing Symmetric Gradient Honeycomb Structures with Carbon-Coated Iron-Based Composites for High-Efficiency Microwave Absorption.

The impedance matching of absorbers is a vital factor affecting their microwave absorption (MA) properties. In this work, we controllably synthesized Material of Institute Lavoisier 88C (MIL-88C) with varying aspect ratios (AR) as a precursor by regulating oil bath conditions, followed by one-step thermal decomposition to obtain carbon-coated iron-based composites. Modifying the precursor MIL-88C (Fe) preparation conditions, such as the molar ratio between metal ions and organic ligands (M/O), oil bath temperature, and oil bath time, influenced the phases, graphitization degree, and AR of the derivatives, enabling low filler loading, achieving well-matched impedance, and ensuring outstanding MA properties. The MOF-derivatives 2 (MD2)/polyvinylidene Difluoride (PVDF), MD3/PVDF, and MD4/PVDF absorbers all exhibited excellent MA properties with optimal filler loadings below 20 wt% and as low as 5 wt%. The MD2/PVDF (5 wt%) achieved a maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 5.52 GHz (1.90 mm). The MD3/PVDF (10 wt%) possessed a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value of - 67.4 at 12.56 GHz (2.13 mm). A symmetric gradient honeycomb structure (SGHS) was constructed utilizing the high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS) to further extend the EAB, achieving an EAB of 14.6 GHz and a RLmin of - 59.0 dB. This research offers a viable inspiration to creating structures or materials with high-efficiency MA properties.

[Multi-factor Impact Analysis of Grassland Phenology Changes on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau Based on Interpretable Machine Learning].

The vegetation phenology of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau is changing significantly in the context of climate change. However, there are many hydrothermal factors affecting the phenology, and few studies have focused on the effects of multiple factors on the phenology of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, resulting in a lack of understanding of the mechanisms underlying phenological changes on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. In this study, we used remote sensing data interpretation to analyze the spatial and temporal variability of grassland phenology on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau from 2002 to 2021, focusing on precipitation, temperature, altitude, soil, and other aspects to reveal the dominant factors of phenological variability using an interpretable machine learning method (SHAP) and to quantify the interactive effects of multiple factors on phenology. The results showed that:① The growing season start (SOS) of grasslands on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau mostly ranged from 110 to 150 d, with 56.32 % of grasslands showing an early SOS trend; the growing season end (EOS) mostly ranged from 290-320 d, with 67.65 % of grasslands showing a delayed EOS trend; and the growing season length (LOS) mostly ranged from 120 to 210 d, with 65.50 % of the grasslands showing a trend towards longer growing season lengths. ② SOS in grasslands on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau was mainly influenced by moisture conditions, in which soil moisture between 10 and 25 kg·m-2 in the 0-10 cm soil layer in March promoted the advancement of SOS and peaked at approximately 20 kg·m-2. EOS was mainly influenced by temperature, with higher temperatures in September and October having a stronger effect on EOS latency promotion and peaking at over 8 ℃ and -0.5 ℃, respectively. The main influencing factors of LOS were more consistent with SOS, in which soil moisture between 15 and 25 kg·m-2 in the 0-10 cm soil layer in March promoted the prolongation of LOS and peaked at approximately 18 kg·m-2. ③ There was an obvious interactive effect of water and heat and other factors on phenology; after soil moisture reached 20 kg·m-2 in the 0-10 cm soil layer in March, SOS was more advanced in low-precipitation and low-altitude areas. Better moisture conditions were more conducive to EOS delay at temperatures above 0 ℃ in October, and soil moisture in high precipitation areas promoted LOS prolongation more when soil moisture was between 12 and 22 kg·m-2 in 0-10 cm in March. The results also demonstrated that interpretable machine learning methods could provide a new approach to the analysis of the multifactorial effects of phenological change.

Visible-Light Self-Powered Photodetector with High Sensitivity Based on the Type-II Heterostructure of CdPSe3/MoS2.

Transition metal thiophosphates (MTPs) are a group of emerging van der Waals materials with widely tunable band gaps. In the MTP family, CdPSe3 is demonstrated to possess a wide energy band gap and high carrier mobility, making it a potential candidate in optoelectronic applications. Here, we reported photoelectric response behaviors of both CdPSe3- and CdPSe3/MoS2-based photodetectors (noted as CPS and CM, respectively); these showed prominent photoelectric performances, and the latter proved to be significantly superior to the former. These devices exhibited ultralow dark current at a magnitude order of 10-12 A and fine cycle and air stabilities. Compared with CPS, CM demonstrated the highest responsivity (91.12 mA/W) and detectivity (1.74 × 1011 Jones) at 5 V under 425 nm light illumination. Besides, CM showed self-powered photoelectric responses at zero bias, which was attributed to the improved separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers by the built-in electric field at the interface of the p-n junction. This work proves a prospect for the CM device in portable, self-powered optoelectronic device applications.

Identification of two miRNAs regulating cardiomyocyte proliferation in an Antarctic icefish.

The hemoglobinless Antarctic icefish develop large hearts to compensate for reduced oxygen-carrying capacity, which serves as a naturally occurred model to explore the factors regulating cardiogenesis. Through miRNAome and microRNAome comparisons between an icefish (Chionodraco hamatus) and two red-blooded notothenioids, we discovered significant upregulation of factors in the BMP signaling pathways and altered expression of many miRNAs, including downregulation of 14 miRNAs in the icefish heart. Through knocking down of these miRNAs, we identified two of them, miR-458-3p and miR-144-5p, involved in enlarged heart development. The two miRNAs were found to regulate cardiomyocyte proliferation by targeting bone morphogenetic protein-2 (bmp2). We further validated that activation of the miRNA-bmp2 signaling in the fish heart could be triggered by hypoxic exposure. Our study suggested that a few miRNAs play important roles in the hypoxia-induced cardiac remodeling of the icefish which shed new light on the mechanisms regulating cardiomyocyte proliferation in heart.

The natural course, treatment outcomes, and long-term prognosis of cervical spinal cord arteriovenous shunts.

OBJECTIVE: The highly intricate nature of the cervical spinal cord can cause arteriovenous shunts in these segments that may be associated with heightened clinical risks and treatment complexities. In this article, the authors aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the detailed natural course, treatment, and clinical outcomes of cervical spinal cord arteriovenous shunts (SCAVSs) based on the largest cohort to date. METHODS: Two hundred forty consecutive patients were included. Data on clinical presentation, angioarchitecture, treatment, and follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The cohort demonstrated a greater prevalence of acute onset (63.3% vs 36.7%). Spontaneous recovery was observed in 63.7% of patients after onset, with a significantly elevated recovery rate observed among patients experiencing acute onset (72.4% vs 48.9%, p < 0.001). The risks of acute and gradual clinical deterioration after onset was 11.9%/year and 13.4%/year, respectively. Microsurgery was performed in 39.6% of patients, while the remaining 60.4% exclusively underwent embolization. The complete obliteration rate was 65.3% after microsurgery and 21.4% after embolization. The rate of treatment-related deterioration was 14.7% after microsurgery and 6.2% after embolization. After partial treatment, the acute and gradual deterioration rates were 4.1%/year and 6.6%/year, respectively. Lack of spontaneous recovery after onset was an independent predictor of embolization-related deterioration (OR 17.905, p = 0.007) and long-term gradual deterioration after partial treatment (HR 2.325, p = 0.021). After a median follow-up period of 32.55 months, prognosis was unfavorable in 16.7% of patients, with the sole independent risk factor being the absence of spontaneous recovery after onset (OR 2.476, p = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes of patients with cervical SCAVS were generally favorable, even in patients with only partial obliteration of the lesions. However, patients who did not show a trend toward spontaneous recovery after onset had a significantly elevated risk of unfavorable prognosis, highlighting the need for prompt clinical intervention.