Effects of polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics on the physiology and metabolic profiles of dandelion.

Biodegradable plastics, such as poly(butylene adipate terephthalate) (PBAT) and polylactic acid (PLA), are potential alternatives to conventional polyethylene (PE), both of which are associated with the production of microplastics (MPs). However, the toxicity of these compounds on medicinal plants and their differential effects on plant morphophysiology remain unclear. This study supplemented soils with MPs sized at 200 µm at a rate of 1% w/w and incubated them for 50 days to investigate the impact of MPs on the growth and metabolites of dandelion (Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz.). The results demonstrated that the investigated MPs decreased the growth of dandelion seedlings, induced oxidative stress, and altered the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase). Based on the comprehensive toxicity assessment results, the ecological toxicity was in the following order: PE MPs > PBAT MPs > PLA MPs. Metabolomics analyses revealed metabolic reprogramming in dandelion plants, leading to the enrichment of numerous differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) in the leaves. These pathways include carbohydrate metabolism, energy metabolism, and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, suggesting that dandelions respond to MP stress by enhancing the activity of sugar, organic acid, and amino acid metabolic pathways. In addition, phenolic acids and flavonoids are critical for maintaining the balance in the antioxidant defense system. Our results provide substantial insights into the toxicity of biodegradable MPs to plants and shed light on plant defense and adaptation strategies. Further assessment of the safety of biodegradable MPs in terrestrial ecosystems is essential to provide guidance for environmentally friendly management.

Kiwifruit resistance to gray mold is enhanced by yeast-induced modulation of the endophytic microbiome.

The influence of endophytic microbial community on plant growth and disease resistance is of considerable importance. Prior research indicates that pre-treatment of kiwifruit with the biocontrol yeast Debaryomyces hansenii suppresses gray mold disease induced by Botrytis cinerea. However, the specific underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, Metagenomic sequencing was utilized to analyze the composition of the endophytic microbiome of kiwifruit under three distinct conditions: the healthy state, kiwifruit inoculated with B. cinerea, and kiwifruit treated with D. hansenii prior to inoculation with B. cinerea. Results revealed a dominance of Proteobacteria in all treatment groups, accompanied by a notable increase in the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. Ascomycota emerged as the major dominant group within the fungal community. Treatment with D. hansenii induced significant alterations in microbial community diversity, specifically enhancing the relative abundance of yeast and exerting an inhibitory effect on B. cinerea. The introduction of D. hansenii also enriched genes associated with energy metabolism and signal transduction, positively influencing the overall structure and function of the microbial community. Our findings highlight the potential of D. hansenii to modulate microbial dynamics, inhibit pathogenic organisms, and positively influence functional attributes of the microbial community.

FGF13 enhances the function of TRPV1 by stabilizing microtubules and regulates acute and chronic itch.

Itching is an aversive somatosensation that triggers the desire to scratch. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channel proteins are key players in acute and chronic itch. However, whether the modulatory effect of fibroblast growth factor 13 (FGF13) on acute and chronic itch is associated with TRP channel proteins is unclear. Here, we demonstrated that conditional knockout of Fgf13 in dorsal root ganglion neurons induced significant impairment in scratching behaviors in response to acute histamine-dependent and chronic dry skin itch models. Furthermore, FGF13 selectively regulated the function of the TRPV1, but not the TRPA1 channel on Ca2+ imaging and electrophysiological recordings, as demonstrated by a significant reduction in neuronal excitability and current density induced by TRPV1 channel activation, whereas TRPA1 channel activation had no effect. Changes in channel currents were also verified in HEK cell lines. Subsequently, we observed that selective modulation of TRPV1 by FGF13 required its microtubule-stabilizing effect. Furthermore, in FGF13 knockout mice, only the overexpression of FGF13 with a tubulin-binding domain could rescue TRP channel function and the impaired itch behavior. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which FGF13 is involved in TRPV1-dependent itch transduction and provide valuable clues for alleviating pathological itch syndrome.

Combining serum microRNAs and machine learning algorithms for diagnosing infectious fever after HSCT.

Infection post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is one of the main causes of patient mortality. Fever is the most crucial clinical symptom indicating infection. However, current microbial detection methods are limited. Therefore, timely diagnosis of infectious fever and administration of antimicrobial drugs can effectively reduce patient mortality. In this study, serum samples were collected from 181 patients with HSCT with or without infection, as well as the clinical information. And more than 80 infectious-related microRNAs in the serum were selected according to the bulk RNA-seq result and detected in the 345 time-pointed serum samples by Q-PCR. Unsupervised clustering result indicates a close association between these microRNAs expression and infection occurrence. Compared to the uninfected cohort, more than 10 serum microRNAs were identified as the combined diagnostic markers in one formula constructed by the Random Forest (RF) algorithms, with a diagnostic accuracy more than 0.90. Furthermore, correlations of serum microRNAs to immune cells, inflammatory factors, pathgens, infection tissue, and prognosis were analyzed in the infection cohort. Overall, this study demonstrates that the combination of serum microRNAs detection and machine learning algorithms holds promising potential in diagnosing infectious fever after HSCT.

Cerebral autoregulation: A reliable predictor of prognosis in patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis.

AIMS: To investigate the characteristics of dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and assess the relationship between dCA and prognosis. METHODS: Patients with unilateral acute ischemic stroke receiving IVT were prospectively enrolled; those who did not were selected as controls. All patients underwent dCA measurements, by quantifying the phase difference (PD) and gain, at 1-3 and 7-10 days after stroke onset. Simultaneously, two dCA-based nomogram models were established to verify the predictive value of dCA for patients with mild-to-moderate stroke. RESULTS: Finally, 202 patients who received IVT and 238 who did not were included. IVT was positively correlated with higher PD on days 1-3 and 7-10 after stroke onset. PD values in both sides at 1-3 days after stroke onset and in the affected side at 7-10 days after onset were independent predictors of unfavorable outcomes in patients who received IVT. Additionally, in patients with mild-to-moderate stroke who received IVT, the dCA-based nomogram models significantly improved the risk predictive ability for 3-month unfavorable outcomes. CONCLUSION: IVT has a positive effect on dCA in patients with acute stroke; furthermore, dCA may be useful to predict the prognosis of patients with IVT.

NLRP4E regulates actin cap formation through SRC and CDC42 during oocyte meiosis.

BACKGROUND: Members of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine rich repeat and pyrin domain containing (NLRP) family regulate various physiological and pathological processes. However, none have been shown to regulate actin cap formation or spindle translocation during the asymmetric division of oocyte meiosis I. NLRP4E has been reported as a candidate protein in female fertility, but its function is unknown. METHODS: Immunofluorescence, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and western blotting were employed to examine the localization and expression levels of NLRP4E and related proteins in mouse oocytes. small interfering RNA (siRNA) and antibody transfection were used to knock down NLRP4E and other proteins. Immunoprecipitation (IP)-mass spectrometry was used to identify the potential proteins interacting with NLRP4E. Coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP) was used to verify the protein interactions. Wild type (WT) or mutant NLRP4E messenger RNA (mRNA) was injected into oocytes for rescue experiments. In vitro phosphorylation was employed to examine the activation of steroid receptor coactivator (SRC) by NLRP4E. RESULTS: NLRP4E was more predominant within oocytes compared with other NLRP4 members. NLRP4E knockdown significantly inhibited actin cap formation and spindle translocation toward the cap region, resulting in the failure of polar body extrusion at the end of meiosis I. Mechanistically, GRIN1, and GANO1 activated NLRP4E by phosphorylation at Ser429 and Thr430; p-NLRP4E is translocated and is accumulated in the actin cap region during spindle translocation. Next, we found that p-NLRP4E directly phosphorylated SRC at Tyr418, while p-SRC negatively regulated p-CDC42-S71, an inactive form of CDC42 that promotes actin cap formation and spindle translocation in the GTP-bound form. CONCLUSIONS: NLRP4E activated by GRIN1 and GANO1 regulates actin cap formation and spindle translocation toward the cap region through upregulation of p-SRC-Tyr418 and downregulation of p-CDC42-S71 during meiosis I.

Low-dose IL-2 treatment confers anti-inflammatory effect against subarachnoid hemorrhage in mice.

Objective: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) was a stroke with high occurrence and mortality. At the early stage, SAH patients have severe cerebral injury which is contributed by inflammation. In this study, we aimed to explore the anti-inflammation effect of low-dose IL-2 in SAH mice. Methods: The 12-week-old C57BL/6J male mice were conducted with SAH surgery (Internal carotid artery puncture method). Different dose of IL-2 was injected intraperitoneally for 1 h, 1 day, and 2 days after SAH. Single-cell suspension and flow cytometry were used for the test of regulatory T (Treg) cells. Immunofluorescence staining was used to investigate the phenotypic polarization of microglia and inflammation response around neurons. Enzyme-Linked Immuno-sorbent Assay (ELISA) was applied to detect the level of pro-inflammatory factors. Results: Low-dose IL-2 could enrich the Treg cells and drive the microglia polarizing to M2. The level of pro-inflammatory factors, IL-1α, IL-6, and TNF-α decreased in the low-dose IL-2 group. The inflammation response around neurons was attenuated. Low-dose IL-2 could increase the number of Treg cells, which could exert a neuroprotective effect against inflammation after SAH. Conclusion: Low-dose IL-2 had the potential to be an effective clinical method to inhibit inflammation after SAH.

M6A-induced transcription factor IRF5 contributes to the progression of cervical cancer by upregulating PPP6C.

Cervical cancer (CC) is a gynaecological malignancy tumour that seriously threatens women's health. Recent evidence has identified that interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5), a nucleoplasm shuttling protein, is a pivotal transcription factor regulating the growth and metastasis of various human tumours. This study aimed to investigate the function and molecular basis of IRF5 in CC development. IRF5, protein phosphatase 6 catalytic subunit (PPP6C) and methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) mRNA levels were evaluated by quantitative real-time (qRT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). IRF5, PPP6C, METTL3, B-cell lymphoma 2 and Bax protein levels were detected using western blot. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis and apoptosis were determined by using colony formation, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), transwell, tube formation assay and flow cytometry assay, respectively. Glucose uptake and lactate production were measured using commercial kits. Xenograft tumour assay in vivo was used to explore the role of IRF5. After JASPAR predication, binding between IRF5 and PPP6C promoter was verified using chromatin immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase reporter assays. Moreover, the interaction between METTL3 and IRF5 was verified using methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (MeRIP). IRF5, PPP6C and METTL3 were highly expressed in CC tissues and cells. IRF5 silencing significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis and glycolytic metabolism in CC cells, while induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, the absence of IRF5 hindered tumour growth in vivo. At the molecular level, IRF5 might bind with PPP6C to positively regulate the expression of PPP6C mRNA. Meanwhile, IRF5 was identified as a downstream target of METTL3-mediated m6A modification. METTL3-mediated m6A modification of mRNA might promote CC malignant progression by regulating PPP6C, which might provide a promising therapeutic target for CC treatment.

Development and validation of a novel nomogram for predicting long-term rebleeding risk among patients with hemorrhagic moyamoya disease: a 10-year multicenter retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a predictive nomogram model for long-term rebleeding events in patients with hemorrhagic moyamoya disease (HMMD). METHODS: In total, 554 patients with HMMD from the Fifth Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital (5-PLAGH cohort) were included and randomly divided into training (390 patients) and internal validation (164 patients) sets. An independent cohort from the First Medical Center and Eighth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital (the 1-PLAGH and 8-PLAGH cohort) was used for external validation (133 patients). Univariate Cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression algorithm were used to identify significant factors associated with rebleeding, which were used to develop a nomogram for predicting 5- and 10-year rebleeding. RESULTS: Intraventricular hemorrhage was the most common type of cerebral hemorrhage (39.0% of patients in the 5-PLAGH cohort and 42.9% of the 1-PLAGH and 8-PLAGH cohort). During the mean ± SD follow-up period of 10.4 ± 2.9 years, 91 (16.4%) patients had rebleeding events in the 5-PLAGH cohort. The rebleeding rates were 12.3% (68 patients) at 5 years and 14.8% (82 patients) at 10 years. Rebleeding events were observed in 72 patients (14.3%) in the encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis (EDAS) surgery group, whereas 19 patients (37.3%) experienced rebleeding events in the conservative treatment group. This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). We selected 4 predictors (age at onset, number of episodes of bleeding, posterior circulation involvement, and EDAS surgery) for nomogram development. The concordance index (C-index) values of the nomograms of the training cohort, internal validation cohort, and the external validation cohort were 0.767 (95% CI 0.704-0.830), 0.814 (95% CI 0.694-0.934), and 0.718 (95% CI 0.661-0.775), respectively. The nomogram at 5 years exhibited a sensitivity of 48.1% and specificity of 87.5%. The positive and negative predictive values were 38.2% and 91.3%, respectively. The nomogram at 10 years exhibited a sensitivity of 47.1% and specificity of 89.1%. The positive and negative predictive values were 48.5% and 88.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: EDAS may prevent rebleeding events and improve long-term clinical outcomes in patients with HMMD. The nomogram accurately predicted rebleeding events and assisted clinicians in identifying high-risk patients and devising individual treatments. Simultaneously, comprehensive and ongoing monitoring should be implemented for specific patients with HMMD throughout their entire lifespan.

EEG classification model for virtual reality motion sickness based on multi-scale CNN feature correlation.

BACKGROUND: Virtual reality motion sickness (VRMS) is a key issue hindering the development of virtual reality technology, and accurate detection of its occurrence is the first prerequisite for solving the issue. OBJECTIVE: In this paper, a convolutional neural network (CNN) EEG detection model based on multi-scale feature correlation is proposed for detecting VRMS. METHODS: The model uses multi-scale 1D convolutional layers to extract multi-scale temporal features from the multi-lead EEG data, and then calculates the feature correlations of the extracted multi-scale features among all the leads to form the feature adjacent matrixes, which converts the time-domain features to correlation-based brain network features, thus strengthen the feature representation. Finally, the correlation features of each layer are fused. The fused features are then fed into the channel attention module to filter the channels and classify them using a fully connected network. Finally, we recruit subjects to experience 6 different modes of virtual roller coaster scenes, and collect resting EEG data before and after the task to verify the model. RESULTS: The results show that the accuracy, precision, recall and F1-score of this model for the recognition of VRMS are 98.66 %, 98.65 %, 98.68 %, and 98.66 %, respectively. The proposed model outperforms the current classic and advanced EEG recognition models. SIGNIFICANCE: It shows that this model can be used for the recognition of VRMS based on the resting state EEG.

Low shear stress-induced blockage of autophagic flux impairs endothelial barrier and facilitates atherosclerosis in mice.

Atherosclerosis preferentially occurs in areas with low shear stress (LSS) and oscillatory flow. LSS has been demonstrated to correlate with the development of atherosclerosis. The sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1), involving intravascular blood flow sensing, regulates vascular development and vascular barrier function. However, whether LSS affects atherosclerosis via regulating S1PR1 remains incompletely clear. In this study, immunostaining results of F-actin, ß-catenin, and VE-cadherin indicated that LSS impaired endothelial barrier function in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Western blot analysis showed that LSS resulted in blockage of autophagic flux in HUVECs. In addition, autophagy agonist Rapamycin (Rapa) antagonized LSS-induced endothelial barrier dysfunction, whereas autophagic flux inhibitor Bafilomycin A1 (BafA1) exacerbated it, indicating that LSS promoted endothelial barrier dysfunction by triggering autophagic flux blockage. Notably, gene expression analysis revealed that LSS downregulated S1PR1 expression, which was antagonized by Rapa. Selective S1PR1 antagonist W146 impaired endothelial barrier function of HUVECs under high shear stress (HSS) conditions. Moreover, our data showed that expression of GAPARAPL2, a member of autophagy-related gene 8 (Atg8) proteins, was decreased in HUVECs under LSS conditions. Autophagic flux blockage induced by GAPARAPL2 knockdown inhibited S1PR1, aggravated endothelial barrier dysfunction of HUVECs in vitro, and promoted aortic atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice in vivo. Our study demonstrates that autophagic flux blockage induced by LSS downregulates S1PR1 expression and impairs endothelial barrier function. GABARAPL2 inhibition is involved in LSS-induced autophagic flux blockage, which impairs endothelial barrier function via downregulation of S1PR1.

First-year outcomes of very low birth weight preterm singleton infants with hypoxemic respiratory failure treated with milrinone and inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) compared to iNO alone: A nationwide retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) has a beneficial effect on hypoxemic respiratory failure. The increased use of concurrent iNO and milrinone was observed. We aimed to report the trends of iNO use in the past 15 years in Taiwan and compare the first-year outcomes of combining iNO and milrinone to the iNO alone in very low birth weight preterm (VLBWP) infants under mechanical ventilation. METHODS: This nationwide cohort study enrolled preterm singleton infants with birth weight <1500g treated with iNO from 2004 to 2019. Infants were divided into two groups, with a combination of intravenous milrinone (Group 2, n = 166) and without milrinone (Group 1, n = 591). After propensity score matching (PSM), each group's sample size is 124. The primary outcomes were all-cause mortality and the respiratory condition, including ventilator use and duration. The secondary outcomes were preterm morbidities within one year after birth. RESULTS: After PSM, more infants in Group 2 needed inotropes. The mortality rate was significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 from one month after birth till 1 year of age (55.1% vs. 13.5%) with the adjusted hazard ratio of 4.25 (95%CI = 2.42-7.47, p <0.001). For infants who died before 36 weeks of postmenstrual age (PMA), Group 2 had longer hospital stays compared to Group 1. For infants who survived after 36 weeks PMA, the incidence of moderate and severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) was significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1. For infants who survived until one year of age, the incidence of pneumonia was significantly higher in Group 2 (28.30%) compared to Group 1 (12.62%) (p = 0.0153). CONCLUSION: Combined treatment of iNO and milrinone is increasingly applied in VLBWP infants in Taiwan. This retrospective study did not support the benefits of combining iNO and milrinone on one-year survival and BPD prevention. A future prospective study is warranted.

Consumers' variety-seeking behaviors under time pressure: Based on regulatory focus and excitement levels.

Variety-seeking behavior has received substantial attention in marketing literature. Although various explanations of the causes of variety-seeking explore the influence of consumers' internal psychological characteristics on behavioral decisions, few studies have been conducted on external factors. With the fast pace of modern life and the increasing trend of online shopping, consumers often face time constraints when making purchasing decisions. This study examines the impact of time pressure as a significant external environmental factor on consumers' variety-seeking behavior. A conceptual framework is developed based on construal level theory to uncover the influencing mechanism of time pressure on variety-seeking behavior while also considering the effects of the consumer's personality and emotional state. We conducted two experiments to investigate the moderating effect of regulatory focus from the personality perspective and excitement level from the emotional state perspective. Study 1 found that time pressure significantly affects variety-seeking behavior. Additionally, consumers with prevention regulatory focus tend to exhibit more variety-seeking behavior when not under time pressure. Study 2 supports the main effect and shows that the level of excitement affects the impact of time pressure on variety-seeking behavior. Therefore, this study contributes to the literature on consumer behavior and purchasing decisions by presenting a robust theoretical framework that provides practical insights and implications for enterprise managers.

Recombinant Klotho protein protects pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells against sepsis-induced apoptosis by inhibiting the Bcl-2/Bax/caspase-3 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation-induced apoptosis of alveolar type II epithelial cells is a primary contributor to sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Klotho is a single-pass transmembrane protein with anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects. However, the role and mechanism of Klotho in the development of ARDS remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the effect of Klotho on sepsis-induced apoptosis in human pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells (HPAEpiCs) together with the potential mechanism. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) were performed to generate an in vivo sepsis model, and HPAEpiCs were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to mimic sepsis in vitro. Both models were administered recombinant Klotho protein. The morphology of the lung tissue was observed, and apoptotic cells and cell viability were detected. Interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while the expression of Bcl-2, Bax and cleaved caspase-3 was detected with western blotting. RESULTS: Klotho reversed the CLP-induced decrease in mouse survival in vivo (p < 0.001) and increased inflammatory cell infiltration and inflammatory substance exudation in the lung tissue of mice with sepsis (both p < 0.001). Klotho also suppressed apoptosis (p < 0.001) as demonstrated by IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α expression (all p < 0.001), and Bcl-2/Bax/caspase-3 pathway activation (p < 0.001). Klotho pretreatment significantly prevented LPS-induced apoptosis in vitro (p < 0.001), as demonstrated by IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α upregulation (all p < 0.001); and Bcl-2/Bax/caspase-3 pathway activation in HPAEpiCs (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that Klotho can ameliorate acute lung injury (ALI) induced by sepsis by inhibiting inflammatory responses and exerting anti-apoptotic effects by suppressing Bcl-2/Bax/caspase-3 pathway activation.

Upgrading Electrolyte Antioxidant Chemistry by Constructing Potential Scaling Relationship.

Rational design of advanced electrolytes to improve the high-voltage capability has been attracting wide attention as one critical solution to enable next-generation high-energy-density batteries. However, the limited understanding of electrolyte antioxidant chemistry as well as the lack of valid quantization approaches have resulted in knowledge gap, which hinders the formulation of new electrolytes. Herein, we construct a standard curve based on representative solvation structures to quantify the oxidation stability of ether-based electrolytes, which reveals the linear correlation between the oxidation potential and the atomic charge of the least oxidation-resistant solvent. Dictating by the regularity between solvation composition and oxidation potential, a (Trifluoromethyl)cyclohexane-based localized high-concentration electrolyte dominated by anion-less solvation structures was designed to optimize the cycling performance of 4.5 V 30-µm-Li||3.8-mAh cm-2-LiCoO2 batteries, which maintained 80% capacity retention even after 440 cycles. The consistency of experimental and computational results validates the proposed principles, offering a fundamental guideline to evaluate and design aggressive electrochemical systems.

The adipose-neural axis is involved in epicardial adipose tissue-related cardiac arrhythmias.

Dysfunction of the sympathetic nervous system and increased epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) have been independently associated with the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmia. However, their exact roles in triggering arrhythmia remain elusive. Here, using an in vitro coculture system with sympathetic neurons, cardiomyocytes, and adipocytes, we show that adipocyte-derived leptin activates sympathetic neurons and increases the release of neuropeptide Y (NPY), which in turn triggers arrhythmia in cardiomyocytes by interacting with the Y1 receptor (Y1R) and subsequently enhancing the activity of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). The arrhythmic phenotype can be partially blocked by a leptin neutralizing antibody or an inhibitor of Y1R, NCX, or CaMKII. Moreover, increased EAT thickness and leptin/NPY blood levels are detected in atrial fibrillation patients compared with the control group. Our study provides robust evidence that the adipose-neural axis contributes to arrhythmogenesis and represents a potential target for treating arrhythmia.

Functionalized electrospun nanofibers to enhance ß-Galactosidase immobilization and catalytic activity for efficient galactooligosaccharide synthesis.

This study aimed to immobilize ß-galactosidase (ß-GAL) into enhanced polystyrene (PS) electrospun nanofiber membranes (ENMs) with functionalized graphene oxide (GO). Initially, GO sheets were functionalized by salinization with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES). Then the ENMs (PS, PS/GO, and PS/GO-APTES) were prepared and characterized. Then, the ß-GAL was immobilized in the different ENMs to produce the ß-GAL-bound nanocomposites (PS-GAL, PS/GO-GAL, and PS/GO-APTES-GAL). Immobilization of ß-GAL into PS/GO-APTES significantly improved enzyme adsorption by up to 87 %. Also, PS/GO-APTES-GAL improved the enzyme activity, where the highest enzyme activity was obtained at enzyme concentrations of 4 mg/L, 50 °C, and pH 4.5. Likewise, the storage stability and reusability of immobilized ß-GAL were improved. Furthermore, this process led to enhanced catalytic behavior and transgalactosylation efficiency, where GOS synthesis (72 %) and lactose conversion (81 %) increased significantly compared to the free enzyme. Overall, the immobilized ß-GAL produced in this study showed potential as an effective biocatalyst in the food industry.

A stochastic world model on gravity for stability inference.

The fact that objects without proper support will fall to the ground is not only a natural phenomenon, but also common sense in mind. Previous studies suggest that humans may infer objects' stability through a world model that performs mental simulations with a priori knowledge of gravity acting upon the objects. Here we measured participants' sensitivity to gravity to investigate how the world model works. We found that the world model on gravity was not a faithful replica of the physical laws, but instead encoded gravity's vertical direction as a Gaussian distribution. The world model with this stochastic feature fit nicely with participants' subjective sense of objects' stability and explained the illusion that taller objects are perceived as more likely to fall. Furthermore, a computational model with reinforcement learning revealed that the stochastic characteristic likely originated from experience-dependent comparisons between predictions formed by internal simulations and the realities observed in the external world, which illustrated the ecological advantage of stochastic representation in balancing accuracy and speed for efficient stability inference. The stochastic world model on gravity provides an example of how a priori knowledge of the physical world is implemented in mind that helps humans operate flexibly in open-ended environments.