Experimental demonstration on 400†nm-scale bandwidth optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification based on mixed cascaded crystals.

We present an optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) based on mixed cascaded crystals, taking advantage of the unique parametric phase-matching of lithium triborate (LiB3O5, LBO) and yttrium calcium oxyborate ((YCa4O(BO3)3, YCOB) crystals. The OPCPA properties of LBO at 880 nm and YCOB at 750 nm are studied respectively. After amplification by two LBO and two YCOB crystals, a total signal gain of 108 and spectral bandwidth close to 400 nm is obtained. After accurate dispersion compensation with a grating-pair compressor and chirped mirror compensator, a pulse duration of 9.4 fs is obtained by a SHG-frequency-resolved optical grating (FROG). This approach will be of great significance in high energy amplifier for high peak power few-cycle laser sources.

Anion-Counterion Strategy toward Organic Cocrystal Engineering for Near-Infrared Photothermal Conversion and Solar-Driven Water Evaporation.

An anion-counterion strategy is proposed to construct organic mono-radical charge-transfer cocrystals for near-infrared photothermal conversion and solar-driven water evaporation. Ionic compounds with halogen anions as the counterions serve as electron donors, providing the necessary electrons for efficient charge transfer with unchanged skeleton atoms and structures as well as the broad red-shifted absorption (200-2000 nm) and unprecedented photothermal conversion efficiency (~90.5 %@808 nm) for the cocrystals. Based on these cocrystals, an excellent solar-driven interfacial water evaporation rate up to 6.1±1.1 kg ⋅ m-2 ⋅ h-1 under 1 sun is recorded due to the comprehensive evaporation effect from the cocrystal loading in polyurethane foams and chimney addition, such performance is superior to the reported results on charge-transfer cocrystals or other materials for solar-driven interfacial evaporation. This prototype exhibits the great potential of cocrystals prepared by the one-step mechanochemistry method in practical large-scale seawater desalination applications.

The effect of early weight-bearing on bone fusion after triple arthrodesis.

Triple arthrodesis is an effective method for treating stiff horseshoe feet and severe osteoarthritis. However, it is still a challenge to improve postoperative bone fusion by changing early weight-bearing. This study improved the classical bone remodeling algorithm, established a mathematical relationship between density change rate and mechanical stimulation, and combined it with finite element theory. The proposed algorithm can not only predict the effect of early weight-bearing on triple arthrodesis but also visually demonstrate the change of bone mineral density with time. The analysis results indicated that 2.5% of the initial load was a potential factor leading to bone nonunion, and 50% of the initial load would result in bone resorption. Meanwhile, it was found that 25% of the external load was more conducive to postoperative rehabilitation. The study results have theoretical significance for enhancing the effect of postoperative bone fusion and formulating a more scientific rehabilitation program, thereby supporting patients' postoperative rehabilitation exercise.

Metagenomic insight into the acidophilic functional communities driving elemental geochemical cycles in an acid mine drainage lake.

Acidophiles play a key role in the generation, evolution and attenuation of acid mine drainage (AMD), which is characterized by strong acidity (pH<3.5) and high metal concentrations. In this study, the seasonal changes of acidophilic communities and their roles in elemental cycling in an AMD lake (pH∼3.0) in China were analyzed through metagenomics. The results showed eukaryotic algae thrived in the lake, and Coccomyxa was dominant in January (38.1%) and May (33.9%), while Chlorella in July (9.5%). The extensive growth of Chlamydomonas in December (22.7%) resulted in an ultrahigh chlorophyll a concentration (587 µg/L), providing abundant organic carbon for the ecosystem. In addition, the iron-oxidizing and nitrogen-fixing bacterium Ferrovum contributed to carbon fixation. Ammonia oxidation likely occurred in the acidic lake, as was revealed by archaea Ca. Nitrosotalea. To gain a competitive advantage in the nutrient-poor environment, some acidophiles exhibited facultative characteristics, e.g. the most abundant bacterium Acidiphilium utilized both organic and inorganic carbon, and obtained energy from organic matter, inorganic sulfur, and sunlight simultaneously. It was suggested that sunlight, rather than chemical energy of reduced iron-sulfur was the major driver of elemental cycling in the AMD lake. The results are beneficial to the development of bioremediation strategies for AMD.

Deciphering Oligodendrocyte Lineages in the Human Fetal Central Nervous System Using Single-Cell RNA Sequencing.

Oligodendrocytes form myelin sheaths and wrap axons of neurons to facilitate various crucial neurological functions. Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) persist in the embryonic, postnatal, and adult central nervous system (CNS). OPCs and mature oligodendrocytes are involved in a variety of biological processes such as memory, learning, and diseases. How oligodendrocytes are specified in different regions in the CNS, in particular in humans, remains obscure. We here explored oligodendrocyte development in three CNS regions, subpallium, brainstem, and spinal cord, in human fetuses from gestational week 8 (GW8) to GW12 using single-cell RNA sequencing. We detected multiple lineages of OPCs and illustrated distinct developmental trajectories of oligodendrocyte differentiation in three CNS regions. We also identified major genes, particularly transcription factors, which maintain status of OPC proliferation and promote generation of mature oligodendrocytes. Moreover, we discovered new marker genes that might be crucial for oligodendrocyte specification in humans, and detected common and distinct genes expressed in oligodendrocyte lineages in three CNS regions. Our study has demonstrated molecular heterogeneity of oligodendrocyte lineages in different CNS regions and provided references for further investigation of roles of important genes in oligodendrocyte development in humans.

Development of a D-D neutron spectrum detector based on helium-3 proportional counter.

Deuterium-deuterium (D-D) neutron spectrum diagnostics in tokamaks are a challenging task with current technologies. To address this issue, we designed and tested a fast and compact helium-3 proportional counter with a diameter of 2.5 cm and an effective length of 15 cm and using Kr as a stopping gas. The detector achieved a resolution of 96 keV for 2.406 MeV neutrons with a pulse shaping of 2 µs. Test results indicate that this detector has the potential to form a D-D neutron spectrometer for tokamaks, composed of detector arrays.

Correlation between lipid-lowering therapy and cerebral microbleeds.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if there is a correlation between lipid-lowering treatment with statins and the occurrence, number, and location of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) among patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease (ICVD), and also to compare treatment with atorvastatin and rosuvastatin in terms of the occurrence of CMBs and their differences. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we included patients who were diagnosed with ICVD and underwent susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) in a grade A tertiary hospital from October 1, 2014 to October 1, 2022. We collected information on previous statin use, past medical history, clinical test indicators, and imaging data. RESULTS: We found that out of 522 patients, 310 patients (59.4%) had no CMB and 212 patients (40.6%) had CMBs. There was no statistically significant correlation between prior statin use, the occurrence, and number of CMBs in patients diagnosed with ICVD (P < 0.05). As for the location of CMB, there was a statistically significant correlation between prior statin use and lobar CMBs (P < 0.048). However, there was no statistically significant correlation between the use of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin and the occurrence of CMBs (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: There was no independent correlation between previous statin use, and the occurrence, and number of CMBs in patients with ICVD. As for CMBs in different locations, there was a correlation between previous use of statin and lobar CMBs. There was no significant difference between atorvastatin and rosuvastatin in the occurrence of CMBs in patients with ICVD.

Research Themes and Trends of Hen of the Woods or Maitake Medicinal Mushroom Grifola frondosa (Agaricomycetes): A Bibliometric Analysis of the Knowledge Field.

This paper aims to characterize the knowledge field of Grifola frondosa and analyze its research themes and trends. CiteSpace, a powerful bibliometric analysis tool, was adopted to visualize the knowledge field of G. frondosa research for facilitating this current study. A total of 747 articles and reviews retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database between 1998 and 2022 were analyzed by CiteSpace. It was found that China and Japan are the most influential countries in G. frondosa research. Secondly, polysaccharide, bioactivity, structural characterization, and submerged culture are the main themes of G. frondosa research, among which bioactivity and structural characterization are the current research hotspots. Finally, selenium polysaccharide and gut microbiota may be the emerging trends in G. frondosa research in the future. This study could help researchers discern the evolution and future trends of G. frondosa research and provide a reference for related research work.

Sources, distribution, and environmental effects of microplastics: a systematic review.

Microplastics (MPs) are receiving increasing attention from researchers. They are environmental pollutants that do not degrade easily, are retained for prolonged periods in environmental media such as water and sediments, and are known to accumulate in aquatic organisms. The aim of this review is to show and discuss the transport and effects of microplastics in the environment. We systematically and critically review 91 articles in the field of sources, distribution, and environmental behavior of microplastics. We conclude that the spread of plastic pollution is related to a myriad of processes and that both primary and secondary MPs are prevalent in the environment. Rivers have been indicated as major pathways for the transport of MPs from terrestrial areas into the ocean, and atmospheric circulation may be an important avenue for transporting MPs between environmental compartments. Additionally, the vector effect of MPs can change the original environmental behavior of other pollutants, leading to severe compound toxicity. Further in-depth studies on the distribution and chemical and biological interactions of MPs are highly suggested to improve our understanding of how MPs behave in the environment.

Ingestion of microplastics by silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) larvae: Quantification of ingestion and assessment of microbiota dysbiosis.

The adverse effects of microplastics ingested by aquatic organisms have been reported previously. However, most studies are primarily qualitative; therefore, it is challenging to determine the direct interactions between microplastics and organisms. In this study, for the first time, the microplastic intake behavior of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) larvae, a popular fish in China, as well as intestine accumulation and excretion of the microplastics were quantitatively investigated. The results showed that the intake of microplastics by silver carp larvae was negatively correlated with the particle size of microplastics but positively correlated with the exposure concentration. After intaking microplastics of different sizes, small-sized microplastics (≤ 150 µm) were rapidly excreted from the intestine of silver carp, whereas some large-sized microplastics (≥ 300 µm) remained in the intestine for a long time. The presence of food significantly increased the intake of large-sized microplastics, while small-sized microplastics intake was unaffected by the food. More importantly, the ingested microplastics caused specific changes in the diversity of intestinal microflora, potentially leading to abnormal immune and metabolic functions. The results of this study provide a new understanding on the potential impacts of microplastics on aquatic organisms.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Coastal Viral Community Structure and Potential Biogeochemical Roles Affected by an Ulva prolifera Green Tide.

The world's largest macroalgal green tide, caused by Ulva prolifera, has resulted in serious consequences for coastal waters of the Yellow Sea, China. Although viruses are considered to be one of the key factors in controlling microalgal bloom demise, understanding of the relationship between viral communities and the macroalgal green tide is still poor. Here, a Qingdao coastal virome (QDCV) time-series data set was constructed based on the metagenomic analysis of 17 DNA viromes along three coastal stations of the Yellow Sea, covering different stages of the green tide from Julian days 165 to 271. A total of 40,076 viral contigs were detected and clustered into 28,058 viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs). About 84% of the vOTUs could not be classified, and 62% separated from vOTUs in other ecosystems. Green tides significantly influenced the spatiotemporal dynamics of the viral community structure, diversity, and potential functions. For the classified vOTUs, the relative abundance of Pelagibacter phages declined with the arrival of the bloom and rebounded after the bloom, while Synechococcus and Roseobacter phages increased, although with a time lag from the peak of their hosts. More than 80% of the vOTUs reached peaks in abundance at different specific stages, and the viral peaks were correlated with specific hosts at different stages of the green tide. Most of the viral auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) were associated with carbon and sulfur metabolism and showed spatiotemporal dynamics relating to the degradation of the large amount of organic matter released by the green tide. IMPORTANCE To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the responses of viruses to the world's largest macroalgal green tide. It revealed the spatiotemporal dynamics of the unique viral assemblages and auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) following the variation and degradation of Ulva prolifera. These findings demonstrate a tight coupling between viral assemblages, and prokaryotic and eukaryotic abundances were influenced by the green tide.

Acupuncture-related techniques for prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus in people with pre-diabetes: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: In modern society, the incidence of diabetes is increasing year by year. Most individuals pass through a phase of prediabetes before developing full blown diabetes. Acupuncture-related has been widely used in the treatment of diabetes, but there is no systematic review of acupuncture-related on the control of blood glucose in prediabetes. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a meta-analysis of the clinical efficacy of acupuncutre-related therapy in preventing the development of diabetes in patients with prediabetes. METHODS: We will search Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan-Fang Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP Database) from their respective inception dates to September 1, 2022 to identify potentially eligible studies. We will use the Review Manager 5.4 software provided by the Cochrane Collaborative Network for statistical analysis. We then assessed the quality and risk of the included studies and observed the outcome measures. RESULTS: This meta-analysis further elucidates the protective effects of acupuncture-related techniques on patients with prediabetes. CONCLUSION: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate the effect of acupuncture- related techniques on blood glucose in patients with prediabetes, and to provide more methods for clinical prevention of conversion from prediabetes to diabetes.

Virioplankton assemblages from challenger deep, the deepest place in the oceans.

Hadal ocean biosphere, that is, the deepest part of the world's oceans, harbors a unique microbial community, suggesting a potential uncovered co-occurring virioplankton assemblage. Herein, we reveal the unique virioplankton assemblages of the Challenger Deep, comprising 95,813 non-redundant viral contigs from the surface to the hadal zone. Almost all of the dominant viral contigs in the hadal zone were unclassified, potentially related to Alteromonadales and Oceanospirillales. 2,586 viral auxiliary metabolic genes from 132 different KEGG orthologous groups were mainly related to the carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and arsenic metabolism. Lysogenic viral production and integrase genes were augmented in the hadal zone, suggesting the prevalence of viral lysogenic life strategy. Abundant rve genes in the hadal zone, which function as transposase in the caudoviruses, further suggest the prevalence of viral-mediated horizontal gene transfer. This study provides fundamental insights into the virioplankton assemblages of the hadal zone, reinforcing the necessity of incorporating virioplankton into the hadal biogeochemical cycles.

Hard x-ray spectrometer with high time and energy resolution on HL-2A tokamak.

A hard x-ray spectrometer based on a φ25 × 25 mm2 LaBr3 scintillator has been developed to measure the runaway electron bremsstrahlung. Simulation results by GEANT4 show that x rays with an energy of 15 MeV can be effectively detected. In order to tolerate a high count rate, a self-made fast shaping amplifier is used to process the detector output into a fast bipolar pulse. The tested energy resolution, which was 3.4% for Cs-137 662 keV gamma rays, shows that the shaping amplifier does not significantly degrade the energy resolution. The results of the HL-2A discharge show that the maximum count rate can reach 2 MHz, and the time resolution of the spectrometer can reach the millisecond level.

Examining an Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms with Hyperuricemia in Chinese Flight Attendants.

Background: Both genetic and environmental factors strongly affect serum uric acid (SUA) concentrations. The incidence of hyperuricemia tends to be younger in the Chinese population. In particular, we have found a high prevalence of hyperuricemia among Chinese flight attendants, aged from 20 to 40, in our survey. This study aims to evaluate whether there is an association between gene polymorphisms and hyperuricemia among Chinese flight attendants. Methods: A total of 532 flight attendants with high and normal serum uric acid levels were recruited. Allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) was performed using blood samples of enrolled subjects. Results: Previous studies have reported single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are tightly associated with uric acid levels. Among them, six SNPs that are strongly associated with SUA or gout in Asians, for instance ABCG2 (rs2231142, rs72552713 and rs2231137), GCKR (rs780094), SLC2A9 (rs1014290) and SLC17A1 (rs1183201), were selected for AS-PCR analyses. We found that SNPs such as ABCG2 rs2231142, GCKR rs780094 and SLC2A9 rs1014290 are strongly associated with hyperuricemia in male flight attendants, and SLC2A9 rs1014290 among female flight attendants. Conclusion: Our study provides evidences of an association between SNPs and hyperuricemia in the Chinese flight attendants, and highlights the significance of improving diagnostics and prevention of disease development in uric acid metabolism disorders and gout using these SNPs.

Preliminary Study on the Effect of Impaired Glucose Tolerance on Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability in Non-Neurosyphilis Patients.

Background: Blood-brain barrier (BBB) is frequently disrupted in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and/or neurosyphilis (NS). Clinical cases reflect a trend that non-neurosyphilis (non-NS) patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) are likely to develop NS and/or DM. Objective: To investigate whether IGT promotes BBB disruption in patients with non-NS. Methods and Material: A total of 21 subjects were enrolled, including six with IGT, nine with non-NS, and six with both IGT and non-NS. BBB permeability was evaluated by dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI and the secretion of biomarkers from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured by colorimetric method, immune turbidimetric method, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Results: The non-NS patients with IGT have higher BBB permeability at cortex superior frontal gyrus, white matter, and thalamus than non-NS patients without IGT or IGT patients without non-NS. The CSF-serum albumin-quotient (Qalb) levels and CSF secretion are highest in non-NS patients with IGT, including matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), soluble intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1). Conclusions: Significant correlations between CSF biomarkers and BBB permeability were found.

Single-Cell Transcriptomics of Cultured Amniotic Fluid Cells Reveals Complex Gene Expression Alterations in Human Fetuses With Trisomy 18.

Trisomy 18, commonly known as Edwards syndrome, is the second most common autosomal trisomy among live born neonates. Multiple tissues including cardiac, abdominal, and nervous systems are affected by an extra chromosome 18. To delineate the complexity of anomalies of trisomy 18, we analyzed cultured amniotic fluid cells from two euploid and three trisomy 18 samples using single-cell transcriptomics. We identified 6 cell groups, which function in development of major tissues such as kidney, vasculature and smooth muscle, and display significant alterations in gene expression as detected by single-cell RNA-sequencing. Moreover, we demonstrated significant gene expression changes in previously proposed trisomy 18 critical regions, and identified three new regions such as 18p11.32, 18q11 and 18q21.32, which are likely associated with trisomy 18 phenotypes. Our results indicate complexity of trisomy 18 at the gene expression level and reveal genetic reasoning of diverse phenotypes in trisomy 18 patients.

Nanoplastic adsorption characteristics of bisphenol A: The roles of pH, metal ions, and suspended sediments.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are widely found in the environment and can act as a vector for various toxic substances and promote their diffusion and bioenrichment, but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, the adsorption characteristics of bisphenol A (BPA) onto NPs were explored. The results show that the adsorption of BPA on NPs was dominated by saturated single-layer adsorption and affected by both intra-particle diffusion and liquid film diffusion. Electrostatic interaction, π-π interaction, and hydrophobic effects played key roles in adsorption. In addition, the introduction of electrolytes inhibited the adsorption of BPA onto NPs. Interestingly, the introduction of suspended sediment promoted the formation of heterogeneous aggregates of NPs-SS, thereby reducing the adsorption capacity, indicating that aggregation may play an important role in the adsorption behavior of NPs. Overall, our results provide new insights into the adsorption behavior of BPA on NPs and the underlying mechanisms under different environmental conditions.

A laser wakefield acceleration facility using SG-II petawatt laser system.

Laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) using PW-class laser pulses generally requires cm-scale laser-plasma interaction Rayleigh length, which can be realized by focusing such pulses inside a long underdense plasma with a large f-number focusing optic. Here, we present a new PW-based LWFA instrument at the SG-II 5 PW laser facility, which employs f/23 focusing. The setup also adapted an online probing of the plasma density via Nomarski interferometry using a probe laser beam having 30 fs pulse duration. By focusing 1-PW, 30-fs laser pulses down to a focal spot of 230 µm, the peak laser intensity reached a mild-relativistic level of 2.6 × 1018 W/cm2, a level modest for standard LWFA experiments. Despite the large aspect ratio of >25:1 (transverse to longitudinal dimensions) of the laser pulse, electron beams were observed in our experiment only when the laser pulse experienced relativistic self-focusing at high gas-pressure thresholds, corresponding to plasma densities higher than 3 × 1018 cm-3.

Etiologies and Mechanisms of Ischemic Stroke Associated with Sexual Intercourse: A Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to some special events, also called stroke triggers, can precipitate the onset of ischemic stroke (IS). Previous studies have presented preliminary hypotheses about sexual intercourse as a trigger of IS in predisposed individuals, but the mechanisms of IS associated with sexual intercourse are still not well defined. This literature review summarizes the etiologies and mechanisms of IS associated with sexual intercourse. Further studies on stroke triggers are warranted, and early recognition and appropriate preventive strategies directed against the short-term risks posed by stroke triggers may complement the long-term risk factor reduction approach. METHODS: Articles were selected from PubMed (1946-2021) and Web of Science Core Collection (1990-2021) using the following search terms: ischemic stroke, ischaemic stroke, stroke, cerebral infarction, cerebral ischemia, cerebral embolism, embolism, sexual intercourse, sexual activity, intercourse, coitus, coition, and coital. RESULTS: A total of 20 studies, which included 26 patients with IS associated with sexual intercourse, were included. This literature review found that IS associated with sexual intercourse is not rare but has not received enough attention, and paradoxical embolization and postcoital arterial dissection are common etiologies. Other etiologies include drug usage (such as sexual adjuvant drugs and illicit drugs), paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity, and reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Sexual intercourse should be considered an important trigger for IS. Clinicians should be aware that IS associated with sexual intercourse is not subjective but may be a warning sign of multiple etiologies and mechanisms.