Initial therapeutic evidence of a borosilicate bioactive glass (BSG) and Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticle scaffold on implant-associated Staphylococcal aureus bone infection.

Implant-associated Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) osteomyelitis is a severe challenge in orthopedics. While antibiotic-loaded bone cement is a standardized therapeutic approach for S. aureus osteomyelitis, it falls short in eradicating Staphylococcus abscess communities (SACs) and bacteria within osteocyte-lacuna canalicular network (OLCN) and repairing bone defects. To address limitations, we developed a borosilicate bioactive glass (BSG) combined with ferroferric oxide (Fe3O4) magnetic scaffold to enhance antibacterial efficacy and bone repair capabilities. We conducted comprehensive assessments of the osteoinductive, immunomodulatory, antibacterial properties, and thermal response of this scaffold, with or without an alternating magnetic field (AMF). Utilizing a well-established implant-related S. aureus tibial infection rabbit model, we evaluated its antibacterial performance in vivo. RNA transcriptome sequencing demonstrated that BSG + 5%Fe3O4 enhanced the immune response to bacteria and promoted osteogenic differentiation and mineralization of MSCs. Notably, BSG + 5%Fe3O4 upregulated gene expression of NOD-like receptor and TNF pathway in MSCs, alongside increased the expression of osteogenic factors (RUNX2, ALP and OCN) in vitro. Flow cytometry on macrophage exhibited a polarization effect towards M2, accompanied by upregulation of anti-inflammatory genes (TGF-ß1 and IL-1Ra) and downregulation of pro-inflammatory genes (IL-6 and IL-1ß) among macrophages. In vivo CT imaging revealed the absence of osteolysis and periosteal response in rabbits treated with BSG + 5%Fe3O4 + AMF at 42 days. Histological analysis indicated complete controls of SACs and bacteria within OLCN by day 42, along with new bone formation, signifying effective control of S. aureus osteomyelitis. Further investigations will focus on the in vivo biosafety and biological mechanism of this scaffold within infectious microenvironment.

CP-Net: Instance-aware part segmentation network for biological cell parsing.

Instance segmentation of biological cells is important in medical image analysis for identifying and segmenting individual cells, and quantitative measurement of subcellular structures requires further cell-level subcellular part segmentation. Subcellular structure measurements are critical for cell phenotyping and quality analysis. For these purposes, instance-aware part segmentation network is first introduced to distinguish individual cells and segment subcellular structures for each detected cell. This approach is demonstrated on human sperm cells since the World Health Organization has established quantitative standards for sperm quality assessment. Specifically, a novel Cell Parsing Net (CP-Net) is proposed for accurate instance-level cell parsing. An attention-based feature fusion module is designed to alleviate contour misalignments for cells with an irregular shape by using instance masks as spatial cues instead of as strict constraints to differentiate various instances. A coarse-to-fine segmentation module is developed to effectively segment tiny subcellular structures within a cell through hierarchical segmentation from whole to part instead of directly segmenting each cell part. Moreover, a sperm parsing dataset is built including 320 annotated sperm images with five semantic subcellular part labels. Extensive experiments on the collected dataset demonstrate that the proposed CP-Net outperforms state-of-the-art instance-aware part segmentation networks.

Experimental study on the mechanical characteristics of weakly cemented mudstone under different loading rates.

With the gradual shift of coal mining to the western coal mining region of China, floor heave in weakly cemented mudstone roadways has become an issue affecting the safety and efficiency of coal mine production. Additionally, different mining rates can lead to fluctuating support stresses on the roof and floor of weakly cemented mudstone roadways. Therefore, obtaining a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical properties of weakly cemented mudstone at different loading rates is conducive to improving the issue of floor heave in such roadways and provides a theoretical basis for further study. In this context, a series of uniaxial mechanical tests with concurrent acoustic emission monitoring were conducted on specimens of weakly cemented mudstone under various loading rates (0.005, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1 mm/s). The stress‒strain and acoustic emission response curves were obtained to effectively characterize the strength, deformation, damage, macroscale instability, and crack propagation characteristics of the mudstone under the influence of loading rate effects. The research results support the following findings: (1) With increasing loading rate, the peak strength and elastic modulus of weakly cemented mudstone significantly increase, while the peak axial strain and peak radial deformation significantly decrease. (2) With increasing loading rate, the stress required to trigger the expansion of weakly cemented mudstone gradually increases, and a significant power-law relationship arises between the strain of the mudstone at the start of expansion and the loading rate. (3) With increasing loading rate, the acoustic emission ringing count of weakly cemented mudstone increases: The failure of weakly cemented mudstone changes from small-range progressive failure to sudden failure, and the failure mode transitions from shear failure to tensile‒shear composite failure. (4) The studied mudstone damage variables increase with increasing loading rate, following an approximate exponential function. The conclusions obtained in this work can provide a theoretical basis for the evolution mechanism and control of floor heave in deep roadway mining.

Versatile Activated Carbon Fibers Derived from the Cotton Fibers Used as CO2 Solid-State Adsorbents and Electrode Materials.

Activated carbon has an excellent porous structure and is considered a promising adsorbent and electrode material. In this study, activated carbon fibers (ACFs) with abundant microporous structures, derived from natural cotton fibers, were successfully synthesized at a certain temperature in an Ar atmosphere and then activated with KOH. The obtained ACFs were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), elemental analysis, nitrogen and carbon dioxide adsorption-desorption analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and N2 adsorption-desorption measurement. The obtained ACFs showed high porous qualities and had a surface area from 673 to 1597 m2/g and a pore volume from 0.33 to 0.79 cm3/g. The CO2 capture capacities of prepared ACFs were measured and the maximum capture capacity for CO2 up to 6.9 mmol/g or 4.6 mmol/g could be achieved at 0 °C or 25 °C and 1 standard atmospheric pressure (1 atm). Furthermore, the electrochemical capacitive properties of as-prepared ACFs in KOH aqueous electrolyte were also studied. It is important to note that the pore volume of the pores below 0.90 nm plays key roles to determine both the CO2 capture ability and the electrochemical capacitance. This study provides guidance for designing porous carbon materials with high CO2 capture capacity or excellent capacitance performance.

The AaBBX21-AaHY5 module mediates light-regulated artemisinin biosynthesis in Artemisia annua L.

The sesquiterpene lactone artemisinin is an important anti-malarial component produced by the glandular secretory trichomes of sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua L.). Light was previously shown to promote artemisinin production, but the underlying regulatory mechanism remains elusive. In this study, we demonstrate that ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5), a central transcription factor in the light signaling pathway, cannot promote artemisinin biosynthesis on its own, as the binding of AaHY5 to the promoters of artemisinin biosynthetic genes failed to activate their transcription. Transcriptome analysis and yeast two-hybrid screening revealed the B-box transcription factor AaBBX21 as a potential interactor with AaHY5. AaBBX21 showed a trichome-specific expression pattern. Additionally, the AaBBX21-AaHY5 complex cooperatively activated transcription from the promoters of the downstream genes AaGSW1, AaMYB108, and AaORA, encoding positive regulators of artemisinin biosynthesis. Moreover, AaHY5 and AaBBX21 physically interacted with the A. annua E3 ubiquitin ligase CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1). In the dark, AaCOP1 decreased the accumulation of AaHY5 and AaBBX21 and repressed the activation of genes downstream of the AaHY5-AaBBX21 complex, explaining the enhanced production of artemisinin upon light exposure. Our study provides insights into the central regulatory mechanism by which light governs terpenoid biosynthesis in the plant kingdom.

Endogenous hydrogen sulfide accelerated trauma-induced heterotopic ossification through the Ca2+/ERK pathway-enhanced aberrant osteogenic activity.

Unveiling of the mechanism involved in the occurrence and development of trauma-induced heterotopic ossification (tHO) is highly demanding due to current ineffective clinical treatment for it. Previous studies proposed that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) was vital for fate determination of stem cells, suggesting a potential role in the regulation of tHO development. In the current study, We found that expression of metabolic enzyme within sulfur conversion pathway was enhanced after tendon injury, leading to H2S accumulation within the tHO region. Increased production of endogenous H2S was shown to promote aberrant osteogenic activity of tendon-derived stem cells (TDSCs), which accelerated tHO formation. The inhibition of metabolic enzyme of H2S production or directly absorption of H2S could abolished osteogenic induction of TDSCs and the formation of tHO. Mechanistically, through RNA sequencing combined with rescue experiments, we demonstrated that activation of Ca2+/ERK pathway was the downstream molecular event of H2S-induced osteogenic commitment of TDSCs and tHO. For treatment strategy exploration, zine oxide nanoparticles (ZnO) as an effective H2S elimination material was validated to ideally halt the tHO formation in this study. Furthermore, in terms of chirality of nanoparticles, D-ZnO or L-ZnO nanoparticles showed superiority over R-ZnO nanoparticles in both clearing of H2S and inhibition of tHO. Our study not only revealed the mechanism of tHO through the endogenous gas signaling event from a new perspective, but also presented a applicable platform for elimination of the inordinate gas production, thus aiding the development of clinical treatment for tHO.

A preliminary probabilistic nomogram model for predicting renal arteriolar damage in IgA nephropathy from clinical parameters.

Background: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a significant contributor to chronic kidney disease (CKD). Renal arteriolar damage is associated with IgAN prognosis. However, simple tools for predicting arteriolar damage of IgAN remain limited. We aim to develop and validate a nomogram model for predicting renal arteriolar damage in IgAN patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 547 cases of biopsy-proven IgAN patients. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and logistic regression were applied to screen for factors associated with renal arteriolar damage in patients with IgAN. A nomogram was developed to evaluate the renal arteriolar damage in patients with IgAN. The performance of the proposed nomogram was evaluated based on a calibration plot, ROC curve (AUC) and Harrell's concordance index (C-index). Results: In this study, patients in the arteriolar damage group had higher levels of age, mean arterial pressure (MAP), serum creatinine, serum urea nitrogen, serum uric acid, triglycerides, proteinuria, tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis (T1-2) and decreased eGFR than those without arteriolar damage. Predictors contained in the prediction nomogram included age, MAP, eGFR and serum uric acid. Then, a nomogram model for predicting renal arteriolar damage was established combining the above indicators. Our model achieved well-fitted calibration curves and the C-indices of this model were 0.722 (95%CI 0.670-0.774) and 0.784 (95%CI 0.716-0.852) in the development and validation groups, respectively. Conclusion: With excellent predictive abilities, the nomogram may be a simple and reliable tool to predict the risk of renal arteriolar damage in patients with IgAN.

Bone Fracture Healing under the Intervention of a Stretchable Ultrasound Array.

Ultrasound treatment has been recognized as an effective and noninvasive approach to promote fracture healing. However, traditional rigid ultrasound probe is bulky, requiring cumbersome manual operations and inducing unfavorable side effects when functioning, which precludes the wide application of ultrasound in bone fracture healing. Here, we report a stretchable ultrasound array for bone fracture healing, which features high-performance 1-3 piezoelectric composites as transducers, stretchable multilayered serpentine metal films in a bridge-island pattern as electrical interconnects, soft elastomeric membranes as encapsulations, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with low curing agent ratio as adhesive layers. The resulting ultrasound array offers the benefits of large stretchability for easy skin integration and effective affecting region for simple skin alignment with good electromechanical performance. Experimental investigations of the stretchable ultrasound array on the delayed union model in femoral shafts of rats show that the callus growth is more active in the second week of treatment and the fracture site is completely osseous healed in the sixth week of treatment. Various bone quality indicators (e.g., bone modulus, bone mineral density, bone tissue/total tissue volume, and trabecular bone thickness) could be enhanced with the intervention of a stretchable ultrasound array. Histological and immunohistochemical examinations indicate that ultrasound promotes osteoblast differentiation, bone formation, and remodeling by promoting the expression of osteopontin (OPN) and runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2). This work provides an effective tool for bone fracture healing in a simple and convenient manner and creates engineering opportunities for applying ultrasound in medical applications.

The different effects of molybdate on Hg(II) bio-methylation in aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.

In nature, methylmercury (MeHg) is primarily generated through microbial metabolism, and the ability of bacteria to methylate Hg(II) depends on both bacterial properties and environmental factors. It is widely known that, as a metabolic analog, molybdate can inhibit the sulfate reduction process and affect the growth and methylation of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). However, after it enters the cell, molybdate can be involved in various intracellular metabolic pathways as a molybdenum cofactor; whether fluctuations in its concentration affect the growth and methylation of aerobic mercury methylating strains remains unknown. To address this gap, aerobic γ-Proteobacteria strains Raoultella terrigena TGRB3 (B3) and Pseudomonas putida TGRB4 (B4), as well as an obligate anaerobic δ-Proteobacteria strain of the SRB Desulfomicrobium escambiense CGMCC 1.3481 (DE), were used as experimental strains. The growth and methylation ability of each strain were analyzed under conditions of 500 ng·L-1 Hg(II), 0 and 21% of oxygen, and 0, 0.25, 0.50, and 1 mM of MoO4 2-. In addition, in order to explore the metabolic specificity of aerobic strains, transcriptomic data of the facultative mercury-methylated strain B3 were further analyzed in an aerobic mercuric environment. The results indicated that: (a) molybdate significantly inhibited the growth of DE, while B3 and B4 exhibited normal growth. (b) Under anaerobic conditions, in DE, the MeHg content decreased significantly with increasing molybdate concentration, while in B3, MeHg production was unaffected. Furthermore, under aerobic conditions, the MeHg productions of B3 and B4 were not influenced by the molybdate concentration. (c) The transcriptomic analysis showed several genes that were annotated as members of the molybdenum oxidoreductase family of B3 and that exhibited significant differential expression. These findings suggest that the differential expression of molybdenum-binding proteins might be related to their involvement in energy metabolism pathways that utilize nitrate and dimethyl sulfoxide as electron acceptors. Aerobic bacteria, such as B3 and B4, might possess distinct Hg(II) biotransformation pathways from anaerobic SRB, rendering their growth and biomethylation abilities unaffected by molybdate.

The Prevalence and Risk Factors for Postoperative Thirst: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Thirst is a symptom of dehydration and one of the main complications affecting postoperative outcomes and comfort. Persistent water scarcity can have a detrimental effect on the cognitive function and psychology of patients. However, the current evidence about the prevalence and risk factors for postoperative thirst is not fully understood. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of postoperative thirst and provide guidance for clinical practice. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, Clinicaltrials.gov, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Database. Eligible studies were evaluated using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The collected data were pooled and analyzed using Stata15.0. FINDINGS: A total of 11 cross-sectional studies were included involving 20,612 patients. Eight studies reported prevalence and the pooled prevalence of postoperative thirst was 76.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.664 to 0.858). Five studies contributed to meta-syntheses of risk factors for postoperative thirst. The results indicated that sex (odds ratio [OR] = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.13 to 1.84, I2 = 80.2%, P = .006), anesthesia drug (OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.06 to 2.06, I2 = 94.8%, P < .001), surgical type (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.49 to 0.9, I2 = 77.9%, P = .004) were statistically associated with postoperative thirst. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows a high prevalence of postoperative thirst. Sex, anesthesia drug, and surgical type are risk factors that influence postoperative thirst. Nurses and other health care professionals should routinely assess the postoperative thirst of patients and perform targeted interventions to alleviate their distressing symptoms and improve the quality of care.

[Ecological characteristics and seasonal changes of macrozoobenthos in the waters of Miaodao Archipelago, China]. / åº™å²›ç¾¤å²›æµ·åŸŸå¤§åž‹åº•æ –åŠ¨ç‰©ç”Ÿæ€ç‰¹å¾åŠå­£èŠ‚å˜åŒ–.

To understand the macrozoobenthic community composition and spatial-temporal distribution characteristics of macrobenthos in the waters of Miaodao Archipelago, Yantai, Shandong and its response to habitat changes, we conducted surveys of macrobenthos and environmental elements in the waters of Miaodao Islands in May (spring), August (summer), and October (autumn) in 2022. Results showed that a total of 127 macrozoobenthic species were recorded, with Mollusca and Annelida (Polychaeta) as the dominant taxa, consisting of 47 and 45 species, respectively. The key dominant species included Sternaspis chinensis, Glycinde bonhourei, Moerella hilaris, and Amphioplus (Lymanella) japonicus. The average annual density and biomass of macrozoobenthos were 190 ind·m-2 and 28.69 g·m-2, respectively. There was no significant seasonal differences in density and biomass. The Shannon diversity index (H), evenness index (J), and richness index (D) averaged 3.10, 0.90, and 2.40, respectively. Cluster analysis results showed low similarity coefficients of community among the three seasons, suggesting a distinct distribution pattern. Factors such as bottom seawater temperature, chlorophyll a, nutrient, sediment grain size, and organic matter content could significantly influence the structure and diversity of macrozoobenthic community. Compared with historical research data, the Changdao National Wetland Nature Reserve and the implementation of enclosure aquaculture have led to notable changes in the dominant species of macrobenthos. Specifically, there was a noticeable decline in both density and H, and an increase in biomass and J. Additionally, body size of benthic fauna was transitioning from small to big.

Circadian Rhythm Disruption in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Investigated by Integrated Analysis of Bulk and Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Data.

Circadian rhythms are essential regulators of a multitude of physiological and behavioral processes, such as the metabolism and function of the liver. Circadian rhythms are crucial to liver homeostasis, as the liver is a key metabolic organ accountable for the systemic equilibrium of the body. Circadian rhythm disruption alone is sufficient to cause liver cancer through the maintenance of hepatic metabolic disorder. Although there is evidence linking CRD to hepatocarcinogenesis, the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the circadian crosstalk that leads to hepatocellular carcinoma remain unknown. The expression of CRD-related genes in HCC was investigated in this study via bulk RNA transcriptomic analysis and single-cell sequencing. Dysregulated CRD-related genes are predominantly found in hepatocytes and fibroblasts, according to the findings. By using a combination of single-cell RNA sequencing and bulk RNA sequencing analyses, the dysregulated CRD-related genes ADAMTS13, BIRC5, IGFBP3, MARCO, MT2A, NNMT, and PGLYRP2 were identified. The survival analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method revealed a significant correlation between the expression levels of BIRC5 and IGFBP3 and the survival of patients diagnosed with HCC.

Elevated SLC1A5 associated with poor prognosis and therapeutic resistance to transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor, and glutamine is vital for tumor cells. The role of glutamine transporter SLC1A5 in tumor progression and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) efficacy is under study. This research seeks to determine the impact of SLC1A5 expression on the prognosis and TACE efficacy of HCC and elucidate its mechanisms. METHODS: SLC1A5 expression in HCC, correlation with patient outcomes, and response to TACE were studied in an open access liver cancer dataset and confirmed in our cohort. Additionally, the correlation between SLC1A5 expression and hypoxia, angiogenesis and immune infiltration was analyzed and verified by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and transcriptome sequencing. Liver cancer cell lines with SLC1A5 expression knockdown or overexpression were constructed, and cell proliferation, colony formation, apoptosis, migration and drug sensitivity as well as in vivo xenograft tumor were measured. A gene set enrichment analysis was conducted to determine the signaling pathway influenced by SLC1A5, and a western blot analysis was performed to detect protein expression alterations. RESULTS: SLC1A5 expression was higher in HCC tissue and associated with poor survival and TACE resistance. Hypoxia could stimulate the upregulation of glutamine transport, angiogenesis and SLC1A5 expression. The SLC1A5 expression was positively correlated with hypoxia and angiogenesis-related genes, immune checkpoint pathways, macrophage, Tregs, and other immunosuppressive cells infiltration. Knockdown of SLC1A5 decreased proliferation, colony formation, and migration, but increased apoptosis and increased sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs. Downregulation of SLC1A5 resulted in a decrease in Vimentin and N-cadherin expression, yet an increase in E-cadherin expression. Upregulation of SLC1A5 increased Vimentin and N-cadherin expression, while decreasing E-cadherin. Overexpression of ß-catenin in SLC1A5-knockdown HCC cell lines could augment Vimentin and N-cadherin expression, suppress E-cadherin expression, and increase the migration and drug resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated SLC1A5 was linked to TACE resistance and survival shortening in HCC patients. SLC1A5 was positively correlated with hypoxia, angiogenesis, and immunosuppression. SLC1A5 may mediate HCC cell migration and drug resistance via Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway.

Broadband Negative Photoconductive Response in Carbon Nanodots.

Due to the broadband response and low selectivity of external light, negative photoconductivity (NPC) effect holds great potential applications in photoelectric devices. Herein, different photoresponsive carbon nanodots (CDs) are prepared from diverse precursors and the broadband response from the NPC CDs are utilized to achieve the optoelectronic logic gates and optical imaging for the first time. In detail, the mcu-CDs which are prepared by the microwave-assisted polymerization of citric acid and urea possess the large specific surface area and abundant hydrophilic groups as sites for the adsorption of H2O molecules and thereby present a high conductivity in dark. Meanwhile, the low affinity of mcu-CDs to H2O molecules permits the light-induced desorption of H2O molecules by heat effect and thus endow the mcu-CDs with a low conductivity under illumination. The easy absorption and desorption of H2O molecules contribute to the extraordinary NPC of mcu-CDs. With the broadband NPC response in CDs, the optoelectronic logic gates and flexible optical imaging system are established, achieving the applications of "NOR" or "NAND" logic operations and high-quality optical images. These findings unveil the unique optoelectronic properties of CDs, and have the potential to advance the applications of CDs in optoelectronic devices.

Lutein Modulates Cellular Functionalities and Regulates NLRP3 Inflammasome in a H2O2-Challenged Three-Dimensional Retinal Pigment Epithelium Model.

Excessive hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generated during retinal cell metabolic activity could lead to oxidative degeneration of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) tissue, a specific pathological process implicated in various retinal diseases resulting in blindness, which can be mitigated by taking dietary antioxidants to prevent inflammation and impaired cellular dysfunction. This study tested the hypothesis that damages induced by oxidative stresses can be mitigated by lutein in a H2O2-challenged model, which was based on an ARPE-19 cell monolayer cultured on three-dimensional (3D)-printed fibrous scaffolds. Pretreating these models with lutein (0.5 µM) for 24 h can significantly lower the oxidative stress and maintain phagocytosis and barrier function. Moreover, lutein can modulate the NLRP3 inflammasome, leading to a ∼40% decrease in the pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1ß and IL-18) levels. Collectively, this study suggests that the 3D RPE model is an effective tool to examine the capability of lutein to modulate cellular functionalities and regulate NLRP3 inflammation.

Sex as a predictor of clinical phenotype and determinant of immune response in IgG4-related disease: a retrospective study of patients fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology-European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria.

BACKGROUND: IgG4-related disease is a multiorgan fibroinflammatory disease considered to have an autoimmune origin. Case series describing individual organ involvement have suggested differences in phenotypic expression between males and females. We aimed to characterise differences in IgG4-related disease manifestations between male and female patients in a large single-centre cohort. METHODS: In this retrospective, single-centre cohort study, patients were recruited from the Massachusetts General Hospital Rheumatology Clinic (Boston, MA, USA) and classified according to the American College of Rheumatology-European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (ACR-EULAR) classification criteria. Only patients satisfying the ACR-EULAR classification criteria were included in the study. Data on age at diagnosis, organ involvement at baseline, treatment status, and pre-treatment laboratory values were collected. Circulating plasmablasts and B-cell subsets were quantitated by flow cytometry. Active disease was defined by an IgG4-related disease Responder Index score of more than 0. Laboratory values were analysed for patients who were untreated at baseline and had active IgG4-related disease. The main outcomes were assessed in all participants with available data. FINDINGS: Of the 564 participants enrolled in the Massachusetts General Hospital Rheumatology Clinic IgG4-related disease Registry, 328 fulfilled ACR-EULAR classification criteria and were included between January, 2008, and May, 2023. There was a strong male predominance (male:female ratio 2·2:1) with 226 (69%) males and 102 (31%) females, which contrasted markedly with our general rheumatology clinic population (0·4:1; p<0·001). The male predominance increased with each decade of life starting at age 40 years. On average, male patients were 5·5 years older at diagnosis than female patients (63·7 years vs 58·2 years; p=0·0031). We observed male patients to have higher ACR-EULAR classification criteria scores at baseline with a median score of 35·0 (IQR 28·0-46·0), compared with 29·5 (25·0-39·0) for females (p=0·0010). The proportion of male patients with pancreatic and renal involvement was almost double the proportion observed in female patients (50% of the male patients had pancreatic involvement, compared with about 26% of the female patients; p<0·0001). Male patients were more likely to have serological abnormalities at baseline. The distribution of IgG4 values differed significantly between male an female sexes, favouring higher values in males. We found that male patients with IgG4-related disease were more likely to have active B-cell responses in the blood as defined by plasmablast expansions. INTERPRETATION: IgG4-related disease is unusual among autoimmune diseases in that it is more likely to affect males than females and to present with a striking sex-dependent organ distribution and degree of B-cell response. These findings highlight important variation between IgG4-related disease and other conditions generally believed to have an autoimmune basis. Most autoimmune diseases, by contrast to IgG4-related disease, demonstrate pronounced predilections for affecting females more frequently than males. Hypotheses surrounding the cause and pathophysiology of this condition need to consider this unusual sex distribution among patients with IgG4-related disease. FUNDING: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rheumatology Research Foundation, and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Self-Rolled-Up WSe2 One-Dimensional/Two-Dimensional Homojunctions: Enabling High-Performance Self-Powered Polarization-Sensitive Photodetectors.

Mixed-dimensional heterostructures integrate materials of diverse dimensions with unique electronic functionalities, providing a new platform for research in electron transport and optoelectronic detection. Here, we report a novel covalently bonded one-dimensional/two-dimensional (1D/2D) homojunction structure with robust junction contacts, which exhibits wide-spectrum (from the visible to near-infrared regions), self-driven photodetection, and polarization-sensitive photodetection capabilities. Benefiting from the ultralow dark current at zero bias voltage, the on/off ratio and detectivity of the device reach 1.5 × 103 and 3.24 × 109 Jones, respectively. Furthermore, the pronounced anisotropy of the WSe2 1D/2D homojunction is attributed to its low symmetry, enabling polarization-sensitive detection. In the absence of any external bias voltage, the device exhibits strong linear dichroism for wavelengths of 638 and 808 nm, with anisotropy ratios of 2.06 and 1.96, respectively. These results indicate that such mixed-dimensional structures can serve as attractive building blocks for novel optoelectronic detectors.

A highly effective ferritin-based divalent nanoparticle vaccine shields Syrian hamsters against lethal Nipah virus.

The Nipah virus (NiV), a highly deadly bat-borne paramyxovirus, poses a substantial threat due to recurrent outbreaks in specific regions, causing severe respiratory and neurological diseases with high morbidity. Two distinct strains, NiV-Malaysia (NiV-M) and NiV-Bangladesh (NiV-B), contribute to outbreaks in different geographical areas. Currently, there are no commercially licensed vaccines or drugs available for prevention or treatment. In response to this urgent need for protection against NiV and related henipaviruses infections, we developed a novel homotypic virus-like nanoparticle (VLP) vaccine co-displaying NiV attachment glycoproteins (G) from both strains, utilizing the self-assembling properties of ferritin protein. In comparison to the NiV G subunit vaccine, our nanoparticle vaccine elicited significantly higher levels of neutralizing antibodies and provided complete protection against a lethal challenge with NiV infection in Syrian hamsters. Remarkably, the nanoparticle vaccine stimulated the production of antibodies that exhibited superior cross-reactivity to homologous or heterologous henipavirus. These findings underscore the potential utility of ferritin-based nanoparticle vaccines in providing both broad-spectrum and long-term protection against NiV and emerging zoonotic henipaviruses challenges.

Recycling Functional Fillers from Waste Tires for Tailored Polystyrene Composites: Mechanical, Fire Retarding, Electromagnetic Field Shielding, and Acoustic Insulation Properties-A Short Review.

Polymer waste is currently a big and challenging issue throughout the world. Waste tires represent an important source of polymer waste. Therefore, it is highly desirable to recycle functional fillers from waste tires to develop composite materials for advanced applications. The primary theme of this review involves an overview of developing polystyrene (PS) composites using materials from recycled tires as fillers; waste tire recycling in terms of ground tire rubbers, carbon black, and textile fibers; surface treatments of the fillers to optimize various composite properties; and the mechanical, fire retarding, acoustic, and electromagnetic field (EMI) shielding performances of PS composite materials. The development of composite materials from polystyrene and recycled waste tires provides a novel avenue to achieve reductions in carbon emission goals and closed-loop plastic recycling, which is of significance in the development of circular economics and an environmentally friendly society.

Efficient Photocatalytic Desulfurization in Air through Improved Photogenerated Carriers Separation in MOF MIL101/Carbon Dots-g-C3N4 Nanocomposites.

The extensive industrial applications of fuel oil, a critical strategic resource, are accompanied by significant environmental and health concerns due to the presence of sulfur-containing compounds in its composition, which result in hazardous combustion waste. Extensive research has been conducted to develop technologies for low-vulcanization fuel production to address this issue. Consequently, the investigation of catalysts for environmentally friendly and safe photocatalytic desulfurization becomes imperative. To that end, we have designed efficient MIL-101(Fe)/CQDs@g-C3N4 (MIL101/CDs-C3N4) Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts with high carrier separation and mobility through a thermal polymerization-hydrothermal strategy. The high concentration of photogenerated carriers facilitates the activation of oxygen and H2O2, leading to increased production of ROS (⋅O2 -, ⋅OH, h+), thereby enhancing the photocatalytic desulfurization (PODS). Additionally, DFT (Density functional theory) calculations were utilized to determine the electron migration pathways of the catalysts and adsorption energies of DBT (dibenzothiophene). Moreover, Gibbs free energy calculations indicated that MIL101/CDs-C3N4 exhibited the lowest activation energy for oxygen and H2O2. The mechanism of photocatalytic desulfurization was proposed through a combination of theoretical calculations and experimental studies. This study provides guidance for the development of MOF-based Z-scheme systems and their practical application in desulfurization processes.