Achieving Exceptional Volumetric Desalination Capacity Using Compact MoS2 Nanolaminates.

Capacitive deionization (CDI) has emerged as a promising technology for freshwater recovery from low-salinity brackish water. It is still inapplicable in specific scenarios (e.g., households, islands, or offshore platforms) due to too low volumetric adsorption capacities. In this study, we report a high-density semi-metallic molybdenum disulfide (1T'-MoS2) electrode with compact architecture obtained by restacking of exfoliated nanosheets, which achieved high capacitance up to ∼277.5 F cm-3 under an ultrahigh scan rate of 1000 mV s-1 with a lower charge-transfer resistance and nearly ten-fold higher electrochemical active surface area than the 2H-MoS2 electrode. Furthermore, 1T'-MoS2 electrode demonstrates exceptional volumetric desalination capacity of 65.1 mgNaCl cm-3 in CDI experiments. Ex-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveal that the cation storage mechanism with the dynamic expansion of 1T'-MoS2 interlayer to accommodate cations such as Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+, which in turn enhances the capacity. Theoretical analysis unveils that 1T' phase is thermodynamically preferable over 2H phase, the ion hydration and channel confinement also play critical role in enhancing ion adsorption. Overall, this work provides a new method to design compact two-dimensional layered nanolaminates with high volumetric performance for CDI desalination. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The past 10 years of molecular ferroelectrics: structures, design, and properties.

Ferroelectricity, which has diverse important applications such as memory elements, capacitors, and sensors, was first discovered in a molecular compound, Rochelle salt, in 1920 by Valasek. Owing to their superiorities of lightweight, biocompatibility, structural tunability, mechanical flexibility, etc., the past decade has witnessed the renaissance of molecular ferroelectrics as promising complementary materials to commercial inorganic ferroelectrics. Thus, on the 100th anniversary of ferroelectricity, it is an opportune time to look into the future, specifically into how to push the boundaries of material design in molecular ferroelectric systems and finally overcome the hurdles to their commercialization. Herein, we present a comprehensive and accessible review of the appealing development of molecular ferroelectrics over the past 10 years, with an emphasis on their structural diversity, chemical design, exceptional properties, and potential applications. We believe that it will inspire intense, combined research efforts to enrich the family of high-performance molecular ferroelectrics and attract widespread interest from physicists and chemists to better understand the structure-function relationships governing improved applied functional device engineering.

Berberine increases the killing effect of pirarubicin on HCC cells by inhibiting ATG4B-autophagy pathway.

Pirarubicin (THP) is a new generation of cell cycle non-specific anthracycline-based anticancer drug. In the clinic, THP and THP combination therapies have been shown to be effective in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation (TACE) without serious side effects. However, drug resistance limits its therapeutic efficacy. Berberine (BBR), an isoquinoline alkaloid, has been shown to possess antitumour properties against various malignancies. However, the synergistic effect of BBR and THP in the treatment of HCC is unknown. In the present study, we demonstrated for the first time that BBR sensitized HCC cells to THP, including enhancing THP-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis of HCC cells. Moreover, we found that BBR sensitized THP by reducing the expression of autophagy-related 4B (ATG4B). Mechanistically, the inhibition of HIF1α-mediated ATG4B transcription by BBR ultimately led to attenuation of THP-induced cytoprotective autophagy, accompanied by enhanced growth inhibition and apoptosis in THP-treated HCC cells. Tumor-bearing experiments in nude mice showed that the combination treatment with BBR and THP significantly suppressed the growth of HCC xenografts. These results reveal that BBR is able to strengthen the killing effect of THP on HCC cells by repressing the ATG4B-autophagy pathway, which may provide novel insights into the improvement of chemotherapeutic efficacy of THP, and may be conducive to the further clinical application of THP in HCC treatment.

Contezolid-Containing Regimen Successfully Treated Multiple Drug Resistance Mycobacterium Abscessus Complex Infection of Skin: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Background: In recent decades, there has been a substantial surge in the incidence of non-tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) infections. However, the diagnosis and management of NTM globally present significant challenges, particularly in cases involving Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABC) infection where effective therapeutic options are limited. Case Presentation: We reported a 38-year-old female patient who was infected with MABC of skin due to "beauty needle" at a beauty salon, with mass on both cheeks, accompanied by redness, and pain, and some of them was ulcered and effused. Puncture pumping pus from bilateral cheek mass for many times, rinsed with "metronidazole", and oral "cephalosporin" treatment did not work. Therefore, she came to our hospital. MABC was detected in abscess paracentesis pus by nucleic acid mass spectrometry, and was proved by the cultured result of the pus. Thus, the patient was diagnosed as skin MABC infection, and anti-NTM treatment was taken. However, adverse reactions such as tinnitus, hepatotoxicity and neurovirulence occurred during the initial treatment. After adjusting to the contezolid-containing regimen, these adverse reactions improved. After nearly 6 months of treatment, the cheek mass was gradually reduced and the skin ruptures were gradually healed. Follow-up for 10 months showed that the patient's facial symptoms were significantly improved, and no drug-related adverse reactions happened. Conclusion: This was the first successful case of multiple drug resistance MABC infection of skin treated with contezolid-containing antibiotic management strategies, which exhibited remarkable efficacy and good safety in this intractable disease.

Ruthenium Single Atomic Sites Surrounding the Support Pit with Exceptional Photocatalytic Activity.

Single-metal atomic sites and vacancies can accelerate the transfer of photogenerated electrons and enhance photocatalytic performance in photocatalysis. In this study, a series of nickel hydroxide nanoboards (Ni(OH)x NBs) with different loadings of single-atomic Ru sites (w-SA-Ru/Ni(OH)x) were synthesized via a photoreduction strategy. In such catalysts, single-atomic Ru sites are anchored to the vacancies surrounding the pits. Notably, the SA-Ru/Ni(OH)x with 0.60 wt % Ru loading (0.60-SA-Ru/Ni(OH)x) exhibits the highest catalytic performance (27.6 mmol g-1 h-1) during the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 (CO2RR). Either superfluous (0.64 wt %, 18.9 mmol g-1 h-1; 3.35 wt %, 9.4 mmol-1 h-1) or scarce (0.06 wt %, 15.8 mmol g-1 h-1; 0.29 wt %, 21.95 mmol g-1 h-1; 0.58 wt %, 23.4 mmol g-1 h-1) of Ru sites have negative effect on its catalytic properties. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations combined with experimental results revealed that CO2 can be adsorbed in the pits; single-atomic Ru sites can help with the conversion of as-adsorbed CO2 and lower the energy of *COOH formation accelerating the reaction; the excessive single-atomic Ru sites occupy vacancies that retard the completion of CO2RR.

Blockade of a novel MAP4K4-LATS2-SASH1-YAP1 cascade inhibits tumorigenesis and metastasis in luminal breast cancer.

Novel components in the noncanonical Hippo pathway that mediate the growth, metastasis, and drug resistance of breast cancer (BC) cells need to be identified. Here, we showed that expression of SAM and SH3 domain-containing protein 1 (SASH1) is negatively correlated with expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 4 (MAP4K4) in a subpopulation of patients with luminal-subtype BC. Downregulated SASH1 and upregulated MAP4K4 synergistically regulated the proliferation, migration, and invasion of luminal-subtype BC cells. The expression of LATS2, SASH1, and YAP1 and the phosphorylation of YAP1 were negatively regulated by MAP4K4, and LATS2 then phosphorylated SASH1 to form a novel MAP4K4-LATS2-SASH1-YAP1 cascade. Dephosphorylation of Yes1 associated transcriptional regulator (YAP1), YAP1/TAZ nuclear translocation, and downstream transcriptional regulation of YAP1 were promoted by the combined effects of ectopic MAP4K4 expression and SASH1 silencing. Targeted inhibition of MAP4K4 blocked proliferation, cell migration, and ER signaling both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings reveal a novel MAP4K4-LATS2-SASH1-YAP1 phosphorylation cascade, a noncanonical Hippo pathway that mediates ER signaling, tumorigenesis, and metastasis in breast cancer. Targeted intervention with this noncanonical Hippo pathway may constitute a novel alternative therapeutic approach for endocrine-resistant BC.

Measles Virus-Based Vaccine Expressing Membrane-Anchored Spike of SARS-CoV-2 Inducing Efficacious Systemic and Mucosal Humoral Immunity in Hamsters.

As SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve and COVID-19 cases rapidly increase among children and adults, there is an urgent need for a safe and effective vaccine that can elicit systemic and mucosal humoral immunity to limit the emergence of new variants. Using the Chinese Hu191 measles virus (MeV-hu191) vaccine strain as a backbone, we developed MeV chimeras stably expressing the prefusion forms of either membrane-anchored, full-length spike (rMeV-preFS), or its soluble secreted spike trimers with the help of the SP-D trimerization tag (rMeV-S+SPD) of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2. The two vaccine candidates were administrated in golden Syrian hamsters through the intranasal or subcutaneous routes to determine the optimal immunization route for challenge. The intranasal delivery of rMeV-S+SPD induced a more robust mucosal IgA antibody response than the subcutaneous route. The mucosal IgA antibody induced by rMeV-preFS through the intranasal routine was slightly higher than the subcutaneous route, but there was no significant difference. The rMeV-preFS vaccine stimulated higher mucosal IgA than the rMeV-S+SPD vaccine through intranasal or subcutaneous administration. In hamsters, intranasal administration of the rMeV-preFS vaccine elicited high levels of NAbs, protecting against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 variant challenge by reducing virus loads and diminishing pathological changes in vaccinated animals. Encouragingly, sera collected from the rMeV-preFS group consistently showed robust and significantly high neutralizing titers against the latest variant XBB.1.16. These data suggest that rMeV-preFS is a highly promising COVID-19 candidate vaccine that has great potential to be developed into bivalent vaccines (MeV/SARS-CoV-2).

Potential Role of the Anammoxosome in the Adaptation of Anammox Bacteria to Salinity Stress.

The underlying adaptative mechanisms of anammox bacteria to salt stress are still unclear. The potential role of the anammoxosome in modulating material and energy metabolism in response to salinity stress was investigated in this study. The results showed that anammox bacteria increased membrane fluidity and decreased mechanical properties by shortening the ladderane fatty acid chain length of anammoxosome in response to salinity shock, which led to the breakdown of the proton motive force driving ATP synthesis and retarded energy metabolism activity. Afterward, the fatty acid chain length and membrane properties were recovered to enhance the energy metabolic activity. The relative transmission electron microscopy (TEM) area proportion of anammoxosome decreased from 55.9 to 38.9% under salinity stress. The 3D imaging of the anammox bacteria based on Synchrotron soft X-ray tomography showed that the reduction in the relative volume proportion of the anammoxosome and the concave surfaces was induced by salinity stress, which led to the lower energy expenditure of the material transportation and provided more binding sites for enzymes. Therefore, anammox bacteria can modulate nitrogen and energy metabolism by changing the membrane properties and morphology of the anammoxosome in response to salinity stress. This study broadens the response mechanism of anammox bacteria to salinity stress.

Highly Reversible Zn-Air Batteries Enabled by Tuned Valence Electron and Steric Hindrance on Atomic Fe-N4-C Sites.

The bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst is the Achilles' heel of achieving robust reversible Zn-air batteries (ZABs). Herein, durable bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysis in alkaline media is realized on atomic Fe-N4-C sites reinforced by NixCo3-xO4 (NixCo3-xO4@Fe1/NC). Compared with that of pristine Fe1/NC, the stability of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is increased 10 times and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance is also improved. The steric hindrance alters the valence electron at the Fe-N4-C sites, resulting in a shorter Fe-N bond and enhanced stability of the Fe-N4-C sites. The corresponding solid-state ZABs exhibit an ultralong lifespan (>460 h at 5 mA cm-2) and high rate performance (from 2 to 50 mA cm-2). Furthermore, the structural evolution of NixCo3-xO4@Fe1/NC before and after the OER and ORR as well as charge-discharge cycling is explored. This work develops an efficient strategy for improving bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysis and possibly other processes.

[Impact of different angles of pulmonary surfactant administration on bronchopulmonaryplasia and intracranial hemorrhage in preterm infants: a prospective randomized controlled study]. / ä¸åŒè§’åº¦æ³¨å ¥è‚ºè¡¨é¢æ´»æ€§ç‰©è´¨å¯¹æ—©äº§å„¿æ”¯æ°”ç®¡è‚ºå‘è‚²ä¸è‰¯å’Œé¢ å† å‡ºè¡€çš„å½±å“ï¼šä¸€é¡¹å‰çž»æ€§éšæœºå¯¹ç §ç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of different angles of pulmonary surfactant (PS) administration on the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and intracranial hemorrhage in preterm infants. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on 146 preterm infants (gestational age <32 weeks) admitted to the Department of Neonatology, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University from January 2019 to May 2023. The infants were randomly assigned to different angles for injection of pulmonary surfactant groups: 0° group (34 cases), 30° group (36 cases), 45° group (38 cases), and 60° group (38 cases). Clinical indicators and outcomes were compared among the groups. RESULTS: The oxygenation index was lower in the 60° group compared with the other three groups, with shorter invasive ventilation time and oxygen use time, and a lower incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia than the other three groups (P<0.05). The incidence of intracranial hemorrhage was lower in the 60° group compared to the 0° group (P<0.05). The cure rate in the 60° group was higher than that in the 0° group and the 30° group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical efficacy of injection of pulmonary surfactant at a 60° angle is higher than other angles, reducing the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants.

Electron Deficient Ir-O Bonds Promote Heterogeneous Ir-Catalyzed Anti-Markovnikov Hydroboration of Alkenes under Mild Neat Conditions.

Tuning electronic characteristics of metal-ligand bonds based on reaction pathways to achieve efficient catalytic processes has been widely studied and proven to be feasible in homogeneous catalysis, but it is scarcely investigated in heterogeneous catalysis. Herein, we demonstrate the regulation of the electronic configuration of Ir-O bonds in an Ir single-atom catalyst according to the borane activation mechanism. Ir-O bonds in Ir1/Ni(OH)x are found to be more electron-poor than those in Ir1/NiOx. Despite the mild solvent-free conditions and ambient temperature, Ir1/Ni(OH)x exhibits outstanding performance for the hydroboration of alkenes, furnishing the desired alkylboronic esters with a turnover frequency value of ≤3060 h-1 and 99% anti-Markovnikov selectivity, which is significantly better than that of Ir1/NiOx (42 h-1). It is further proven that the more electron-poor Ir-O bonds as active centers are more oxidative and so benefit the activation of the H-B bond in the reductive pinacolborane.

Positive effect of peptide-calcium chelates from Grifola frondosa on a mouse model of senile osteoporosis.

Calcium supplementation has been shown to be efficacious in mitigating the progression of senile osteoporosis (SOP) and reducing the incidence of osteoporotic fractures resulting from prolonged calcium shortage. In this study, Grifola frondosa (GF) peptides-calcium chelate were synthesized through the interaction between peptide from GF and CaCl2. The chelation reaction was shown to involve the participation of the amino and carboxyl groups in the peptide, as revealed by scanning electron microscope, Fourier-transform infrared, and ultraviolet spectrophotometry. Furthermore, a mouse model of (SOP) induced by d-galactose was established (SCXK-2018-0004). Results demonstrated that low dosage of low-molecular weight GF peptides-calcium chelates (LLgps-Ca) could significantly improve serum index and pathological features of bone tissue and reduce bone injury. Further research suggested that LLgps-Ca could ameliorate SOP by modulating the disrupted metabolic pathway, which includes focal adhesion, extracellular matrix receptor interaction, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Using Western blot, the differentially expressed proteins were further confirmed. Thus, calciumchelating peptides from GF could serve as functional calcium agents to alleviate SOP.

A DFT study on regulating the active center of v-Ti2XT2 MXene through surface modification for efficient nitrogen fixation.

The electrochemical conversion of nitrogen to ammonia provides an encouraging method to substitute the traditional Haber-Bosch process, owing to its high efficiency and mild reaction conditions. The search for high-performance catalysts and comprehension of catalytic mechanisms remains significant challenges. Herein, we conduct a systematic theoretical calculation of the NRR performance and mechanism of 24 Ti2XT2 (X = B, C, N; T = F, Cl, Br, I, O, S, Se, Te) MXenes with a T-vacancy to explore the influence of surface functional terminations and non-metallic center elements. Our findings demonstrate that surface functionalization significantly reduces the limiting potential by altering the rate-determining step. This change ranges from -1.24 V (Ti2NF2) to -0.21 V (Ti2BSe2), signifying the remarkable efficacy of modification of the surrounding environment of the exposed transition metal active center in promoting electrocatalytic performance. Detailed investigation of the charge density difference and orbital interaction reveals that the different NRR performance originates from the surface termination and non-metallic atoms regulate the electronic properties of the active Ti atoms. We also introduce the free energy change of *NNH2 (ΔG*NNH2) as a descriptor to predict the performance of NRR, which exhibits satisfactory linear relationship with free energy change of different intermediates and displays favourable volcano plot with limiting potential. Moreover, we highlight the pivotal role of work function in tuning the energy barrier of the rate-determining step, which can be regulated through the surface modification of MXenes. Our study not only offers a comprehensive understanding of the crucial impact of surface modification on the catalytic activities of defective MXenes, but also provides a rational perspective for designing efficient NRR catalysts.

Efficacy and safety of stem cells in the treatment of ischemic stroke: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Stem cell therapy on ischemic stroke has long been studied using animal experiments. The efficacy and safety of this treatment in ischemic stroke patients remain uncertain. METHODS: We searched for all clinical randomized controlled trials published before October 2023, on PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library using predetermined search terms, and performed a meta-analysis of the efficacy of stem cell therapy in ischemic stroke patients. RESULTS: 13 studies that included 592 ischemic stroke patients were reviewed. The mRS (MD -0.32, 95% CI -0.64 to 0.00, I2 = 63%, P = .05), NIHSS (MD -1.63, 95% CI -2.69 to -0.57, I2 = 58%, P = .003), and BI (MD 14.22, 95% CI 3.95-24.48, I2 = 43%, P = .007) showed effective stem cell therapy. The mortality (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.23-0.79, I2 = 0%, P = .007) showed improved prognosis and reduce mortality with stem cell therapy. CONCLUSION: Stem cell therapy reduces mortality and improves the neurological prognosis of ischemic stroke patients. However, due to the different types of stem cells used and the limited data in the reported studies, the safety of clinical applications of stem cells in patients with ischemic stroke must be carefully evaluated. Future randomized controlled trials with large sample sizes from controlled cell sources are warranted to validate this finding.

Nicorandil-Pretreated Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Facilitate Cardiac Repair After Myocardial Infarction via Promoting Macrophage M2 Polarization by Targeting miR-125a-5p/TRAF6/IRF5 Signaling Pathway.

Background: Exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-exo) have been considered as a promising cell-free therapeutic strategy for ischemic heart disease. Cardioprotective drug pretreatment could be an effective approach to improve the efficacy of MSC-exo. Nicorandil has long been used in clinical practice for cardioprotection. This study aimed to investigate whether the effects of exosomes derived from nicorandil pretreated MSC (MSCNIC-exo) could be enhanced in facilitating cardiac repair after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: MSCNIC-exo and MSC-exo were collected and injected into the border zone of infarcted hearts 30 minutes after coronary ligation in rats. Macrophage polarization was detected 3 days post-infarction, cardiac function as well as histological pathology were measured on the 28th day after AMI. Macrophages were separated from the bone marrow of rats for in vitro model. Exosomal miRNA sequencing was conducted to identify differentially expressed miRNAs between MSCNIC-exo and MSC-exo. MiRNA mimics and inhibitors were transfected to MSCs or macrophages to explore the specific mechanism. Results: Compared to MSC-exo, MSCNIC-exo showed superior therapeutic effects on cardiac functional and structural recovery after AMI and markedly elevated the ratio of CD68+ CD206+/ CD68+cells in infarcted hearts 3 days post-infarction. The notable ability of MSCNIC-exo to promote macrophage M2 polarization was also confirmed in vitro. Exosomal miRNA sequencing and both in vivo and in vitro experiments identified and verified that miR-125a-5p was an effector of the roles of MSCNIC-exo in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, we found miR-125a-5p promoted macrophage M2 polarization by inhibiting TRAF6/IRF5 signaling pathway. Conclusion: This study suggested that MSCNIC-exo could markedly facilitate cardiac repair post-infarction by promoting macrophage M2 polarization by upregulating miR-125a-5p targeting TRAF6/IRF5 signaling pathway, which has great potential for clinical translation.

[Ozone Pollution in Suzhou During Early Summertime: Formation Mechanism and Interannual Variation].

This study investigated the concentrations of atmospheric pollutants in the urban area of Suzhou from May to June, 2017-2021. The variation characteristics and annual changes of ozone (O3), nitrogen oxide (NOx), total oxidant (Ox), carbon monoxide (CO), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed. The O3 formation mechanism and its annual changes were studied using an Observation-Based Model (OBM), and VOCs source apportionments and their trends were discussed. The results indicated that ① The volume fractions of Ox and the concentrations of NOx and CO have decreased in the urban area of Suzhou in recent years, while the volume fractions of VOCs have increased, and sufficient photochemical conditions for O3 formation still existed during polluted days. ② The O3-NOx-VOCs sensitivity in Suzhou was in the VOCs-limited regime. The long-term reduction ratio between VOCs and NOx should not be less than 5:1, and aromatics and alkenes were the critical VOCs for mitigating O3 pollution. ③ The results of VOCs source apportionment revealed that industrial emissions, gasoline vehicle exhaust, and diesel engine exhaust were the major sources of VOC emissions in Suzhou. Industrial emissions and solvent usage declined from 2017 to 2021; however, gasoline vehicle exhaust and gasoline evaporation, which possess higher O3 formation potential(OFP), increased significantly. ④ The OFP source apportionments results indicated that controlling VOC emissions from solvent usage and gasoline vehicle exhaust is crucial for O3 pollution control in Suzhou.

Community Structure and Diversity of Endophytic Fungi in Cultivated Polygala crotalarioides at Two Different Growth Stages Based on Culture-Independent and Culture-Based Methods.

Polygala crotalarioides, a perennial herbaceous plant found in southwest China, has the potential to be used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Endophytic fungi that reside within medicinal herbs play an important ecological role in their host plants and can serve as a valuable source for identifying active components. However, little is known about the diversity, and structure of endophytic fungi in P. crotalarioides. In this study, we investigated the community structure and diversity of endophytic fungi in the leaves, stems, and roots of P. crotalarioides at both 1- and 2-year-growth stages using a modern culture-independent method using both culture-independent (high-throughput sequencing, HTS) and culture-based methods. Using HTS, our results revealed that the richness and diversity of endophytic fungi in P. crotalarioides varied depending on the organs and growth stages. Specifically, stems and leaves exhibited significantly higher diversity compared to roots. Additionally, the highest diversity of endophytic fungi was observed in the stems of the 2-year-old plants. At the genus level, Fusarium, Colletotrichum, and Phoma were the most abundant endophytic fungi in 1-year-old samples, while Cercospora, Apiotrichum, and Fusarium were prevalent in 2-year-old samples. A total of 55 endophytic fungal strains belonging to two phyla and 24 genera were isolated from 150 plant tissue segments using culture-based methods. The anti-acetylcholinesterase activity of these isolates was evaluated in vitro and five of them, Phialophora mustea PCAM010, Diaporthe nobilis PCBM027, Fusarium oxysporum LP41, F. oxysporum SR60, and Phoma herbarum SM81, showed strong activity (>50% inhibition rate). These findings will serve as a theoretical basis and practical guide for comprehending the structural composition, biological diversity and bioactivity of endophytic fungi in P. crotalarioides.

Causal association between years of schooling and the risk of traumatic brain injury: A two-sample mendelian randomization analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the number of years of schooling are causally associated traumatic brain injury (TBI). We aimed to investigate whether the number of years of schooling are causally associated TBI. METHODS: We investigate the prospective causal effect of years of schooling on TBI using summary statistical data. The statistical dataset comprising years of schooling (n = 293,723) from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) deposited in the UK Biobank was used for exposure. We used the following GWAS available in the FinnGen dataset: individuals with TBI (total = 13,165; control = 136,576; number of single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs] = 16,380,088). RESULTS: Seventy significant genome-wide SNPs from GWAS datasets with annotated years of schooling were selected as instrumental variables. The inverse variance weighted method results supported a causal relationship between years of schooling and TBI (odds ratio (OR), 0.78; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.62-0.98; P = 0.029). MR-Egger regression showed that polydirectionality was unlikely to bias the results (intercept = 0.007, SE = 0.01, P = 0.484) and demonstrated no causal relationship between years of schooling and TBI (OR, 0.52; 95%CI, 0.17-1.64; P = 0.270). The weighted median method revealed a causal relationship with TBI (OR, 0.73; 95%CI, 0.55-0.98; P = 0.047). A Cochran's Q test and funnel plot did not show heterogeneity nor asymmetry, indicating no directional pleiotropy. CONCLUSIONS: The current investigation yields substantiation of a causal association between years of schooling and TBI development. More years of schooling may be causally associated with a reduced risk of TBI, which has implications for clinical and public health practices and policies.

The positivity rates and drug resistance patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis using nucleotide MALDI-TOF MS assay among suspected tuberculosis patients in Shandong, China: a multi-center prospective study.

Objective: To investigate the positivity rates and drug resistance characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) among suspected tuberculosis (TB) patients in Shandong Province, the second-largest population province in China. Methods: A prospective, multi-center study was conducted from April 2022 to June 2023. Pathogen and drug resistance were identified using nucleotide matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (nucleotide MALDI-TOF MS). Results: Of 940 suspected TB patients included in this study, 552 cases were found to be infected with MTB giving an overall positivity rate of 58.72%. Total of 346 cases were resistant to arbitrary anti-TB drug (62.68%), with Zibo (76.47%), Liaocheng and Weihai (both 69.23%) ranking top three and TB treatment history might be a related factor. Monoresistance was the most common pattern (33.53%), with isoniazid the highest at 12.43%, followed by rifampicin at 9.54%. Further analysis of gene mutations conferring resistance revealed diverse types with high heteroresistance rate found in multiple anti-TB drugs. Conclusion: A relatively high rate of MTB positivity and drug resistance was found in Shandong Province during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating the need for strengthening rapid identification of species and drug resistance among suspected TB patients to guide better medication and minimize the occurrence of drug resistance.

Consensus of a novel heuristic nonlinear multi-agent system in DOS attack network environment via saturation impulse control mechanism.

This paper mainly studies the consensus control strategy for a novel heuristic nonlinear multi-agent system. Compared with most existing related researches, firstly, the novel heuristic nonlinear multi-agent system has the ability to construct its communication network topology heuristically, and can withstand long-term DOS(Denial of Service) attacks, with the advantages of high practicality and security. Secondly, in order to control the multi-agent system, a control protocol based on both saturation effect and impulse control mechanism is studied, which has the advantages of high efficiency, low cost and wide applicability. Thirdly, for the multi-agent system, its dynamic model is constructed and analyzed by Lyapunov stability theory and matrix measure theory, and some sufficient conditions for achieving consensus are obtained. Finally, through two simulation experiments and some corresponding comparative analysis, the correctness, efficiency, and superiority of the theories proposed in this paper were verified.