Selective Orbital Coupling: An Adsorption Mechanism in Single-Atom Catalysis.

Quantitative understanding of the chemisorption on single-atom catalysts (SACs) by their electronic properties is crucial for the catalyst design. However, the physical mechanism is still under debate. Here, the CO catalytic oxidation on single transition metal (i.e., Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) dopants is used as a theoretical model to explore the correlations between the characteristics of electronic structures and the chemisorption on SACs. For these metal dopants, their atomic d orbitals form several nondegenerate and localized electronic states that are found to be selectively coupled with the π* orbital of the adsorbed O2, which we defined as selective orbital coupling. Based on the selective orbital coupling, we find that the alignment between the selected d state and the π* state determines the bond strength, regardless of the electron occupation number of the selected d states; the electron transfer to form M-O bonding can be provided by the support. Such electron transfer can be related with the electronic metal-support interaction. We attribute the origin of the chemisorption mechanism to the coexistence of the localized orbital of the single transition metal and the continuous energy band of the Au support. Finally, we illustrate how this mechanism dominates the variation trend of the reaction barriers. Our results unravel a fundamental adsorption mechanism in SAC systems.

Capmatinib is an effective treatment for MET-fusion driven pediatric high-grade glioma and synergizes with radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric-type diffuse high-grade glioma (pHGG) is the most frequent malignant brain tumor in children and can be subclassified into multiple entities. Fusion genes activating the MET receptor tyrosine kinase often occur in infant-type hemispheric glioma (IHG) but also in other pHGG and are associated with devastating morbidity and mortality. METHODS: To identify new treatment options, we established and characterized two novel orthotopic mouse models harboring distinct MET fusions. These included an immunocompetent, murine allograft model and patient-derived orthotopic xenografts (PDOX) from a MET-fusion IHG patient who failed conventional therapy and targeted therapy with cabozantinib. With these models, we analyzed the efficacy and pharmacokinetic properties of three MET inhibitors, capmatinib, crizotinib and cabozantinib, alone or combined with radiotherapy. RESULTS: Capmatinib showed superior brain pharmacokinetic properties and greater in vitro and in vivo efficacy than cabozantinib or crizotinib in both models. The PDOX models recapitulated the poor efficacy of cabozantinib experienced by the patient. In contrast, capmatinib extended survival and induced long-term progression-free survival when combined with radiotherapy in two complementary mouse models. Capmatinib treatment increased radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks and delayed their repair. CONCLUSIONS: We comprehensively investigated the combination of MET inhibition and radiotherapy as a novel treatment option for MET-driven pHGG. Our seminal preclinical data package includes pharmacokinetic characterization, recapitulation of clinical outcomes, coinciding results from multiple complementing in vivo studies, and insights into molecular mechanism underlying increased efficacy. Taken together, we demonstrate the groundbreaking efficacy of capmatinib and radiation as a highly promising concept for future clinical trials.

Graph-Based Method for Calibration of High-Resolution Mass Spectra of Natural Organic Matter.

Inaccuracies in ion detection and signal processing can undermine confidence in the molecular formula assignment of high-resolution mass spectrometry, which relies on precise matching of the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z). This study proposes a novel graph-based spectra calibration method, MSCMcalib, which implements coordinate transformation and pattern detection. MSCMcalib maps uncalibrated m/z data onto a modified 2D mass defect plot, facilitating the automatic calibration of detected lines, i.e., the calibration of uncalibrated peaks aligned with these lines. The "propagation" method is subsequently employed to accurately and automatically calibrate 605 m/z values across multiple lines, encompassing 98% of the m/z range. The calibrated m/z values divide the m/z range of the spectrum into multiple subintervals, with each subinterval undergoing a process of "scaling" calibration. The utilization of narrower partitions effectively mitigates divergence issues at both ends that arise from the polynomial fitting of errors against m/z. The effectiveness of MSCMcalib is validated through the calibration of SRFA data with m/z error ranges spanning from -10 to -6 ppm, resulting in an additional assignment of 11%-30% more molecular formulas compared to the quadratic fitting calibration.

Association of serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D concentration and risk of mortality in cancer survivors in the United States.

PURPOSE: Cancer survivors have a high risk of mortality, and vitamin D (VD) is associated with the risk of mortality. This study is aim to examine the impact of VD on mortality in cancer survivors. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants were obtained information on their baseline characteristics, dietary habits, comorbidities, lifestyle, and serum 25-hydroxy VD [25(OH)D] concentrations. The weighted Cox proportional hazard and competing risk regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratio and 95% confidence intervals (HR, 95% CI) of mortality for different serum 25(OH)D concentrations. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) curves were utilized to illustrate the dose-response relationship between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and mortality. RESULTS: The study encompassed 2,495 participants with cancer diagnoses. Multivariate models indicated that, compared to serum 25(OH)D concentrations below 58.5 nmol/L, concentrations exceeding 81.6 nmol/L were associated with reduced HRs for all-cause mortality (HR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.56-0.87), cardiovascular mortality (HR = 0.53; 95% CI: 0.32-0.86), and cancer-specific mortality (HR = 0.66; 95% CI: 0.45-0.99). RCS curves revealed "L-shaped" associations between serum 25(OH)D concentration and both all-cause and cancer-specific mortality, with threshold effects at 87.9 nmol/L and 84.6 nmol/L, respectively. Conversely, the relationship between serum 25(OH)D concentration and cardiovascular mortality exhibited a more linear pattern, with a threshold at 88.7 nmol/L. Subgroup analyses highlighted a gender-specific interaction that elevated serum 25(OH)D concentrations were significantly more protective against mortality in males than in females, especially regarding cancer-specific mortality (P-interaction = 0.009). CONCLUSION: Elevated serum 25(OH)D concentrations were correlated with decreased risks of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer-specific mortality in cancer survivors, with benefit thresholds at 87.9, 88.7, and 84.6 nmol/L, respectively. These findings suggested that cancer survivors might benefit from higher vitamin D recommendations than the general population.

Photocatalytic Cyclization Cascades by Radical Relay toward Pyrrolo[1,2-a]indoles: Synthesis, Mechanism, and Application.

A photocatalytic annulation cascade of unactivated N-alkene-linked indoles with Langlois' reagent by a radical relay is developed at room temperature under blue LED irradiation. The reaction afforded a series of tri/difluoromethylated pyrrolo[1,2-a]indoles in moderate to good yields. The DFT study suggests that the reaction is ascribed to a rhodamine 6G-induced cyclization cascade involving vinyl addition-radical relay and hydrogen-atom-abstraction (HAA) processes, and interestingly, pyrrolo[1,2-a]indoles are applied as fluorescent dyes into the fluorescence spectrum and live-cell imaging. This paper represents an initial example on photocatalytic cyclization cascades by radical relay and the HAA process.

Electrochemical C-H Mono-/Multi-Bromination Regulation of N-Sulfonylanilines on a Cost-Effective Carbon Fiber Electrode and Its Prospective Electroactive Molecule Screening.

Electrochemical C-H mono/multi-bromination regulation of N-sulfonylanilines on the cost-effective CF electrode is described. This reaction proceeds smoothly under mild conditions with a broad substrate scope, affording diverse mono/multi-brominated anilines in moderate to good yields. Mechanism study reveals that this transformation involves anodic oxidation, aromatic electrophilic substitution, and deprotonation. Preliminary electroactive molecule screening results in its prospective application in electroactive MBs for electrochemical biosensors.

Temporal Variations in Fire Impacts on Characteristics and Composition of Soil-Derived Dissolved Organic Matter at Qipan Mountain, China.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM), the most reactive fraction of forest soil organic matter, is increasingly impacted by wildfires worldwide. However, few studies have quantified the temporal changes in soil DOM quantity and quality after fire. Here, soil samples were collected after the Qipan Mountain Fire (3-36 months) from pairs of burned and unburned sites. DOM contents and characteristics were analyzed using carbon quantification and various spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. Compared with the unburned sites, burned sites showed higher contents of bulk DOM and most DOM components 3 months after the fire but lower contents of them 6-36 months after the fire. During the sharp drop of DOM from 3 to 6 months after the fire, carboxyl-rich alicyclic molecule-like and highly unsaturated compounds had greater losses than condensed aromatics. Notably, the burned sites had consistently higher abundances of oxygen-poor dissolved black nitrogen and fluorescent DOM 3-36 months after the fire, particularly the abundance of pyrogenic C2 (excitation/emission maxima of <250/∼400 nm) that increased by 150% before gradually declining. This study advances the understanding of temporal variations in the effects of fire on different soil DOM components, which is crucial for future postfire environmental management.

Deciphering dissolved organic matter characteristics and its fate in a glacier-fed desert river-the Tarim river, China.

The bioavailable diverse dissolved organic matter (DOM) present in glacial meltwater significantly contributes to downstream carbon cycling in mountainous regions. However, the comprehension of molecular-level characteristics of riverine DOM, from tributary to downstream and their fate in glacier-fed desert rivers remains limited. Herein, we employed spectroscopic and high-resolution mass spectrometry techniques to study both optical and molecular-level characteristics of DOM in the Tarim River catchment, northwest China. The results revealed that the DOC values in the downstream were higher than those in the tributaries, yet they remained comparable to those found in other glacier-fed streams worldwide. Five distinct components were identified using EEM-PARAFAC analysis in both tributary and downstream samples. The dominance of three protein-like components in tributary samples, contrasting with a higher presence of humic-like components in downstream samples, which implied that the dilution and alterations of the glacier DOM signature and overprinting with terrestrial-derived DOM. Molecular composition revealed that thousands of compounds with higher molecular weight and increased aromaticity were transformed, generated and introduced from terrestrial inputs during downstream transportation. The twofold rise in polycyclic aromatic and polyphenolic compounds observed downstream compared to tributaries indicated a greater influx of terrestrial organic matter introduced into the downstream during water transportation. The study suggests that the glacier-sourced DOM experienced minimal photodegradations, with limited influence from human activities, while also being shaped by terrestrial inputs during its transit in the alpine-arid region. This unique scenario offers valuable insights into comprehending the fate of DOM originating from glacial meltwater in arid mountainous regions.

The association between uric acid and erectile dysfunction in US adults: NHANES 2001-2004.

BACKGROUND: -Recent evidence suggests that hyperuricemia may act as independent risk factors for erectile dysfunction (ED), in addition to the already established factors. The current evidence supporting this relationship remains insufficient. METHODS AND RESULTS: -A total of 3,810 participants from the NHANES pool between 2001 and 2004 were included in our study, comprising 1,093 individuals with ED and 2,717 individuals without ED. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between uric acid (UA) and the prevalence of ED. In the fully adjusted model, no significant association was observed between UA and ED (OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.84-1.24), and no significant differences were noted among the various UA levels (p = 0.5). In our sensitivity analyses, employing a stricter definition for ED, no significant results were found in the fully adjusted model (OR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.60-1.19). Furthermore, no significant differences were observed among the various UA levels (p = 0.083). CONCLUSIONS: -Our study did not establish a correlation between UA levels and ED. Nonetheless, further research with larger sample cohorts is required to verify these findings.

Neutrophil Percentage to Albumin Ratio was Associated with Clinical Outcomes in Coronary Care Unit Patients.

Background: Neutrophil percentage to albumin ratio (NPAR) has been shown to be correlated with the prognosis of various diseases. This study aimed to explore the effect of NPAR on the prognosis of patients in coronary care units (CCU). Method: All data in this study were extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III, version1.4) database. All patients were divided into four groups according to their NPAR quartiles. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were 30-day mortality, 365-day mortality, length of CCU stay, length of hospital stay, acute kidney injury (AKI), and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). A multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was performed to confirm the independent effects of NPAR. Cox regression analysis was performed to analyze the association between NPAR and 365-day mortality. The curve in line with overall trend was drawn by local weighted regression (Lowess). Subgroup analysis was used to determine the effect of NPAR on in-hospital mortality in different subgroups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the ability of NPAR to predict in-hospital mortality. Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed to compare the cumulative survival rates among different groups. Result: A total of 2364 patients in CCU were enrolled in this study. The in-hospital mortality rate increased significantly as the NPAR quartiles increased (p < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, NPAR was independently associated with in-hospital mortality (quartile 4 versus quartile 1: odds ratio [OR], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.83, 1.20-2.79, p = 0.005, p for trend < 0.001). In Cox regression analysis, NPAR was independently associated with 365-day mortality (quartile 4 versus quartile 1: OR, 95% CI: 1.62, 1.16-2.28, p = 0.005, p for trend < 0.001). The Lowess curves showed a positive relationship between NPAR and in-hospital mortality. The moderate ability of NPAR to predict in-hospital mortality was demonstrated through ROC curves. The area under the curves (AUC) of NPAR was 0.653 (p < 0.001), which is better than that of the platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (p < 0.001) and neutrophil count (p < 0.001) but lower than the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (p = 0.046) and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis did not reveal any obvious interactions in most subgroups. However, Kaplan-Meier curves showed that as NPAR quartiles increased, the 30-day (log-rank, p < 0.001) and 365-day (log-rank, p < 0.001) cumulative survival rates decreased significantly. NPAR was also independently associated with AKI (quartile 4 versus quartile 1: OR, 95% CI: 1.57, 1.19-2.07, p = 0.002, p for trend = 0.001). The CCU and hospital stay length was significantly prolonged in the higher NPAR quartiles. Conclusions: NPAR is an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality in patients in CCU and has a moderate ability to predict in-hospital mortality.

Early endoscopic management of an infected acute necrotic collection misdiagnosed as a pancreatic pseudocyst: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Infected acute necrotic collection (ANC) is a fatal complication of acute pancreatitis with substantial morbidity and mortality. Drainage plays an exceedingly important role as the first step in invasive intervention for infected necrosis; however, there is great controversy about the optimal drainage time, and better treatment should be explored. CASE SUMMARY: We report the case of a 43-year-old man who was admitted to the hospital with severe intake reduction due to early satiety 2 wk after treatment for acute pancreatitis; conservative treatment was ineffective, and a pancreatic pseudocyst was suspected on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) suggested hyperechoic necrotic tissue within the cyst cavity. The wall was not completely mature, and the culture of the puncture fluid was positive for A-haemolytic Streptococcus. Thus, the final diagnosis of ANC infection was made. The necrotic collection was not walled off and contained many solid components; therefore, the patient underwent EUS-guided aspiration and lavage. Two weeks after the collection was completely encapsulated, pancreatic duct stent drainage via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was performed, and the patient was subsequently successfully discharged. On repeat CT, the pancreatic cysts had almost disappeared during the 6-month follow-up period after surgery. CONCLUSION: Early EUS-guided aspiration and lavage combined with late ERCP catheter drainage may be effective methods for intervention in infected ANCs.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided treatment of isolated gastric varices entwined with arteries: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Interventional endoscopic ultrasound is clinically used for the treatment of isolated gastric varices (IGVs) owing to its precise visualization. CASE SUMMARY: A 39-year-old man was diagnosed with a large IGV during a routine physical examination. Endoscopic ultrasonography showed gastric varices entwined with an artery, which greatly increased the difficulty of treatment. We successfully treated the patient with endoscopic ultrasonography-guided coil embolization combined with cyanoacrylate injection. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided coil embolization combined with cyanoacrylate injection was safe and effective for the treatment of an IGV entwined with an artery.

Fatigue at the wheel: A non-visual approach to truck driver fatigue detection by multi-feature fusion.

BACKGROUND: Monitoring of long-haul truck driver fatigue state has attracted considerable interest. Conventional fatigue driving detection methods based on the physiological and visual features are scarcely applicable, due to the intrusiveness, reliability, and cost-effectiveness concerns. METHODS: We elaborately developed a fatigue driving detection method by fusion of non-visual features derived from the customized wristbands, vehicle-mounted equipment, and trip logs. To capture the spatiotemporal information within the sequential data, the bidirectional long short-term memory network with attention mechanism was proposed to determine whether the truck driver was fatigued within a fine-grained episode of one minute. The model was validated using a natural driving dataset with nine truck drivers on real-world roads in Guiyang, China during June and July 2021. RESULTS: Our approach yielded 99.21 %, 84.44 %, 82.01 %, 99.63 %, and 83.21 % in accuracy, precision, recall, specificity, and F1-score, respectively. Compared with the mainstream visual-based methods, our approach outperformed particularly in terms of precision and recall. Photoplethysmogram stood out as the most important feature for truck driver fatigue state detection. Vehicle load, driving forward angle, cumulative driving time, midnight, and recent working hours were found to be positively associated with the probability of fatigue driving, while the galvanic skin response, vehicle acceleration, current time, and recent rest hours had a negative relationship. Specifically, truck drivers were more likely to fatigue when driving at 20-40 km/h, braking abruptly at 5-10 m/s2, with vehicle loads over 70 tons, and driving more than 100 min consecutively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is among the first to harness the natural driving dataset to delve into the real-life fatigue pattern of long-haul truck drivers without disruptions on routine driving tasks. The proposed method holds pragmatic prospects by providing a privacy-preserving, robust, real-time, and non-intrusive technical pathway for truck driver fatigue monitoring.

Potential retention of dissolved organic matter by soil minerals during wetland water-table fluctuations.

Wetlands export large amounts of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) downstream, which is sensitive to water-table fluctuations (WTFs). While numerous studies have shown that WTFs may decrease wetland DOC via enhancing DOC biodegradation, an alternative pathway, i.e., retention of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by soil minerals, remains under-investigated. Here, we conducted a water-table manipulation experiment on intact soil columns collected from three wetlands with varying contents of reactive metals and clay to examine the potential retention of DOM by soil minerals during WTFs. Using batch sorption experiments and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, we showed that mineral (bentonite) sorption mainly retained lignin-, aromatic- and humic-like compounds (i.e., adsorbable compounds), in contrast to the preferential removal of protein- and carbohydrate-like compounds during biodegradation. Seven cycles of WTFs significantly decreased the intensity of adsorbable compounds in DOM (by 50 ± 21% based on fluorescence spectroscopy) and DOC adsorbability (by 2-20% and 1.9-12.7 mg L-1 based on batch sorption experiment), to a comparable extent compared with biodegradable compounds (by 11-32% and 1.6-15.2 mg L-1). Furthermore, oxidation of soil ferrous iron [Fe(II)] exerted a major control on the magnitude of potential DOM retention by minerals, while WTFs increased mineral-bound lignin phenols in the Zoige soil with the highest content of lignin phenols and Fe(II). Collectively, these results suggest that DOM retention by minerals likely played an important role in DOC decrease during WTFs, especially in soils with high contents of oxidizable Fe. Our findings support the 'iron gate' mechanism of soil carbon protection by newly-formed Fe (hydr)oxides during water-table decline, and highlight an underappreciated process (mineral-DOM interaction) leading to contrasting fate (i.e., preservation) of DOC in wetlands compared to biodegradation. Mineral retention of wetland DOC hence deserves more attention under changing climate and human activities.

Efficient and sustained inhibition of ammonia nitrogen release from sediment in water by microbial self-aggregation zeolite layer.

Despite global efforts to manage water eutrophication, the continual release of ammonia nitrogen from sediments maintains the eutrophic state of water bodies, presenting serious challenges to the management. In order to find an efficient method for sediment remediation, the experiment of using signal molecules to enhance the adhesion of microorganisms on zeolite was carried out. Five different zeolitic ammonium adsorptions were examined using two different signal molecules, N-(3-oxohexanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (OHHL) and N-(ß-ketocaproyl)-DL-homoserine lactone (C6), to enhance microbial attachment on two types of zeolites. The results showed that the modified microbial attached Z1 zeolite reinforced with signal molecule C6 had the best effect. The effect was better in the case of high ammonium adsorption, and the TN removal could reach 7.99 mg·L-1 with an inhibition rate of 90.08%. The ammonia nitrogen removal reached 4.75 mg·L-1 with an inhibition rate of 87.64%, and the ammonia nitrogen and total nitrogen of the overlying water reached the surface III water quality standard. In addition, the addition of the signal molecule increased the zeta potential on the surface of the bacterial colloid. In addition, the amount of protein I in the dissolved organic matter (DOM) fraction increased, improving microbial adhesion ability and facilitating their attachment to the zeolite surface. The signal molecule C6 could increase the zeta potential of microbial surface and promote the production of protein I, thus strengthening the attachment of zeolite biofilm and improving the water quality.

Seasonal sensitivity of groundwater dissolved organic matter in recognition of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology: Optical and molecular perspectives.

Chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) has aroused a great concern due to its widespread prevalence in many developing countries. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) has been proved to be associated with CKDu in groundwater. However, the responses of their association to abiotic influencing factors like seasonal variation are not carefully disclosed. Herein, we revealed the seasonal variation of DOM in CKDu related groundwater (CKDu groundwater) and control group (non-CKDu groundwater) collected from Sri Lanka during the dry and wet seasons by excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. In both CKDu and non-CKDu groundwaters, the input of exogenous DOM during wet season improved the degree of humification and molecular weight of DOM, while oxidative processes during the dry season increased the ratios of oxygen to carbon (O/C). Furthermore, compared with non-CKDu groundwater, more DOM with high O/C enriched in CKDu groundwater during the dry season, indicating stronger oxidative processes in CKDu groundwater. It may result in the enrichment of carboxyl group and induce the enhanced leaching of CKDu-related Si and F-. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that the CKDu-recognition ability of most optical and molecular indicators was susceptible to seasonal factors and their recognition abilities were stronger in the wet season. The linkage between DOM and CKDu was affected by seasonal factors through the occurrence, mobility, degradation, and toxicity of typical organic molecules (e.g., C17H18O10S). The study provides a new insight into screening pathogenic factors of other endemic diseases related to organic molecules.

Importance of AIM2 as a serum marker for reflecting severity and predicting a poor outcome of human severe traumatic brain injury: A prospective longitudinal cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) participates in neuroinflammation. Here, the prognostic significance of serum AIM2 was explored in severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI). METHODS: A total of 135 sTBI patients and 80 healthy controls were recruited in this prospective cohort study. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and AIM2 levels were measured. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Rotterdam computed tomography (CT) classification were recorded as the severity indicators. Prognostic parameters were posttraumatic six-month extended Glasgow outcome scale (GOSE) scores and poor outcome (GOSE scores of 1-4). RESULTS: As opposed to controls, there were significantly elevated serum AIM2 levels after sTBI. Serum AIM2 levels were independently correlated with serum CRP levels, GCS scores, Rotterdam CT scores, GOSE scores and poor outcome. Also, serum AIM2 levels were efficiently predictive of poor outcome under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Under the restricted cubic spline, serum AIM2 levels were linearly correlated with risk of poor outcome. Using subgroup analysis, serum AIM2 levels did not significantly interact with other indices, such as age, gender, alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking, etc. Also, combination model, in which serum AIM2, GCS scores and Rotterdam CT scores were merged, was outlined using nomogram and performed well under calibration curve, ROC curve and decision curve. CONCLUSIONS: Raised serum AIM2 levels after sTBI, in intimate correlation with systemic inflammation and trauma severity, are independently discriminative of posttraumatic six-month neurological outcome, substantializing serum AIM2 as an inflammatory prognostic biomarker of sTBI.

[Ecological environment quality of the Shanxi section of the Yellow River Basin under different development scenarios]. / ä¸åŒå‘å±•æƒ æ™¯ä¸‹é»„æ²³æµåŸŸå±±è¥¿æ®µç”Ÿæ€çŽ¯å¢ƒè´¨é‡.

Shanxi Province holds an important strategic position in the overall ecological pattern of the Yellow River Basin. To investigate the changes of the ecological environment in the Shanxi section of the Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2020, we selected MODIS remote sensing image data to determine the remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) based on the principal component analysis of greenness, humidity, dryness, and heat. Then, we analyzed the spatial and temporal variations of ecological quality in this region to explore the influencing factors. We further used the CA-Markov model to simulate and predict the ecological environment under different development scenarios in the Shanxi section of the Yellow River Basin in 2030. The results showed that RSEI had good applicability in the Shanxi section of the Yellow River Basin which could be used to monitor and evaluate the spatiotemporal variations in its ecological environment. From 2000 to 2020, the Shanxi section of the Yellow River Basin was dominated by low quality habitat areas, in which the ecological environment quality continued to improve from 2000 to 2010 and decreased from 2010 to 2020. The high quality habitat areas mainly located on the mountainous areas with superior natural conditions and rich biodiversity, while the low ecological quality areas were mainly in the Taiyuan Basin and the northern part of the study area, where the mining industry developed well. Climate factors were negatively correlated with ecological environment quality in the northern and central parts of the study area, and positively correlated with that in the mountainous area. Under all three development scenarios, the area of cultivated land, forest, water and construction land increased in 2030 compared to that in 2020. Compared to the natural development scenario and the cultivated land protection scenario, the ecological constraint scenario with RSEI as the limiting factor had the highest area of new forest and the lowest expansion rate of cultivated land and construction land. The results would provide a reference for land space planning and ecological environment protection in the Shanxi section of the Yellow River Basin.

ROLE OF MICROGLIA IN SEPSIS-ASSOCIATED ENCEPHALOPATHY PATHOGENESIS: AN UPDATE.

ABSTRACT: Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a serious complication of sepsis, which is characterized by cognitive dysfunction, a poor prognosis, and high incidences of morbidity and mortality. Substantial levels of systemic inflammatory factors induce neuroinflammatory responses during sepsis, ultimately disrupting the central nervous system's (CNS) homeostasis. This disruption results in brain dysfunction through various underlying mechanisms, contributing further to SAE's development. Microglia, the most important macrophage in the CNS, can induce neuroinflammatory responses, brain tissue injury, and neuronal dysregulation, resulting in brain dysfunction. They serve an important regulatory role in CNS homeostasis and can be activated through multiple pathways. Consequently, activated microglia are involved in several pathogenic mechanisms related to SAE and play a crucial role in its development. This article discusses the role of microglia in neuroinflammation, dysfunction of neurotransmitters, disruption of the blood-brain barrier, abnormal control of cerebral blood flow, mitochondrial dysfunction, and reduction in the number of good bacteria in the gut as main pathogenic mechanisms of SAE and focuses on studies targeting microglia to ameliorate SAE to provide a theoretical basis for targeted microglial therapy for SAE.

Extra-Cavity Image Registration via the Aortic Root During Left Ventricular Mapping and Ablation.

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography (CT) image integration is of limited use in left ventricular (LV) ablation due to inadequate accuracy of registration. The current study aimed to investigate the accuracy and feasibility of extra-cavity LV image registration via the coronary cusp. METHODS: Consecutive patients were enrolled as the validation group (n = 41) and feasibility group (n = 48). After extra-cavity registration via the aortic root, the LV anatomy derived from CT image was activated and moved into real space. Accuracy of LV anatomy via this registration method was verified by intracardiac echocardiography reconstruction in the validation group and tested further in the feasibility group via measuring the location differences (<3 mm) and volume difference (<8 mL). RESULTS: In validation group, the LV volume of CT image and ICE map were comparable (113.6 ± 15.5 mL vs. 109.0 ± 15.3 mL, P =.27), and the location difference was 3.1 ± 1.1 mm at LV summit, 1.8 ± 0.9 mm at the free wall, and 1.8 ± 0.7 mm at the LV apex. There was a mean of 2.9 ± 1.2 mm and 3.0 ± 1.0 mm length difference in anterior PM and posterior PM, the position difference of the PM's base was 2.8 ± 0.9 mm for anterior PM and 2.2 ± 0.9 mm for posterior PM. In feasibility group, the distance differences of LV summit, LV septum, LV apex, and LV free averaged 1.8 ± 0.8 mm, 1.5 ± 0.7 mm, 1.4 ± 0.6 mm, 1.3 ± 0.7 mm, respectively. Compared with validation group, acute success (100% vs. 96.5%, P =.51), complications rate (4.9% vs. 2.0%, P = 0.59) and fluoroscopic time (1.6 ± 1.1 vs. 1.9 ± 1.6 minutes, P =.30) exhibited no significant difference, but was significantly reduced with procedure time (74.5 ± 8.1 vs. 61.2 ± 9.5 minutes, P <.001) with CT image registration only. CONCLUSION: LV mapping and ablation could be successfully achieved by extra-cavity registration via coronary cusp without needing positions within LV beforehand.