Influence of perceived stress on fertility intention among women of childbearing age without children: multiple mediating effect of anxiety, family communication and subjective well-being.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been a significant decrease in the desire to have children among Chinese women of childbearing age, particularly for the first child. This trend has sparked a growing interest in understanding the underlying factors. Although perceived stress has been speculated as an important factor in decreasing fertility intention, the precise mechanism is unclear. The current study, therefore, aims to investigate the psychological mechanisms linking perceived stress to fertility intentions among women of childbearing age without children, a topic of significant relevance and importance. METHODS: Data were sourced from Chinese residents' psychology and behavior investigation (PBICR-2022). A multistage random sampling method was applied to recruit eligible participants. The Mplus8.3 software constructed a chain path model among the variables. RESULTS: The median fertility intention was 30(3-60) on a scale of 0 to 100. The mediation analysis revealed a significant negative influence of perceived stress on fertility intention (ß = - 0.076, P < 0.001). Additionally, a more intricate pattern of chain-mediating effect was observed involving perceived stress, anxiety (ß = 0.037, P < 0.05), family communication (ß = 0.106, P < 0.001), subjective well-being (ß = 0.088, P < 0.001) and fertility intention. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived stress not only directly suppressed fertility intention but also indirectly affected it through anxiety, family communication, and subjective well-being. Effective family communication and favorable subjective well-being emerged as factors that could augment fertility intentions among women of childbearing age without children.

Pore structure and mineral composition characteristics of coal slime before and after ashing and the effects on CO2 adsorption.

To realize the resource utilization of solid waste (coal slime) and further the dual carbon goals, utilizing coal slime and coal ash as adsorbates for CO2 capture is crucial. This study employed low-temperature N2 adsorption, low-pressure CO2 adsorption, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, and isothermal adsorption tests to assess coal slime and coal ash's pore/mineral composition characteristics. Subsequently, the influence on CO2 adsorption was analyzed to reveal the CO2 adsorption mechanisms of pores and clay minerals, and CO2 molecule adsorption behavior. The results showed that: (1) ashing led to reductions in total pore volume, specific surface area, micropore volume, and micropore specific surface area, accompanied by substantial decreases in micropores and mesopores; (2) ashing generated high-temperature stable mineral species, including quartz, andalusite, hematite, and gypsum, while all calcite decomposed into CaO; (3) coal slime exhibited greater CO2 adsorption capacity than coal ash, influenced by pore structure and clay minerals; (4) the adsorption behavior of coal slime and coal ash likely aligns with micropore filling theory, suggesting CO2 is adsorbed within the 0.30-1.47 nm pore structure. This research contributes to optimizing coal by-product utilization in mining areas and exploring adsorbate materials for CO2 sequestration in abandoned goaf.

Association of circulating visfatin level and metabolic fatty liver disease: An updated meta-analysis and systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The rate of incidence of metabolic dysfunction-related fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has rapidly increased globally in recent years, but early diagnosis is still a challenge. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to identify visfatin for early diagnosis of MAFLD. METHODS: We strictly adhered to the relevant requirements of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The systematic search was conducted in 7 sources (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, CBM, and ClinicalTrials.gov) until February 2024. The meta-analysis was performed using Stata 12. Outcomes were expressed in the form of standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval and were analyzed using meta-analysis. RESULTS: The results showed that there was no significant difference in circulating visfatin levels between patients with MAFLD and controls (SMD = 0.13 [-0.34, 0.60]). However, the outcomes indicated that the level of circulating visfatin was significantly higher in MAFLD patients in the Middle Eastern subgroup (SMD = 0.45 [0.05, 0.85]) and in the obese patient subgroup (SMD = 1.05 [0.18, 1.92]). No publication bias was detected, and sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of the outcomes. CONCLUSION: The serum visfatin levels of MAFLD patients did not differ significantly from those of controls. However, visfatin concentrations in serum were statistically higher within Middle Eastern or obese MAFLD patients compared to controls. There is a need for further research to investigate visfatin's potential as a biomarker for MAFLD.

Metabolomics combined with physiology reveal how white clover (Trifolium repens L.) respond to 6PPD stress.

As a ubiquitous tire antioxidant, N-(1,3-Dimethyl-butyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylene- diamine (6PPD) exists widely in various environmental media and has been detected at high levels in the environment. However, the effects of 6PPD on plants are still poorly understood. In this study, a hydroponic experiment was carried out to investigate the response of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) stressed by 6PPD on physiology and metabolomics. The results indicated that the length of stem and root, as well as biomass were significantly reduced after 500 µg L-1 6PPD treatment. Photosynthetic performances including photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), transpiration rate (Tr) and chlorophyll content of leaves decreased in all treatments except 500 µg L-1 of 6PPD. The malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the shoot of white clover increased by 66.33 % when exposed to 500 µg L-1 of 6PPD compared to control group (CK). Hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion presented a U-shape trend and began to increase at 500 µg L-1. Besides, peroxidase and catalase significantly decreased compared to CK after exposure to 500 µg L-1. Metabolic analysis of clover showed that 6PPD treatment induced changes in 10 metabolic pathways of white clover. Metabolites were significantly down-regulated after exposure to 500 µg L-1 in shoot, while significantly down-regulated in all treatment groups except 500 µg L-1 in root. These findings may provide a novel perspective for phytotoxicity assessment and phytoremediation of 6PPD.

Prognostic value of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and PD-L1 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Tumor cells (TC) participate in tumor progression by altering the immune responses in the tumor microenvironment. However, the clinical relevance and prognostic effect of PD-L1 expression and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interactions and clinical significance of PD-L1 expression and TILs in ESCC. METHODS: Tissue specimens were collected from 126 patients with ESCC who underwent curative esophagectomy. Immunohistochemical analysis and multiplex immunofluorescence for CD4, CD8, CD25, FOXP3, and PD-L1 in the tumor were used to identify multiple tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIIC), Tregs, and TC. RESULTS: PD-L1 was expressed in tumor cells (PD-L1 TC). PD-L1 TIIC and PD-L1 TC affected the biological behavior of TC. The positive expression rate of PD-L1 TC and CD8+ TILs was 27.8% (35/126) and 31.7% (40/126), respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that overall survival (OS) was significantly associated with decreased CD8+ TILs and PD-L1 TC-positive expression, which promote ESCC progression and metastasis. CONCLUSION: Tumor depth, CD8, and PD-L1 TC were independent prognostic factors in ESCC, and a predictive nomogram with these three risk factors improved the accuracy of predicting OS in patients with ESCC after surgical resection. The conjoint analysis of multiple immune-related factors is beneficial for stratifying patient survival risk.

Immuno-Rolling Circle Amplification (Immuno-RCA): Biosensing Strategies, Practical Applications, and Future Perspectives.

In the rapidly evolving field of life sciences and biomedicine, detecting low-abundance biomolecules, and ultraweak biosignals presents significant challenges. This has spurred a rapid development of analytical techniques aiming for increased sensitivity and specificity. These advancements, including signal amplification strategies and the integration of biorecognition events, mark a transformative era in bioanalytical precision and accuracy. A prominent method among these innovations is immuno-rolling circle amplification (immuno-RCA) technology, which effectively combines immunoassays with signal amplification via RCA. This process starts when a targeted biomolecule, such as a protein or cell, binds to an immobilized antibody or probe on a substrate. The introduction of a circular DNA template triggers RCA, leading to exponential amplification and significantly enhanced signal intensity, thus the target molecule is detectable and quantifiable even at the single-molecule level. This review provides an overview of the biosensing strategy and extensive practical applications of immuno-RCA in detecting biomarkers. Furthermore, it scrutinizes the limitations inherent to these sensors and sets forth expectations for their future trajectory. This review serves as a valuable reference for advancing immuno-RCA in various domains, such as diagnostics, biomarker discovery, and molecular imaging.

Prognostic impact of right atrial strain in systemic lupus erythematosus with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess right atrial (RA) function, including RA phase strain, via speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) in a cohort of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and in particular to explore the relationship between RA phase strain and the occurrence of cardiovascular events. METHODS: STE analyses of RA function were evaluated in patients with SLE-PAH and in 33 healthy control subjects. Clinical associations, serum biomarkers, echocardiographic data, survival times, and adverse cardiovascular events were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 66 patients with SLE-PAH were enrolled; they were divided into two groups based on the occurrence of adverse clinical events. RA phase strain was significantly reduced in patients with events than in patients without events. The endpoint was defined as the combined outcome of all-cause mortality, right heart failure, and rehospitalization due to disease progression. During a mean follow-up of 17.2 ± 9.9 months, 23 patients (35%) reached the endpoint. Compared with patients with RA reservoir strain (RASr) ≥33.45%, patients with RASr < 33.45% had more adverse long-term outcomes (log rank p < .0001). RASr was independently associated with adverse clinical outcomes according to multivariate analysis (p = .010). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that RA function has prognostic value for SLE-PAH patients, and strain analysis revealed that the worse the RA function is, the worse the prognosis.

Financial resource curse and firms' accessibility to financing in resource-based countries.

This study delves into the paradox of the financial resource curse, exploring how the abundance of natural resources in a country paradoxically constrains firms' accessibility to financing. Despite the potential economic boon natural resources represent, evidence suggests that they can lead to less diversified economies, making it challenging for firms outside the resource sector to access financing. Our research aims to dissect this phenomenon by analyzing microeconomic statistics on the financial accessibility of enterprises, juxtaposed with macroeconomic statistics across 170 countries, encompassing over 10,000 firms surveyed from 1990 to 2022. The panel regression analysis allows us to control for both time-invariant country characteristics and global economic trends, providing insights into the causal relationship between resource dependence and financial access for firms. The results are striking, revealing that, indeed, countries with significant natural resource wealth tend to exhibit reduced financial accessibility for firms outside the resource extraction sector. The panel regression models indicate a robust negative correlation between the extent of a country's resource wealth and the ease with which non-resource firms can access financial capital. This suggests that the financial resource curse is not only a real phenomenon but also one that has significant implications for economic diversification and sustainable development. Moreover, findings underscore the need for targeted policy interventions. Countries with abundant natural resources should implement strategies that foster economic diversification, enhance the financial infrastructure to support a broader range of industries, and encourage the development of financial instruments tailored to the needs of non-resource sectors.

Vibro-acoustic topology optimization for improving the acoustic insulation and mechanical stiffness performance of periodic sandwich structure.

The traditional parameter adjustment design makes it difficult to effectively regulate the acoustic insulation performance of periodic sandwich structures while meeting the lightweight and mechanical stiffness requirements. A dynamic three-field floating projection topology optimization (FPTO) method for periodic structures is proposed to meet the optimization requirements of low-noise and high-stiffness performance of lightweight periodic sandwich structures. The sound transmission loss is taken as the optimization objective, and the lightweight volume and mechanical stiffness performance are taken as the multiple constraints. The results show that a smooth topology configuration with superior sound insulation performance, high stiffness, and a freely customizable number of periodic cores can be obtained via the proposed method. The accuracy and effectiveness of the presented method are verified via 3D printing technology and impedance tube sound insulation experiments, providing an important reference for the optimal design of lightweight composite structures for vibration and noise reduction in transportation equipment.

Role of Iodine Status and Lifestyle Behaviors on Goiter among Children and Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study in Zhejiang Province, China.

BACKGROUND: Iodine deficiency is a well-established cause of goiter, while the impact of lifestyle factors on goiter development remains underexplored. The study aims to explore the associations between iodine status, lifestyle factors, and the prevalence of goiter among children and adolescents in Zhejiang Province, China. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2022 using a stratified multistage sampling, involving 2261 children aged 6-17. Among these 1562 participants underwent both urinalysis and thyroid ultrasound. Lifestyle factors were assessed through self-reported questionnaires. RESULTS: The prevalence of goiter in the study population was 10.8%. A high urinary iodine concentration (UIC) (>300 µg/L) was significantly associated with a decreased risk of goiter (OR = 0.49, 95%CI: 0.27-0.88). Excessive recreational screen time and a high frequency of dining out were associated with an increased Tvol, while adequate physical activity and sleep were inversely associated with goiter risk, while the combined effect of high UIC and healthy lifestyle showed a protective effect against goiter. CONCLUSION: Ensuring adequate iodine status and promoting healthy lifestyles are crucial for preventing goiter and enhancing thyroid health in children and adolescents, suggesting that public health strategies should integrate nutritional and lifestyle interventions.

Propensity Score-matched Analysis Comparing Robotic Versus Laparoscopic Minor Liver Resections of the Anterolateral Segments: an International Multi-center Study of 10,517 Cases.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the outcomes of robotic minor liver resections (RMLR) versus laparoscopic (L) MLR of the anterolateral segments. BACKGROUND: Robotic liver surgery has been gaining prominence over the years with increasing usage for a myriad of hepatic resections. Robotic liver resections(RLR) has demonstrated non-inferiority to laparoscopic(L)LR while illustrating advantages over conventional laparoscopy especially for technically difficult and major LR. However, the advantage of RMLR for the anterolateral(AL) (segments II, III, IVb, V and VI) segments, has not been clearly demonstrated. METHODS: Between 2008 to 2022, 15,356 of 29,861 patients from 68 international centres underwent robotic(R) or laparoscopic minor liver resections (LMLR) for the AL segments Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed for matched analysis. RESULTS: 10,517 patients met the study criteria of which 1,481 underwent RMLR and 9,036 underwent LMLR. A PSM cohort of 1,401 patients in each group were identified for analysis. Compared to the LMLR cohort, the RMLR cohort demonstrated significantly lower median blood loss (75ml vs. 100ml, P<0.001), decreased blood transfusion (3.1% vs. 5.4%, P=0.003), lower incidence of major morbidity (2.5% vs. 4.6%, P=0.004), lower proportion of open conversion (1.2% vs. 4.5%, P<0.001), shorter post operative stay (4 days vs. 5 days, P<0.001), but higher rate of 30-day readmission (3.5% vs. 2.1%, P=0.042). These results were then validated by a 1:2 PSM analysis. In the subset analysis for 3,614 patients with cirrhosis, RMLR showed lower median blood loss, decreased blood transfusion, lower open conversion and shorter post operative stay than LMLR. CONCLUSION: RMLR demonstrated statistically significant advantages over LMLR even for resections in the AL segments although most of the observed clinical differences were minimal.

The ISVsa3-ORF2-abh-tet(X4) circular intermediate-mediated transmission of tigecycline resistance in Escherichia coli isolates from duck farms.

Tigecycline is a last-resort drug used to treat serious infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. tet(X4) is a recently discovered plasmid-mediated tigecycline resistance gene that confers high-level resistance to tigecycline and other tetracyclines. Since the first discovery of tet(X4) in 2019, it has spread rapidly worldwide, and as a consequence, tigecycline has become increasingly ineffective in the clinical treatment of multidrug-resistant infections. In this study, we identified and analyzed tet(X4)-positive Escherichia coli isolates from duck farms in Hunan Province, China. In total, 976 samples were collected from nine duck farms. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) were performed to establish the phenotypes and genotypes of tet(X4)-positive isolates. In addition, the genomic characteristics and transferability of tet(X4) were determined based on bioinformatics analysis and conjugation. We accordingly detected an E. coli strain harboring tet(X4) and seven other resistance genes in duck feces. Multi-locus sequence typing analysis revealed that this isolate belonged to a new clone, and subsequent genetic analysis indicated that tet(X4) was carried in a 4608-bp circular intermediate, flanked by ISVsa3-ORF2-abh elements. Moreover, it exhibited transferability to E. coli C600 with a frequency of 10-5. The detection of tet(X4)-harboring E, coli strains on duck farms enhances our understanding of tigecycline resistance dynamics. The transferable nature of the circular intermediate of tet(X4) contributing to the spread of tigecycline resistance genes poses a substantial threat to healthcare. Consequently, vigilant monitoring and proactive measures are necessary to prevent their spread.

Spatiotemporal Microstate Dynamics of Spike-free Scalp EEG Offer a Potential Biomarker for Refractory Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

Refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is one of the most frequently observed subtypes of epilepsy and endangers more than 50 million people world-wide. Although electroencephalogram (EEG) had been widely recognized as a classic tool to screen and diagnose epilepsy, for many years it heavily relied on identifying epileptic discharges and epileptogenic zone localization, which however, limits the understanding of refractory epilepsy due to the network nature of this disease. This work hypothesizes that the microstate dynamics based on resting-state scalp EEG can offer an additional network depiction of the disease and provide potential complementary evaluation tool for the TLE even without detectable epileptic discharges on EEG. We propose a novel framework for EEG microstate spatial-temporal dynamics (EEG-MiSTD) analysis based on machine learning to comprehensively model millisecond-changing whole-brain network dynamics. With only 100 seconds of resting-state EEG even without epileptic discharges, this approach successfully distinguishes TLE patients from healthy controls and is related to the lateralization of epileptic focus. Besides, microstate temporal and spatial features are found to be widely related to clinical parameters, which further demonstrate that TLE is a network disease. A preliminary exploration suggests that the spatial topography is sensitive to the following surgical outcomes. From such a new perspective, our results suggest that spatiotemporal microstate dynamics is potentially a biomarker of the disease. The developed EEG-MiSTD framework can probably be considered as a general tool to examine dynamical brain network disruption in a user-friendly way for other types of epilepsy.

Rational design of Au-Bi bimetallic nanozyme for NIR-II laser mediated multifunctional combined tumor therapy.

To maximize the therapeutic effects and minimize the adverse effects of synergistic tumor therapies, a multifunctional nanozyme Au-Bi/ZIF-8@DOX@HA (ABZ@DOX@HA) was designed and synthesized through the Au and Bi bimetallic doping of ZIF-8, loading of the DOX, and modifying with hyaluronic acid (HA). The ABZ@DOX@HA nanoparticles (NPs) could simulate the enzymatic activities of glucose oxidase (GOx) and peroxidase (POD). Upon irradiated by near-infrared region (NIR-II) laser, the strong synergism of the photothermal abilities of the loaded Au and Bi nanodots accelerated the collapse of the ABZ structure at the tumor site considerably and released Au, Bi nanodots and DOX. The results in vitro and in vivo proved that ABZ@DOX@HA nanozyme could effectively exert the combined tumor therapy of starvation treatment, photothermal therapy (PTT), chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and chemotherapy. The current research provides a new strategy to address the inherent challenges of easy clearance and short blood circulation of small-sized NPs during the treatment of tumors with nanomedicine, as well as the aggregation and oxidation of inorganic nanodots.

Epigenetic Clock at Birth and Childhood Blood Pressure Trajectory: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of methylation gestational age (GAmAge; a biomarker of fetal maturity) at birth on childhood blood pressure (BP) trajectories is unknown. METHODS: This cohort study included 500 boys and 440 girls with data on cord blood DNA methylation and BP at 3 to 15 years of age. Systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP percentiles were calculated based on clinical guidelines. Time-series K-means clustering identified 4 distinct SBP and diastolic BP percentile trajectories: high-steady, high-decrease, normal-increase, and normal-steady. GAmAge was estimated using an existing pediatric epigenetic clock. Extrinsic age acceleration was calculated as residuals of associations between GAmAge and chronological gestational age. Intrinsic age acceleration was calculated using the same method adjusting for cord blood cell compositions. RESULTS: Extrinsic age acceleration and intrinsic age acceleration were inversely associated with repeated measures of BP percentiles. Significant inverse associations were observed between extrinsic age acceleration and SBP percentiles in boys (ß=-2.02; P=0.02) but not in girls (ß=-0.49; P=0.58). Both extrinsic age acceleration and intrinsic age acceleration were inversely associated with SBP percentiles in girls born preterm (<37 weeks; ßEAA=-2.95; ßIAA=-3.00; P<0.05). Compared with the normal-steady SBP trajectory, significant inverse associations were observed between intrinsic age acceleration and high-steady, high-decrease, and normal-increase SBP trajectories in boys (odds ratio, 0.73-0.81; P<0.03), and significant positive associations were observed for high-decrease and normal-increase SBP trajectories in girls (odds ratio, 1.26-1.38; P<0.01). Significant sex differences were observed (Psex-interaction<2×10-16). CONCLUSIONS: GAmAge acceleration at birth was inversely associated with child BP, and such association was more pronounced in boys than in girls. Our findings may shed new light on the developmental origins of high BP and sex differences in cardiovascular risk.

Exploring the efficacy and safety of acupuncture versus sham acupuncture for diminished ovarian reserve: study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: The therapeutic needs of women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), coupled with the increasing application of acupuncture in improving ovarian function, have highlighted the need to verify the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for DOR. This study aims to provide high-quality evidence by evaluating both ovarian reserve and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) outcomes. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A large-scale, multicentre, randomised controlled trial will be carried out across seven hospitals in China. 400 women with DOR will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to an acupuncture group or a sham acupuncture group. Acupuncture or sham acupuncture will consist of 36 sessions per participant over 12 weeks. The primary outcome will be the change in antral follicle count (AFC) at week 12 from baseline. Secondary outcomes are AFC at week 24, the serum levels of basal follicle-stimulating hormone and anti-Mullerian hormone at weeks 12 and 24, the scores of the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale at weeks 12 and 24, clinical pregnancy rate, and IVF embryo transfer related outcomes. Any adverse events during treatment will be documented. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol has been approved by all the participating institutions. Written informed consent will be obtained prior to participant enrolment. The results of this study will be published in peer-reviewed publications. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2200062295 PROTOCOL VERSION: V2.0-20220317.

Simultaneous 18F-FDG PET/MRI predicting favourable surgical outcome in refractory epilepsy patients.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the (1) successful surgery proportion in patients with clear structural lesions on MRI and single abnormality on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/Magnetic resonance imaging (18F-FDG PET/MRI); (2) predictive value of 18F-FDG PET/MRI for postsurgical outcome in refractory epilepsy patients. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 123 patients diagnosed with refractory epilepsy who underwent presurgical evaluation involving 18F-FDG PET/MRI and were followed for one-year post-surgery. Two neuroradiologists interpreted the PET/MRI images using visual analysis and an asymmetry index based on the standard uptake value. The Engel classification was used to assess surgical outcomes one-year post-surgery. Prognostic factors predicting post-surgical seizure outcomes were explored using univariate and binary logistic regression. RESULTS: Definitely single lesion abnormality was observed in 35.0% (43/123) of the patients on the MRI portion of PET/MRI. The proportion increased to 74.0% (91/123) when 18 F-FDG PET portion was added. About 75% (69/91) of patients displaying a clear-cut lesion on 18 F-FDG PET/MRI were classified as Engel Class I one-year post-surgery. The proportion of Engel Class I patients was not significantly different when comparing MRI-single lesion patients with MRI-negative, PET-single lesion patients one year after surgery (81.4% vs. 70.0%, P = 0.24). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the detection of a clear single lesion on 18 F-FDG PET/MRI was a strong positive predictor of a favorable surgical outcome (OR 3.518, 95% CI 1.363-9.077, p = 0.009). CONCLUSION: Single lesion detected on 18 F-FDG PET/MRI is useful to predict good surgical outcome for refractory epilepsy patients; Those patients should be considered as candidates for surgery.

Network Topology Evaluation and Transitive Alignments for Molecular Networking.

Untargeted tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is an essential technique in modern analytical chemistry, providing a comprehensive snapshot of chemical entities in complex samples and identifying unknowns through their fragmentation patterns. This high-throughput approach generates large data sets that can be challenging to interpret. Molecular Networks (MNs) have been developed as a computational tool to aid in the organization and visualization of complex chemical space in untargeted mass spectrometry data, thereby supporting comprehensive data analysis and interpretation. MNs group related compounds with potentially similar structures from MS/MS data by calculating all pairwise MS/MS similarities and filtering these connections to produce a MN. Such networks are instrumental in metabolomics for identifying novel metabolites, elucidating metabolic pathways, and even discovering biomarkers for disease. While MS/MS similarity metrics have been explored in the literature, the influence of network topology approaches on MN construction remains unexplored. This manuscript introduces metrics for evaluating MN construction, benchmarks state-of-the-art approaches, and proposes the Transitive Alignments approach to improve MN construction. The Transitive Alignment technique leverages the MN topology to realign MS/MS spectra of related compounds that differ by multiple structural modifications. Combining this Transitive Alignments approach with pseudoclique finding, a method for identifying highly connected groups of nodes in a network, resulted in more complete and higher-quality molecular families. Finally, we also introduce a targeted network construction technique called induced transitive alignments where we demonstrate effectiveness on a real world natural product discovery application. We release this transitive alignment technique as a high-throughput workflow that can be used by the wider research community.

Effects of pore characteristics on CO2 adsorption performance of coal slime with different metamorphic degrees.

With the rapid development of Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) technology, it is necessary to explore the feasibility of coal slime as a porous carbon material for CO2 capture. In this paper, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the morphological characteristics of coal slime samples with different metamorphic degrees, and the pore structure of coal slime was explored by low temperature N2 adsorption and low-pressure CO2 adsorption experiments. The pore distribution characteristics were analyzed, and the adsorption law of different metamorphic degrees were summarized through CO2 isothermal adsorption experiments. The results showed that: The specific surface area (SSA) and pore volume (PV) of the mesopores of the coal slime exhibited a U-shaped distribution with coal rank, and are much smaller than that of its micropores. Micropores less than 2 nm are the main adsorption space of coal slime, its PV accounted for 59%, 60%, 71%, and SSA accounted for 92%, 93%, 95%, obviously, which are dominant at all stages. The linear correlation fitting coefficients R2 between the limiting adsorbed amount a of CO2 and the micropores PV and the SSA were up to 0.830 and 0.887, respectively. The coal slime has good adsorption performance for CO2. Based on the Langmuir model to fit the limit adsorption amount, a-value can reach 41.774 cm3 g-1, 32.072 cm3 g-1, 38.457 cm3 g-1 at 303 K with the increase of Rmax. Studying the impact of coal slime on CO2 adsorption performance provides a theoretical basis for the subsequent preparation of energy storage materials and is of great significance for the safe, efficient and economic capture and sequestration of CO2, to alleviate the serious situation of the environment and realizing the dual-carbon goal.