The Impact of Vaping on the Ocular Surface: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Background: The use of electronic cigarettes has become increasingly popular in recent years. However, the impact that electronic cigarettes have on the ocular surface is not well known. Therefore, the aim of this review is to explore the current literature on the acute and chronic sequelae of electronic cigarettes on the ocular surface. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was undertaken by keyword searching on the Embase, Medline, and Web of Science databases. Articles identified through the search underwent title/abstract screening, full-text screening, and data extraction. Results: A total of 18 studies were included in this review. Non-intended ocular surface exposures and intended exposures on the ocular surface were found to be associated with the use of electronic cigarettes. Conclusions: The impact of vaping on the ocular surface is not benign. There are significant risks that vaping can pose to the ocular surface. Hence, it is necessary to develop appropriate risk communication tools given the increasing popularity of this activity. Additionally, future long-term studies are needed to better understand the long-term impacts of vaping on the ocular surface given the lack of current data.

Fabrication of an Fe-Doped ZIF-67 Derived Magnetic Fe/Co/C Composite for Effective Removal of Congo Red.

The dyes in printing and dyeing wastewater are harmful to the human body and the environment. It is essential to develop practical and effective adsorbents to deal with them. In this study, an Fe-doped, ZIF-67 derived Fe/Co/C composite material with strong magnetism was successfully synthesized. The effects of pH, initial concentration, and adsorption time on the properties of the adsorbent were investigated. To further improve the removal efficiency and enhance the practicality, potassium peroxymonosulfate (PMS) was added to the system due to its Fenton-like effect. Then, an Fe/Co/C composite was used with PMS to remove Congo red (CR) with a 98% removal of 250 mg·L-1. Moreover, for its high saturation magnetization of 85.4 emu·g-1, the Fe/Co/C composite can be easily recovered by applying a magnetic field, solving the problem that powdery functional materials are difficult to recover and, thus, avoiding secondary pollution. Furthermore, since the composite material was doped before carbonization, this synthetic strategy is flexible and the required metal elements can be added at will to achieve different purposes. This study demonstrates that this Fe-doped, ZIF-67 derived magnetic material has potential application prospects for dye adsorption.

Kimura's Disease in Unusual Anatomical Locations: Clinical and Radiological Characteristics.

Purpose: To explore the clinical and imaging features of rare site Kimura's disease (KD). Methods: Retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, and imaging features of five patients with rare site KD. All imaging data, including the location, quantity, size, uniformity, boundary, and enhanced appearance of the lesion were evaluated by two independent radiologists. Results: Of the five patients, four were asymptomatic, and one experienced localized skin itching. Four cases involved subcutaneous nodules in the upper arm, while one was in the inguinal region. The main manifestations were single (three cases) or multiple (two cases) subcutaneous nodules/masses, with three patients accompanied by local lymph node enlargement. Four patients exhibited elevated eosinophil counts in their peripheral blood. Four patients had lesions with vascular flow voids; in three of these, the lesions also showed prominent enhancement. Notably, the lesion in a 5-year-old did not show vascular flow voids but displayed significant enhancement. Additionally, two patients showed edema around the lesions. Conclusion: The presence of solitary or multiple subcutaneous nodules/masses in the upper arm or inguinal area, accompanied by lymph node enlargement, elevated eosinophils in the peripheral blood, and the observation of internal vascular within the lesion, can aid in the diagnosis of KD occurring in uncommon anatomical locations.

Litter quality and climate regulate the effect of invertebrates on litter decomposition in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems: A global meta-analysis.

Although the exclusion effects of invertebrate decomposers on litter decomposition have been extensively studied in different experimental contexts, a thorough comparison of the exclusion effects of invertebrate decomposers with different body sizes on litter decomposition and its possible regulatory factors in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems is still lacking. Here, through a meta-analysis of 1207 pairs of observations from 110 studies in terrestrial ecosystems and 473 pairs of observations from 60 studies in aquatic ecosystems, we found that invertebrate exclusion reduced litter decomposition rates by 36 % globally, 30 % in terrestrial ecosystems, and 44 % in aquatic ecosystems. At the global scale, the exclusion effects of macroinvertebrates and mesoinvertebrates on litter decomposition rates (reduced by 38 % and 36 %, respectively) were greater than those of the combination of macroinvertebrates and mesoinvertebrates (reduced by 30 %). In terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, the effects of invertebrate exclusion on litter decomposition rates were mainly regulated by climate and initial litter quality, but the effects of invertebrate exclusion with different body sizes were regulated differently by climate, initial litter quality, and abiotic environmental variables. These findings will help us better understand the role of invertebrate decomposers in litter decomposition, especially for invertebrate decomposers with different body sizes, and underscore the need to incorporate invertebrate decomposers with different body sizes into dynamic models of litter decomposition to examine the potential effects and regulatory mechanisms of land-water-atmosphere carbon fluxes.

Hydrogel/microcarrier cell scaffolds for rapid expansion of satellite cells from large yellow croakers: Differential analysis between 2D and 3D cell culture.

Cell culture meat is based on the scaled-up expansion of seed cells. The biological differences between seed cells from large yellow croakers in the two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) culture systems have not been explored. Here, satellite cells (SCs) from large yellow croakers (Larimichthys crocea) were grown on cell climbing slices, hydrogels, and microcarriers for five days to analyze the biological differences of SCs on different cell scaffolds. The results exhibited that SCs had different cell morphologies in 2D and 3D cultures. Cell adhesion receptors (Itgb1andsdc4) and adhesion spot markervclof the 3D cultures were markedly expressed. Furthermore, myogenic decision markers (Pax7andmyod) were significantly enhanced. However, the expression of myogenic differentiation marker (desmin) was significantly increased in the microcarrier group. Combined with the transcriptome data, this suggests that cell adhesion of SCs in 3D culture was related to the integrin signaling pathway. In contrast, the slight spontaneous differentiation of SCs on microcarriers was associated with rapid cell proliferation. This study is the first to report the biological differences between SCs in 2D and 3D cultures, providing new perspectives for the rapid expansion of cell culture meat-seeded cells and the development of customized scaffolds.

Concentration-induced spontaneous polymerization of protic ionic liquids for efficient in situ adhesion.

The advancement of contemporary adhesives is often limited by the balancing act between cohesion and interfacial adhesion strength. This study explores an approach to overcome this trade-off by utilizing the spontaneous polymerization of a protic ionic liquid-based monomer obtained through the neutralization of 2-acrylamide-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid and hydroxylamine. The initiator-free polymerization process is carried out through a gradual increase in monomer concentration in aqueous solutions caused by solvent evaporation upon heating, which results in the in-situ formation of a tough and thin adhesive layer with a highly entangled polymeric network and an intimate interface contact between the adhesive and substrate. The abundance of internal and external non-covalent interactions also contributes to both cohesion and interfacial adhesion. Consequently, the produced protic poly(ionic liquid)s exhibit considerable adhesion strength on a variety of substrates. This method also allows for the creation of advanced adhesive composites with electrical conductivity or visualized sensing functionality by incorporating commercially available fillers into the ionic liquid adhesive. This study provides a strategy for creating high-performance ionic liquid-based adhesives and highlights the importance of in-situ polymerization for constructing adhesive composites.

Targeting STAT3 potentiates CDK4/6 inhibitors therapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Anti-CDK4/6 therapy has been employed for the treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with CDK4/6 hyperactivation, but the response rate is relatively low. In this study, we first showed that CDK4 and CDK6 was over-expressed and conferred poor prognosis in HNSCC. Moreover, in RB-positive HNSCC, STAT3 signaling was activated induced by CDK4/6 inhibition and STAT3 promotes RB deficiency by upregulation of MYC. Thirdly, the combination of Stattic and CDK4/6 inhibitor results in striking anti-tumor effect in vitro and in Cal27 derived animal models. Additionally, phospho-STAT3 level negatively correlates with RB expression and predicts poor prognosis in patients with HNSCC. Taken together, our findings suggest an unrecognized function of STAT3 confers to CDK4/6 inhibitors resistance and presenting a promising combination strategy for patients with HNSCC.

A Strong and Highly Transparent Ionogel Electrolyte Enabled by In Situ Polymerization-Induced Microphase Separation for High-Performance Electrochromic Devices.

Electrochromic devices built with ionogel electrolytes are seen as a pivotal step toward the future of quasi-solid electrochromic devices, due to their striking properties like exceptional safety and high ionic conductivity. Yet, the poor mechanical strength of electrolyte of these devices remains a constraint that hampers their advancement. As a resolution, this research explores the use of a robust, transparent ionogel electrolyte, which is designed using an in situ microphase separation strategy. The ionogels are highly transparent and robust and exhibit excellent physicochemical stability, including a wide electrochemical window and high temperature tolerance. Benefitting from these properties, a high-performance electrochromic device is fabricated through in situ polymerization with the ionogels, PPRODOT as the electrochromic layer, and PEDOT: PSS as the ion storage layer, achieving high transmittance contrast (43.1%), fast response (1/1.7 s), high coloring efficiency (1296.4 cm2 C-1), and excellent cycling endurance (>99.9% retention after 2000 cycles). In addition, using ITO-poly(ethylene terephthalate) as flexible substrates, a deformable electrochromic device displaying high stability is realized, highlighting the potential use in functional wearables.

Role of N-acetylkynurenine in mediating the effect of gut microbiota on urinary tract infection: a Mendelian randomization study.

Introduction: This study explored the causal connections between gut microbiota (GM), urinary tract infection (UTI), and potential metabolite mediators using Mendelian randomization (MR). Methods: We utilized summary statistics from the most comprehensive and extensive genome-wide association studies (GWAS) available to date, including 196 bacterial traits for GM, 1,091 blood metabolites, 309 metabolite ratios, alongside UTI data from ukb-b-8814 and ebi-a-GCST90013890. Bidirectional MR analyses were conducted to investigate the causal links between GM and UTI. Subsequently, two MR analyses were performed to identify the potential mediating metabolites, followed by a two-step MR analysis to quantify the mediation proportion. Results: Our findings revealed that out of the total 15 bacterial traits, significant associations with UTI risk were observed across both datasets. Particularly, taxon g_Ruminococcaceae UCG010 displayed a causal link with a diminished UTI risk in both datasets (ukb-b-8814: odds ratio [OR] = 0.9964, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.9930-0.9997, P = 0.036; GCST90013890: OR = 0.8252, 95% CI = 0.7217-0.9436, P = 0.005). However, no substantial changes in g_Ruminococcaceae UCG010 due to UTI were noted (ukb-b-8814: ß = 0.51, P = 0.87; ebi-a-GCST90013890: ß = -0.02, P = 0.77). Additionally, variations in 56 specific metabolites were induced by g_Ruminococcaceae UCG010, with N-acetylkynurenine (NAK) exhibiting a causal correlation with UTI. A negative association was found between g_Ruminococcaceae UCG010 and NAK (OR: 0.8128, 95% CI: 0.6647-0.9941, P = 0.044), while NAK was positively associated with UTI risk (OR: 1.0009; 95% CI: 1.0002-1.0016; P = 0.0173). Mediation analysis revealed that the association between g_Ruminococcaceae UCG010 and UTI was mediated by NAK with a mediation proportion of 5.07%. Discussion: This MR study provides compelling evidence supporting the existence of causal relationships between specific GM taxa and UTI, along with potential mediating metabolites.

A mitochondrion-targeted cyanine agent for NIR-II fluorescence-guided surgery combined with intraoperative photothermal therapy to reduce prostate cancer recurrence.

Poorly identified tumor boundaries and nontargeted therapies lead to the high recurrence rates and poor quality of life of prostate cancer patients. Near-infrared-II (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging provides certain advantages, including high resolution and the sensitive detection of tumor boundaries. Herein, a cyanine agent (CY7-4) with significantly greater tumor affinity and blood circulation time than indocyanine green was screened. By binding albumin, the absorbance of CY7-4 in an aqueous solution showed no effects from aggregation, with a peak absorbance at 830 nm and a strong fluorescence emission tail beyond 1000 nm. Due to its extended circulation time (half-life of 2.5 h) and high affinity for tumor cells, this fluorophore was used for primary and metastatic tumor diagnosis and continuous monitoring. Moreover, a high tumor signal-to-noise ratio (up to ~ 10) and excellent preferential mitochondrial accumulation ensured the efficacy of this molecule for photothermal therapy. Therefore, we integrated NIR-II fluorescence-guided surgery and intraoperative photothermal therapy to overcome the shortcomings of a single treatment modality. A significant reduction in recurrence and an improved survival rate were observed, indicating that the concept of intraoperative combination therapy has potential for the precise clinical treatment of prostate cancer.

A synergistic study of policy and literature on rumor governance.

Rumor governance is an important guarantee for social stability and public safety. Based on the life cycle and crisis cycle model, this paper conducts a synergistic analysis of China's rumor governance policies and regulations and the core scientific research literature on rumor governance in WOS and CNKI. In this paper, we use the TF-IDF algorithm to count the word frequencies of 326 policy and regulation texts, the Jieba-RoBERTa-Kmeans model to cluster high-frequency keywords, and CiteSpace software and the LLR clustering algorithm are utilized to extract and cluster keywords from 391 documents in the WOS database and from 703 documents in the CNKI database. Based on the synergistic analysis of the life cycle model, it is found that the research on policies and regulations precedes the research on literature, and both are in the period of refinement.Based on the synergistic analysis using the co-occurrence comparison of subject terms in the crisis cycle model, it is found that there is a lack of research in the stages of prevention, monitoring, and governance, and this paper proposes the systematic governance mechanism and strategy for crisis resolution that conforms to the trend of life cycle evolution and is synergistic with policy and literature. This study has only selected Chinese policies and regulations, and the proposed governance strategies have not yet been verified in practice; future research can expand the scope and depth of the study and conduct empirical research and pilot projects.

Electrochemical Cross-Coupling between N-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-sulfonamides and 2-Naphthols: Synthesis of 2,2'-Bis(arenol)s.

We herein present an electrochemical method for the dehydrogenative cross-coupling of N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-sulfonamides and 2-naphthols. This transformation provides a direct and scalable approach to a wide range of C1-symmetric 2,2'-bis(arenol)s with moderate to high yields under mild conditions. Preliminary attempts with the asymmetric variant of this reaction were also performed with ≤55% ee for the synthesis of 2,2'-bis(arenol)s. Control experiments were conducted to propose a plausible mechanism for the reaction.

P2Y12 Inhibition in Patients Requiring Oral Anticoagulation after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: The SWAP-AC-2 Study.

BACKGROUND: Among patients treated with a novel oral anticoagulant (NOAC) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), combination therapy with clopidogrel (i.e., known as dual antithrombotic therapy [DAT]) is the treatment of choice. However, there are concerns for individuals with impaired response to clopidogrel. OBJECTIVES: To assess the pharmacodynamic (PD) effects of clopidogrel vs. low-dose ticagrelor in patients with impaired clopidogrel response assessed by the ABCD-GENE score. METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized PD study of NOAC-treated patients undergoing PCI. Patients with an ABCD-GENE score ≥10 (n=39), defined as having impaired clopidogrel response, were randomized to low-dose ticagrelor (n=20; 60 mg/bid) or clopidogrel (n=19; 75 mg/qd). Patients with an ABCD-GENE<10 (n=42) were treated with clopidogrel (75 mg/qd; control cohort). PD assessments at baseline and 30 days post-randomization (trough and peak) were performed to assess P2Y12 signaling [VerifyNow P2Y12 reaction units (PRU), light transmittance aggregometry (LTA), and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP)]; makers of thrombosis not specific to P2Y12 signaling were also assessed. The primary endpoint was PRU (trough levels) at 30 days. RESULTS: At 30 days, PRU levels were reduced with ticagrelor-based DAT compared with clopidogrel-based DAT at trough (23.0 [3.0-46.0] vs. 154.5 [77.5-183.0]; p<0.001) and peak (6.0 [4.0-14.0] vs. 129.0 [66.0-171.0]; p<0.001). Trough PRU levels in the control arm (104.0 [35.0-167.0]) were higher than ticagrelor-based DAT (p=0.005) and numerically lower than clopidogrel-based DAT (p=0.234). Results were consistent by LTA and VASP. Markers measuring other pathways leading to thrombus formation were largely unaffected. CONCLUSIONS: In NOAC-treated patients undergoing PCI with an ABCD-gene score ≥10, ticagrelor-based DAT using a 60 mg bid regimen reduced platelet P2Y12 reactivity compared to clopidogrel-based DAT.

A prognostic model built on amino acid metabolism patterns in HPV-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To compare amino acid metabolism patterns between HPV-positive and HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients and identify key genes for a prognostic model. DESIGN: Utilizing the Cancer Genome Atlas dataset, we analyzed amino acid metabolism genes, differentiated genes between HPV statuses, and selected key genes via LASSO regression for the prognostic model. The model's gene expression was verified through immunohistochemistry in clinical samples. Functional enrichment and CIBERSORTx analyses explored biological functions, molecular mechanisms, and immune cell correlations. The model's prognostic capability was assessed using nomograms, calibration, and decision curve analysis. RESULTS: We identified 1157 key genes associated with amino acid metabolism in HNSCC and HPV status. The prognostic model, featuring genes like IQCN, SLC22A1, SYT12, and TLX3, highlighted functions in development, metabolism, and pathways related to receptors and enzymes. It significantly correlated with immune cell infiltration and outperformed traditional staging in prognosis prediction, despite immunohistochemistry results showing limited clinical identification of HPV-related HNSCC. CONCLUSIONS: Distinct amino acid metabolism patterns differentiate HPV-positive from negative HNSCC patients, underscoring the prognostic model's utility in predicting outcomes and guiding therapeutic strategies.

Phytoalexin sakuranetin attenuates endocytosis and enhances resistance to rice blast.

Phytoalexin sakuranetin functions in resistance against rice blast. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of sakuranetin remains elusive. Here, we report that rice lines expressing resistance (R) genes were found to contain high levels of sakuranetin, which correlates with attenuated endocytic trafficking of plasma membrane (PM) proteins. Exogenous and endogenous sakuranetin attenuates the endocytosis of various PM proteins and the fungal effector PWL2. Moreover, accumulation of the avirulence protein AvrCO39, resulting from uptake into rice cells by Magnaporthe oryzae, was reduced following treatment with sakuranetin. Pharmacological manipulation of clathrin-mediated endocytic (CME) suggests that this pathway is targeted by sakuranetin. Indeed, attenuation of CME by sakuranetin is sufficient to convey resistance against rice blast. Our data reveals a mechanism of rice against M. oryzae by increasing sakuranetin levels and repressing the CME of pathogen effectors, which is distinct from the action of many R genes that mainly function by modulating transcription.

A structure-preserving linearly homomorphic signature scheme with designated combiner.

Linearly homomorphic signature (LHS) allows the acquisition of a new legal signature using the homomorphic operation of the original signatures. However, the public composability of LHS also prevents it from being used in some scenarios where the combiner needs to be designated. The LZZ22 scheme designates a combiner and preserves the signature structure by having the signer and the designated combiner share a secret. However, LZZ22 is not secure enough because the secret is constant. Here, we first prove that there is a polynomial time adversary that can crack the secret in LZZ22 through multiple signature queries. Then, we propose a new scheme, which realizes all the functions of LZZ22 and fixes the security problem by changing the secret with the message. The proposed scheme is shown to be secure against existential forgery on adaptively chosen subspace attacks under the random oracle model. Finally, we detail how to apply our scheme to the proxy signature and perform it on a personal computer, and the results show that our scheme is efficient.

Intercropping improves maize yield and nitrogen uptake by regulating nitrogen transformation and functional microbial abundance in rhizosphere soil.

Intercropping-driven changes in nitrogen (N)-acquiring microbial genomes and functional expression regulate soil N availability and plant N uptake. However, present data seem to be limited to a specific community, obscuring the viewpoint of entire N-acquiring microbiomes and functions. Taking maize intercropped with legumes (peanut and soybean) and non-legumes (gingelly and sweet potato) as models, we studied the effects of intercropping on N transformations and N-acquiring microbiomes in rhizosphere soil across four maize growth stages. Meanwhile, we compiled promising strategies such as random forest analysis and structural equation model for the exploitation of the associations between microbe-driven N dynamics and soil-plant N trade-offs and maize productivity. Compared with monoculture, maize intercropping significantly increased the denitrification rate of rhizosphere soils across four maize growth stages, net N mineralization in the elongation and flowering stages, and the nitrification rate in the seedling and mature stages. The abundance of most N-acquiring microbial populations was influenced significantly by intercropping patterns and maize growth stages. Soil available N components (NH4+-N, NO3--N, and dissolved organic N content) showed a highly direct effect on plant N uptake, which mainly mediated by N transformations (denitrification rate) and N-acquiring populations (amoB, nirK3, and hzsB genes). Overall, the adaptation of N-acquiring microbiomes to changing rhizosphere micro-environments caused by intercropping patterns and maize development could promote soil N transformations and dynamics to meet demand of maize for N nutrient. This would offer another unique perspective to manage the benefits of the highly N-effective and production-effective intercropping ecosystems.