Deeper Insights into the Morphology Effect of Na2Ti3O7 Nanoarrays on Sodium-Ion Storage.

Na2Ti3O7-based anodes show great promise for Na+ storage in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), though the effect of Na2Ti3O7 morphology on battery performance remains poorly understood. Herein, hydrothermal syntheses is used to prepare free-standing Na2Ti3O7 nanosheets or Na2Ti3O7 nanotubes on Ti foil substrates, with the structural and electrochemical properties of the resulting electrodes explored in detail. Results show that the Na2Ti3O7 nanosheet electrode (NTO NSs) delivered superior performance in terms of reversible capacity, rate capability, and especially long-term durability in SIBs compared to its nanotube counterpart (NTO NTs). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations, combined with density functional theory calculations, demonstrated that the flexible 2D Na2Ti3O7 nanosheets are mechanically more robust than the rigid Na2Ti3O7 nanotube arrays during prolonged battery cycling, explaining the superior durability of the NTO NSs electrode. This work prompts the use of anodes based on Na2Ti3O7 nanosheets in the future development of high-performance SIBs.

Insightful Understanding of Synergistic Oxygen Reduction on PtCo3(111) Toward Zinc-Air Batteries.

Theory-guided materials design is an effective strategy for designing catalysts with high intrinsic activity whilst minimizing the usage of expensive metals like platinum. As proof-of-concept, herein it demonstrates that using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental validation that intermetallic PtCo3 alloy nanoparticles offer enhanced electrocatatalytic performance for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) compared to Pt nanoparticles. DFT calculations established that PtCo3(111) surfaces possess better intrinsic ORR activity compared to Pt(111) surfaces, owing to the synergistic action of adjacent Pt and Co active sites which optimizes the binding strength of ORR intermediates to boost overall ORR kinetics. With this understanding, a PtCo3/NC catalyst, comprising PtCo3 nanoparticles exposing predominantly (111) facets dispersed on an N-doped carbon support, is successfully fabricated. PtCo3/NC demonstrates a high specific activity (3.4 mA cm-2 mgPt -1), mass activity (0.67 A mgPt -1), and cycling stability for the ORR in 0.1 M KOH, significantly outperforming a commercial 20 wt.% Pt/C catalyst. Moreover, a zinc-air battery (ZAB) assembled with PtCo3/NC as the air-electrode catalyst delivered an open-circuit voltage of 1.47 V, a specific capacity of 775.1 mAh gZn -1 and excellent operation durability after 200 discharge/charge cycles, vastly superior performance to a ZAB built using commercial Pt/C+IrO2 as the air-electrode catalyst.

Low frequency magnetic field assisted production of acidic protease by Aspergillus niger.

Acid protease is widely used in industries such as food processing and feed additives. In the study, low frequency magnetic field (LF-MF) as an aid enhances acid protease production by Aspergillus niger (A. niger). The study assessed mycelial biomass, the enzymic activity of the acidic protease and underlying mechanism. At low intensities, alternating magnetic field (AMF) is more effective than static magnetic fields (SMF). Under optimal magnetic field conditions, acid protease activity and biomass increased by 91.44% and 16.31%, as compared with the control, respectively. Maximum 19.87% increase in enzyme activity after magnetic field treatment of crude enzyme solution in control group. Transcriptomics analyses showed that low frequency alternating magnetic field (LF-AMF) treatment significantly upregulated genes related to hydrolases and cell growth. Our results showed that low-frequency magnetic fields can enhance the acid protease production ability of A. niger, and the effect of AMF is better at low intensities. The results revealed that the effect of magnetic field on the metabolic mechanism of A. niger and provided a reference for magnetic field-assisted fermentation of A. niger.

Iron-Cobalt Phosphide Encapsulated in a N-Doped Carbon Framework as a Promising Low-Cost Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalyst for Zinc-Air Batteries.

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) plays a vital role in many next-generation electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices, motivating the search for low-cost ORR electrocatalysts possessing high activity and excellent durability. In this work, we demonstrate that iron-cobalt phosphide (FeCoP) nanoparticles encapsulated in a N-doped carbon framework (FeCoP@NC) represent a very promising catalyst for the ORR in alkaline media. The core-shell structured FeCoP@NC catalyst offered outstanding ORR activity with a half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.86 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and excellent stability in a 0.1 M KOH electrolyte, outperforming commercial Pt/C and many recently reported noble-metal-free ORR electrocatalysts. The superiority of FeCoP@NC as an ORR electrocatalyst relative to Pt/C was further verified in prototype zinc-air batteries (ZABs), with the aqueous and flexible ZABs prepared using FeCoP@NC offering excellent stability, impressive open circuit voltages (1.56 and 1.44 V, respectively), and high maximum power densities (183.5 and 69.7 mW cm-2, respectively). Density functional theory calculations revealed that encapsulating FeCoP nanoparticles in N-doped carbon shells resulted in favorable electron penetration effects, which synergistically regulated the adsorption/desorption of ORR intermediates for optimal ORR performance while also boosting the electronic conductivity. Our findings offer valuable new insights for rational design of transition metal phosphide-based catalysts for the ORR and other electrochemical applications.

Synergistic Electrocatalysis and Spatial Nanoconfinement to Accelerate Sulfur Conversion Kinetics in Aqueous Zn-S Battery.

Aqueous zinc batteries based on the conversion-type sulfur cathodes are promising in energy storage system due to the high theoretical energy density, low cost, and good safety. However, the multi-electron solid-state intermediate conversion reaction of sulfur cathodes generally possess sluggish kinetics, which leads to lower discharge voltage and inefficient sulfur utilization, thus suppressing the practical energy density. Herein, sulfur nanoparticles derived from metal-organic frameworks confined in situ within electrospun fibers derived sulfur and nitrogen co-doped carbon nanofibers (S@S,N-CNF) composite, which possesses yolk-shell S@C nanostructure, is fabricated through successive sulfidation, pyrolysis, and sulfide oxidation processes, and served as a high-performance cathode material for Zn-S battery. The S and N dopants on carbon can collectively catalyse sulfur reduction reaction (SRR) by lowering energy barrier and accelerating kinetics to increase discharge voltage and specific capacity. Meanwhile, the yolk-shell S@C structure with spatially confined S nanoparticle yolks is beneficial to improve charge transfer and lower activation energy, thus further expediting SRR kinetics. Furthermore, extensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that S and N dual-doping can thermodynamically and dynamically reduce the energy barrier of rate-determining step (i.e., the transformation of *ZnS4 into *ZnS2) for the overall SRR, thereby significantly accelerating SRR kinetics.

Ultrasound image denoising autoencoder model based on lightweight attention mechanism.

Background: The presence of noise in medical ultrasound images significantly degrades image quality and affects the accuracy of disease diagnosis. The convolutional neural network-denoising autoencoder (CNN-DAE) model extracts feature information by stacking regularly sized kernels. This results in the loss of texture detail, the over-smoothing of the image, and a lack of generalizability for speckle noise. Methods: A lightweight attention denoise-convolutional neural network (LAD-CNN) is proposed in the present study. Two different lightweight attention blocks (i.e., the lightweight channel attention (LCA) block and the lightweight large-kernel attention (LLA) block are concatenated into the downsampling stage and the upsampling stage, respectively. A skip connection is included before the upsampling layer to alleviate the problem of gradient vanishing during backpropagation. The effectiveness of our model was evaluated using both subjective visual effects and objective evaluation metrics. Results: With the highest peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity (SSIM) values at all noise levels, the proposed model outperformed the other models. In the test of brachial plexus ultrasound images, the average PSNR of our model was 0.15 higher at low noise levels and 0.33 higher at high noise levels than the suboptimal model. In the test of fetal ultrasound images, the average PSNR of our model was 0.23 higher at low noise levels and 0.20 higher at high noise levels than the suboptimal model. The statistical analysis showed that the p values were less than 0.05, which indicated a statistically significant difference between our model and the other models. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the proposed LAD-CNN model is more efficient in denoising and preserving image details than both conventional denoising algorithms and existing deep-learning algorithms.

[Retracted] Tissue­specific transplantation antigen P35B functions as an oncogene and is regulated by microRNA­125a­5p in lung cancer.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that certain of the immunohistochemical data shown in Fig. 1A on p. 5, colony formation data shown in Figs. 2C, H and M and 6D on p. 6 and p. 10 respectively, the western blots in Fig. 2B, Transwell cell migration and invasion assay data in Fig. 3B, D and F, and immunofluorescence data in Fig. 4C had already appeared in previously published articles written by different authors at different research institutes (some of which have subsequently been retracted). Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already been published prior to its submission to Oncology Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. After having been in contact with the authors, they accepted the decision to retract the paper. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [Oncology Reports 45: 72, 2021; DOI: 10.3892/or.2021.8023].

Biomaterials regulates BMSCs differentiation via mechanical microenvironment.

Bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are crucial for bone tissue regeneration, the mechanical microenvironment of hard tissues, including bone and teeth, significantly affects the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Biomaterials may mimic the microenvironment of the extracellular matrix and provide mechanical signals to regulate BMSCs differentiation via inducing the secretion of various intracellular factors. Biomaterials direct the differentiation of BMSCs via mechanical signals, including tension, compression, shear, hydrostatic pressure, stiffness, elasticity, and viscoelasticity, which can be transmitted to cells through mechanical signalling pathways. Besides, biomaterials with piezoelectric effects regulate BMSCs differentiation via indirect mechanical signals, such as, electronic signals, which are transformed from mechanical stimuli by piezoelectric biomaterials. Mechanical stimulation facilitates achieving vectored stem cell fate regulation, while understanding the underlying mechanisms remains challenging. Herein, this review summarizes the intracellular factors, including translation factors, epigenetic modifications, and miRNA level, as well as the extracellular factor, including direct and indirect mechanical signals, which regulate the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Besides, this review will also give a comprehensive summary about how mechanical stimuli regulate cellular behaviours, as well as how biomaterials promote the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs via mechanical microenvironments. The cellular behaviours and activated signal pathways will give more implications for the design of biomaterials with superior properties for bone tissue engineering. Moreover, it will also provide inspiration for the construction of bone organoids which is a useful tool for mimicking in vivo bone tissue microenvironments.

Comparison of Efficacy and Safety between Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Targeted Drugs in Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) are becoming a new treatment approach for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). However, the results regarding its efficacy compared with the standard regimen of targeted therapy are not consistent. AIMS: Our aim was to conduct a meta-analysis of existing studies to reveal the differences in the efficacy and safety of the two systems of treatment. METHODS: The related studies were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and Embase from inception to June 30th, 2022. Data on overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and rate of treatment- related adverse events (TrAEs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were pooled and analyzed by Stata 12.0 software. RESULTS: A total of ten high-quality controlled clinical studies with 5,539 patients with uHCC were included. The hazard ratio (HR) of the OS and PFS were 0.80 (95% CI, 0.74-0.86) and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.58-0.89), respectively. In addition, the odds ratio (OR) of the ORR and DCR were 3.39 (95% CI, 2.75-4.17) and 1.20 (95% CI, 0.84-1.73), respectively. The ORR of ICIs monotherapy, ICIs plus anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and ICIs plus ICIs were 16% (95% CI, 0.13-0.18), 17% (95% CI, 0.10-0.27), and 20% (95% CI, 0.16-0.24), respectively. For all included studies, the OR of the overall TrAEs was 0.51(95% CI, 0.22-1.18), and grade ≥ 3 TrAEs was 0.78 (95% CI, 0.53-1.14). CONCLUSION: ICIs were more effective than targeted drugs concerning survival periods and ORR in patients with uHCC while maintaining a stable safety profile.

Design of a cofactor self-sufficient whole-cell biocatalyst for enzymatic asymmetric reduction via engineered metabolic pathways and multi-enzyme cascade.

NAD(P)H-dependent oxidoreductases are crucial biocatalysts for synthesizing chiral compounds. Yet, the industrial implementation of enzymatic redox reactions is often hampered by an insufficient supply of expensive nicotinamide cofactors. Here, a cofactor self-sufficient whole-cell biocatalyst was developed for the enzymatic asymmetric reduction of 2-oxo-4-[(hydroxy)(-methyl)phosphinyl] butyric acid (PPO) to L-phosphinothricin (L-PPT). The endogenous NADP+ pool was significantly enhanced by regulating Preiss-Handler pathway toward NAD(H) synthesis and, in the meantime, introducing NAD kinase to phosphorylate NAD(H) toward NADP+. The intracellular NADP(H) concentration displayed a 2.97-fold increase with the strategy compared with the wild-type strain. Furthermore, a recombinant multi-enzyme cascade biocatalytic system was constructed based on the Escherichia coli chassis. In order to balance multi-enzyme co-expression levels, the strategy of modulating rate-limiting enzyme PmGluDH by RBS strengths regulation successfully increased the catalytic efficiency of PPO conversion. Finally, the cofactor self-sufficient whole-cell biocatalyst effectively converted 300 mM PPO to L-PPT in 2 h without the need to add exogenous cofactors, resulting in a 2.3-fold increase in PPO conversion (%) from 43% to 100%, with a high space-time yield of 706.2 g L-1 d-1 and 99.9% ee. Overall, this work demonstrates a technological example for constructing a cofactor self-sufficient system for NADPH-dependent redox biocatalysis.

Comparative effectiveness of several adjuvant therapies after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma patients with microvascular invasion.

BACKGROUND: For resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), radical hepatectomy is commonly used as a curative treatment. However, postoperative recurrence significantly diminishes the overall survival (OS) of HCC patients, especially with microvascular invasion (MVI) as an independent high-risk factor for recurrence. While some studies suggest that postoperative adjuvant therapy may decrease the risk of recurrence following liver resection in HCC patients, the specific role of adjuvant therapies in those with MVI remains unclear. AIM: To conduct a network meta-analysis (NMA) to evaluate the efficacy of various adjuvant therapies and determine the optimal adjuvant regimen. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science until April 6, 2023. Studies comparing different adjuvant therapies or comparing adjuvant therapy with hepatectomy alone were included. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals were used to combine data on recurrence free survival and OS in both pairwise meta-analyses and NMA. RESULTS: Fourteen eligible trials (2268 patients) reporting five different therapies were included. In terms of reducing the risk of recurrence, radiotherapy (RT) [HR = 0.34 (0.23, 0.5); surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) = 97.7%] was found to be the most effective adjuvant therapy, followed by hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy [HR = 0.52 (0.35, 0.76); SUCRA = 65.1%]. Regarding OS improvement, RT [HR: 0.35 (0.2, 0.61); SUCRA = 93.1%] demonstrated the highest effectiveness, followed by sorafenib [HR = 0.48 (0.32, 0.69); SUCRA = 70.9%]. CONCLUSION: Adjuvant therapy following hepatectomy may reduce the risk of recurrence and provide a survival benefit for HCC patients with MVI. RT appears to be the most effective adjuvant regimen.

NSD2-mediated H3K36me2 exacerbates osteoporosis via activation of hoxa2 in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis (OP) is a prevalent disease associated with age, and one of the primary pathologies is the defect of osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). This study aimed to elucidate whether Nuclear Receptor Binding SET Domain Protein 2 (NSD2) transcriptionally regulates osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in osteoporosis. METHODS: Identification of human BMSCs (hBMSCs) in vitro was measured by flow cytometry. Osteogenesis of hBMSCs in vitro was measured by Alizarin Red and Alkaline Phosphatase staining. The protein levels of H3K36me1/2/3, NSD2, and Hoxa2 were measured by western blotting. The mRNA levels of NSD2, Runx2, and BSP were measured by qPCR. The role of NSD2 in the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs was further identified by silencing NSD2 via shRNA or overexpression of NSD2 via lentivirus transfection. The interactions of NSD2, H3K36me2 and Hoxa2 were identified via chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Luciferase reporting analysis was employed to confirm that NSD2 regulated the transcriptional activity of Hoxa2. Ovariectomized (OVX) was performed on mice to construct osteoporosis (OP) model. Subsequently, the bone mass was assessed by micro computed tomography (micro-CT) scan. RESULTS: During the osteogenesis of OP-derived hBMSCs, the levels of NSD2 and H3K36me2 significantly increased in 14 days of osteogenic induction. Inhibition of NSD2 via shRNA increased the RUNX2 and BSP expression of hBMSCs, while overexpression of NSD2 decreased RUNX2 and BSP expression of hBMSCs. ChIP analysis indicated NSD2-mediated H3K36me2 reduced the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs by regulating the osteogenic inhibitor Hoxa2. Accordingly, inhibition of NSD2 in vivo via tail vein injection of LV-shNSD2 lentivirus greatly alleviated OVX-induced osteoporosis in mice. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that NSD2 inhibited the osteogenic differentiation in hBMSCs by transcriptionally downregulating Hoxa2 via H3K36me2 dimethylation. Inhibition of NSD2 effectively attenuated bone loss in murine osteoporosis and NSD2 is a promising target for clinical treatment of osteoporosis.

Hemodynamic-based virtual surgery design of double-patch repair for pulmonary arterioplasty in tetralogy of Fallot.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Surgical correction of pulmonary artery stenosis (PAS) is essential to the prognosis of patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). The double-patch method of pulmonary arterioplasty is usually applied in case of multiple stenosis in TOF patients' pulmonary artery (PA) and when PAS cannot be relieved by the single-patch method. The surgical planning for the double-patch design remains challenging. The purpose of this study is to investigate the double-patch design with different angulations between the left pulmonary artery (LPA) and the right pulmonary artery (RPA), and to understand postoperative hemodynamic alterations by the application of computer-aided design (CAD) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques. METHODS: The three-dimensional model of the PA was reconstructed based on preoperative computed tomography imaging data obtained from the patient with TOF. Three postoperative models with different designs of double-patch were created by "virtual surgery" using the CAD technique. Double-Patch 120 Model was created with double patches implanted in the main pulmonary artery (MPA) and the PA bifurcation and without changing the spatial position of PA. The angulation between the LPA and the RPA was defined as θ, which equaled to 120° in Pre-Operative Model and Double-Patch 120 Model. Based on Double-Patch 120 Model, Double-Patch 110 Model and Double-Patch 130 Model were generated with θ equaled to 110° and 130°, respectively. Combined with CFD, the differences of velocity streamlines, wall shear stress (WSS), flow distribution ratio (FDR), and energy loss (EL) were compared to analyze postoperative pulmonary flow characteristics. RESULTS: The values of velocity and WSS decreased significantly after virtual surgery. Obvious vortices and swirling flows were observed downstream of the stenosis of RPA and LPA in Pre-Operative Model, while fewer vortices developed along the anterior wall of the expanded lumens of RPA, especially in Double-Patch 110 Model. With the relief of PAS, two relatively higher WSS regions were observed at the posterior walls of RPA and LPA. The maximum WSS values in these regions of Double-Patch 110 Model were lower than those in Double-Patch 120 Model and Double-Patch 130 Model. Furthermore, the FDRs were elevated and the ELs were greatly reduced. It was found that Double-Patch 110 Model with the angulation between the LPA and the RPA equaled to 110° showed relatively better properties of hemodynamics than other models. CONCLUSIONS: The angulation between the LPA and the RPA is an important factor that should be integrated in the double-patch design for TOF repair. Virtual surgery based on patient-specific vascular model and computational hemodynamics can be used to provide assistance for individualized surgical planning of double-patch arterioplasty.

Genetic Structure and Population History of the Zaisan Toad-Headed Agama (Phrynocephalus melanurus) Inferred from Mitochondrial DNA.

The agamid lizard Phrynocephalus melanurus is restricted to Northwest China (Dzungar Basin) and the adjacent Eastern Kazakhstan (Zaisan and Alakol basins). To elucidate the phylogeography of P. melanurus, we obtained the mitochondrial DNA COI segments of 175 sampled lizards from 44 localities across the whole distribution. Phylogenetic analyses revealed two main Clades comprising five geographically structured lineages (I, IIa, IIb1, IIb2, and IIb3) that fit an isolation-by-distance (IBD) model. The divergence from the most recent common ancestor was dated to ~1.87 million years ago (Ma). Demographic analyses demonstrated lineage-specific response to past climate change: stable population for Clade I, Subclade IIb1; past population expansion for IIb3 since 0.18 Ma, respectively. Bayesian phylogeographic diffusion analyses detected initial spreading at the Saur Mount vicinity, approximately 1.8 Ma. Historical species distribution model (SDM) projected expansion of the suitable habitat in the last interglacial and shift and contraction in the last glacial maximum and Holocene epochs. The SDM predicted a drastic reduction in suitable area throughout the range as a response to future climate change. Our findings suggest that the evolution of P. melanurus followed a parapatric divergence with subsequent dispersal and adaptation to cold and dry environments during the Quaternary. Overall, this work improves our understanding of the lineage diversification and population dynamics of P. melanurus, providing further insights into the evolutionary processes that occurred in Northwest China and adjacent Eastern Kazakhstan.

Multifunctional hydrogel-based engineered extracellular vesicles delivery for complicated wound healing.

The utilization of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in wound healing has been well-documented. However, the direct administration of free EVs via subcutaneous injection at wound sites may result in the rapid dissipation of bioactive components and diminished therapeutic efficacy. Functionalized hydrogels provide effective protection, as well as ensure the sustained release and bioactivity of EVs during the wound healing process, making them an ideal candidate material for delivering EVs. In this review, we introduce the mechanisms by which EVs accelerate wound healing, and then elaborate on the construction strategies for engineered EVs. Subsequently, we discuss the synthesis strategies and application of hydrogels as delivery systems for the sustained release of EVs to enhance complicated wound healing. Furthermore, in the face of complicated wounds, functionalized hydrogels with specific wound microenvironment regulation capabilities, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immune regulation, used for loading engineered EVs, provide potential approaches to addressing these healing challenges. Ultimately, we deliberate on potential future trajectories and outlooks, offering a fresh viewpoint on the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI)-energized materials and 3D bio-printed multifunctional hydrogel-based engineered EVs delivery dressings for biomedical applications.

Model construction and thrombolytic treatment of rat portal vein thrombosis.

OBJECTIVE: To construct a stable rat portal vein thrombosis (PVT) model and explore the time window of urokinase thrombolytic therapy on this basis. METHODS: Constructing a rat PVT model by combining anhydrous ethanol disruption of portal endothelium with stasis of blood flow. Forty-eight rats after PVT modeling were divided into control group and experimental group, with 24 rats in each group. The experimental and control groups were given urokinase treatment and saline tail vein injection, respectively. The two groups of rats were observed and compared for PVT formation at 1, 3 and 5 days after modeling, respectively. RESULTS: A stable rat PVT model was successfully constructed. No significant differences were found in PVT length, portal vein wet weight, and percentage of luminal occlusion area in the control rats at 1, 3, and 5 days after successful modeling (P > 0.05). Compared with control rats 1 day after modeling, the percentage of non-organized thrombus luminal area was significantly decreased (P < 0.0001), and the percentage of organized thrombus luminal area was significantly increased (P < 0.0001) in the PVTs of control rats at 3 and 5 days after modeling. After thrombolytic treatment with urokinase, plasma fibrinogen (FBG) levels were significantly decreased in the experimental group of rats compared with the control group (P < 0.0001), and plasma D-dimer (D2D) levels were significantly increased in the experimental group of rats compared with the control group (P < 0.0001). In addition, we observed prolongation of prothrombin time (PT) in the experimental group at 1, 3 and 5 days after modeling compared to the control group (P = 0.0001). Compared with the control group, portal vein wet weight and PVT length were significantly decreased in the experimental group of rats at 1 day after modeling (P < 0.05), whereas these differences were not found in the two groups of rats at 3 and 5 days after modeling (P > 0.05). The percentage of non-organized thrombus area in the experimental group was significantly decreased compared with that in the control group at 1, 3, and 5 days after modeling (P < 0.05), whereas there was no significant difference in the percentage of lumen area of organized thrombus between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The method of producing a rat PVT model by destroying the endothelium of the portal vein by anhydrous ethanol combined with blood flow stasis is feasible and reproducible. In addition, the optimal time window for thrombolysis in the treatment of PVT in rats using urokinase is the early stage of thrombosis, when the fibrin content is highest.

Nodulation Signaling Pathway 1 and 2 Modulate Vanadium Accumulation and Tolerance of Legumes.

Vanadium (V) pollution potentially threatens human health. Here, it is found that nsp1 and nsp2, Rhizobium symbiosis defective mutants of Medicago truncatula, are sensitive to V. Concentrations of phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), and sulfur (S) with V are negatively correlated in the shoots of wild-type R108, but not in mutant nsp1 and nsp2 shoots. Mutations in the P transporter PHT1, PHO1, and VPT families, Fe transporter IRT1, and S transporter SULTR1/3/4 family confer varying degrees of V tolerance on plants. Among these gene families, MtPT1, MtZIP6, MtZIP9, and MtSULTR1; 1 in R108 roots are significantly inhibited by V stress, while MtPHO1; 2, MtVPT2, and MtVPT3 are significantly induced. Overexpression of Arabidopsis thaliana VPT1 or M. truncatula MtVPT3 increases plant V tolerance. However, the response of these genes to V is weakened in nsp1 or nsp2 and influenced by soil microorganisms. Mutations in NSPs reduce rhizobacterial diversity under V stress and simplify the V-responsive operational taxonomic unit modules in co-occurrence networks. Furthermore, R108 recruits more beneficial rhizobacteria related to V, P, Fe, and S than does nsp1 or nsp2. Thus, NSPs can modulate the accumulation and tolerance of legumes to V through P, Fe, and S transporters, ion homeostasis, and rhizobacterial community responses.

Clinical features of plastic bronchitis in children after congenital heart surgery.

BACKGROUND: Plastic bronchitis (PB) can occur in patients who have undergone congenital heart surgery (CHS). This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of PB in children after CHS. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the electronic medical record system. The study population consisted of children diagnosed with PB after bronchoscopy in the cardiac intensive care unit after CHS from May 2016 to October 2021. RESULTS: A total of 68 children after CHS were finally included in the study (32 in the airway abnormalities group and 36 in the right ventricular dysfunction group). All children were examined and treated with fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Pathogens were detected in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of 41 children, including 32 cases in the airway abnormalities group and 9 cases in the right ventricular dysfunction group. All patients were treated with antibiotics, corticosteroids (intravenous or oral), and budesonide inhalation suspension. Children with right ventricular dysfunction underwent pharmacological treatment such as reducing pulmonary arterial pressure. Clinical symptoms improved in 64 children, two of whom were treated with veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) due to recurrent PB and disease progression. CONCLUSIONS: Children with airway abnormalities or right ventricular dysfunction after CHS should be alerted to the development of PB. Pharmacological treatment such as anti-infection, corticosteroids, or improvement of right ventricular function is the basis of PB treatment, while fiberoptic bronchoscopy is an essential tool for the diagnosis and treatment of PB. ECMO assistance is a vital salvage treatment for recurrent critically ill PB patients.

Dual-energy computed tomography and micro-computed tomography for assessing bone regeneration in a rabbit tibia model.

To gain a more meaningful understanding of bone regeneration, it is essential to select an appropriate assessment method. Micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT) is widely used for bone regeneration because it provides a substantially higher spatial resolution. Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) ensure shorter scan time and lower radiation doses during quantitative evaluation. Therefore, in this study, DECT and Micro-CT were used to evaluate bone regeneration. We created 18 defects in the tibial plateau of the rabbits and filled them with porous polyetheretherketone implants to promote bone regeneration. At 4, 8, and 12 weeks, Micro-CT and DECT were used to assess the bone repair in the defect region. In comparison to Micro-CT (152 ± 54 mg/cm3), the calcium density values and hydroxyapatite density values obtained by DECT [DECT(Ca) and DECT(HAP)] consistently achieved lower values (59 ± 25 mg/cm3, 126 ± 53 mg/cm3). In addition, there was a good association between DECT and Micro-CT (R = 0.98; R2 = 0.96; DECT(Ca): y = 0.45x-8.31; DECT(HAP): y = 0.95x-17.60). This study highlights the need to use two different imaging methods, each with its advantages and disadvantages, to better understand the bone regeneration process.

Monitoring and warning for ammonia nitrogen pollution of urban river based on neural network algorithms.

Ammonia nitrogen (AN) pollution frequently occurs in urban rivers with the continuous acceleration of industrialization. Monitoring AN pollution levels and tracing its complex sources often require large-scale testing, which are time-consuming and costly. Due to the lack of reliable data samples, there were few studies investigating the feasibility of water quality prediction of AN concentration with a high fluctuation and non-stationary change through data-driven models. In this study, four deep-learning models based on neural network algorithms including artificial neural network (ANN), recurrent neural network (RNN), long short-term memory (LSTM), and gated recurrent unit (GRU) were employed to predict AN concentration through some easily monitored indicators such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity, in a real AN-polluted river. The results showed that the GRU model achieved optimal prediction performance with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.349 and coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.792. Furthermore, it was found that data preprocessing by the VMD technique improved the prediction accuracy of the GRU model, resulting in an R2 value of 0.822. The prediction model effectively detected and warned against abnormal AN pollution (> 2 mg/L), with a Recall rate of 93.6% and Precision rate of 72.4%. This data-driven method enables reliable monitoring of AN concentration with high-frequency fluctuations and has potential applications for urban river pollution management.