Development of a cost-effective confocal Raman microscopy with high sensitivity.

Confocal Raman microscopy is a powerful technique for identifying materials and molecular species; however, the signal from Raman scattering is extremely weak. Typically, handheld Raman instruments are cost-effective but less sensitive, while high-end scientific-grade Raman instruments are highly sensitive but extremely expensive. This limits the widespread use of Raman technique in our daily life. To bridge this gap, we explored and developed a cost-effective yet highly sensitive confocal Raman microscopy system. The key components of the system include an excitation laser based on readily available laser diode, a lens-grating-lens type spectrometer with high throughput and image quality, and a sensitive detector based on a linear charge-coupled device (CCD) that can be cooled down to -30 °C. The developed compact Raman instrument can provide high-quality Raman spectra with good spectral resolution. The 3rd order 1450 cm-1 peak of Si (111) wafer shows a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) better than 10:1, demonstrating high sensitivity comparable to high-end scientific-grade Raman instruments. We also tested a wide range of different samples (organic molecules, minerals and polymers) to demonstrate its universal application capability.

A simple "mix-and-detection" method based on template-free amplification for sensitive measurement of human cellular FEN1.

Flap endonuclease 1 (FEN1) is a structure-specific nuclease that can specially identify and cleave 5' flap of branched duplex DNA, and it plays a critical role in DNA metabolic pathways and human diseases. Herein, we propose a simple "mix-and-detection" strategy for sensitive measurement of human cellular FEN1 on basis of template-free amplification. We design a dumbbell probe with 5' flap as a substrate of FEN1 and a NH2-labeled 3' termini to prevent nonspecific amplification. When FEN1 is present, the 5' flap is cleaved to release a free 3'-OH termini, initiating Ribonuclease HII (RNase HII)-assisted terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-induced amplification for the production of a significant fluorescence signal. Due to the high exactitude of TdT-mediated extension reaction and RNase HII-induced single ribonucleotide excise, this assay shows excellent specificity and high sensitivity with a detection limit of 5.64 × 10-6 U/µL. Importantly, it can detect intracellular FEN1 activity with single-cell sensitivity under isothermal condition in a "mix-and-detection" manner, screen the FEN1 inhibitors, and even discriminate tumor cells from normal cells, offering a new platform for disease diagnosis and drug discovery.

Effects of peer-led education on knowledge, attitudes, practices of stoma care, and quality of life in bladder cancer patients after permanent ostomy.

Objective: To investigate the effects of peer-led intervention on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of stoma care, as well as quality of life in bladder cancer patients post-permanent ostomy. Methods: A series of 340 eligible bladder cancer patients who underwent permanent ostomy from January 2019 to December 2022 were enrolled in this study. These participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group (peer-led intervention) and the control group (routine health intervention) using random number table, with 170 cases in each group. A 30-item questionnaire was used to evaluate knowledge, healthy attitudes, and healthy practices (KAP) of disease; the WHO Quality of Life-100 (WHOQOL-100) was utilized to assess the quality of life among patients; and the incidence of complications in two groups were also recorded during six-month intervention. For the comparison of continuous variables within and between groups, paired sample and independent t-test were applied. The categorical variables analyzed using x2 test or rank-sum test. Results: After six-month intervention, 144 participants in the intervention group and 151 participants in the control group were finally retained in this study. The scores of the 20 items in KAP (including basic knowledge of disease, basic knowledge of ostomy, observation of stoma, etc.) in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group (all p < 0.05); the scores of 12 items in WHOQOL-100 (including the positive feelings, thinking, learning, memory and concentration, etc.) in the intervention group were markedly higher than those in the control group, while negative feelings and dependence on medical support in the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all p < 0.05); the total rate of complications in the intervention group was significantly lower than that in the control group (18.31% vs. 31.13%, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The peer-led intervention has a positive effect on improving patients' KAP of stoma care and quality of life and reducing the rate of complications, which enables it to be a favorable intervention approach for patients with permanent ostomy.

The SARS-unique domain (SUD) of SARS-CoV-2 nsp3 protein inhibits the antiviral immune responses through the NF-κB pathway.

Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) plays a crucial role in various cellular processes, including inflammatory and immune responses. Its activation is tightly regulated by the IKK (IκB kinase) complex. Upon severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the virus is initially recognized by the innate immune system and typically activates the NF-κB pathway, leading to a severe inflammatory response. However, the influence of viral proteins upon pro-inflammatory pathway is complicated. Here, we demonstrated that the viral protein nsp3 of SARS-CoV-2 exhibits an unusual function, which attenuated the NF-κB-mediated inflammatory response against SARS-CoV-2 infection in a unique manner. nsp3 interacted with the essential NF-κB modulator NEMO/IKKγ and promoted its polyubiquitylation via the E3 ubiquitin ligase CBL (Cbl Proto-Oncogene). Consequently, polyubiquitylated NEMO undergoes proteasome-dependent degradation, which disrupts NF-κB activation. Moreover, we found that the SARS unique domain (SUD) in nsp3 of SARS-CoV-2 is essential for inducing NEMO degradation, whereas this function is absent in SUD of SARS-CoV. The reduced activation of pro-inflammatory response at an early stage could mask the host immune response and faciliate excessive viral replication. Conversely, this finding may partially explain why SARS-CoV-2 causes a less inflammatory reaction than SARS-CoV, resulting in more mild or moderate COVID-19 cases and greater transmissibility. Given that NEMO is important for NF-κB activation, we propose that inhibiting polyubiquitylation and degradation of NEMO upon SARS-CoV-2 infection is a novel strategy to modulate the host inflammatory response.

Enhanced competitiveness of Spirodela polyrhiza in co-culture with Salvinia natans under combined exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and polychlorinated biphenyls.

Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are prevalent in the environment and pose potential threats to ecosystems. However, studies on the phytotoxicity of MNPs and PCBs on primary producers are limited. This study investigated the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs, 10 mg/L) and 2,2',5,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB-52, 0.1 mg/L), on the growth of Spirodela polyrhiza and Salvinia natans, and their impact on plant competitive ability under co-culture conditions. Laser confocal microscopy images revealed that PS-NPs accumulated on the leaf and root surfaces of both species. Combined exposure to PS-NPs and PCB-52 significantly inhibited the average specific and relative growth rates (RGR) of both species, reduced chlorophyll a and b levels, and slightly increased carotenoid content, disrupting the photosynthetic system. PCB-52 exacerbated PS-NPs accumulation on plants, leading to increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide anion (O2-) production in both roots and leaves. This affects the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and the soluble protein content. The combined treatment with PS-NPs and PCB-52 induced greater ecological stress in both species than the treatment with PS-NPs alone. In addition, the combined treatment with PS-NPs and PCB-52 significantly improved the relative yield and competition balance index of S. polyrhiza, indicating that PS-NPs + PCB-52 enhanced the competitive ability of S. polyrhiza when co-cultured with S. natans. This study confirmed the effects of co-exposure to PS-NPs and PCB-52 on aquatic plant growth and species competition, contributing to better insight into the ecological impacts of MNPs and organic pollutants.

Trends and hotspots on the relationship between gut microbiota and Parkinson's Disease: a bibliometric analysis.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that significantly impacts patients' quality of life. Recent evidence has highlighted a complex relationship between the gut microbiota (GM) and PD. Understanding this relationship is crucial for potentially targeting GM in PD treatment and expanding therapeutic options. This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the global landscape, trends, and research focus on GM and PD using bibliometric analysis. Utilizing publications from the Web of Science Core Collection (WsSCC), bibliometric tools such as the R package 'Bibliometrix,' VOS viewer, and CiteSpace software were employed to assess parameters like yearly publications, countries/regions, institutions, and authors. Research trends and hotspots were identified through keyword analysis. The results revealed 1,161 articles published between 2013-2023, with China leading in publications (n=352, 30.31% of total), while the United States had a higher influence (H-index=58). The University of California System was the top institution in terms of publications (n=35), with the National Natural Science Foundation of China funding the most projects (n=172). Keshavarzian A and Sampson TR were the authors with the highest publication and co-citation counts, respectively. The International Journal of Molecular Sciences had the most articles published (n=48). Keyword analysis identified parkinson's disease, gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids, inflammation, and probiotics as main research topics. Biomarkers, ketogenic diet, and NF-κB were recent research hotspots and trends (2021-2023). The current study conducts an objective and comprehensive analysis of these publications, identifying trends and hotspots in the field of research. The findings offer valuable insights to scholars globally and in-vestigate potential therapeutic strategies for Parkinson's Disease.

Involvement of plasma membrane H+-ATPase in the nitrate-nutrition uptake and utilization in indica rice.

Utilization of nitrogen by crops is essential for sustainable agriculture. The transport of nitrate (NO3-) across the plasma membrane is a critical gateway for N uptake and subsequent utilization. This process requires proton (H+) coupled cotransport, which is driven by proton motive force, provided by plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPase. In this report, two indica rice varieties [Meixiangzhan 2 (MXZ) and Jifengyou 1002 (JFY)] in South China were selected and cultivated in hydroponic solution with 0.5 mM or 2.0 mM NO3- as the N source. The JFY exhibited stronger growth with higher biomass than MXZ under both 0.5 mM and 2.0 mM NO3-. PM H+-ATPase activity of JFY roots was significantly higher than that of MXZ. The higher PM H+-ATPase activity in JFY was consistent with a higher abundance of PM H+-ATPase protein and higher transcription levels of OSAs, such as OSA2, OSA7 and OSA8 in roots, OSA3, OSA7 and OSA8 in leaves. The expression of nitrate transporters (OsNRT1;1b, OsNRT2.1, OsNRT2.2, and OsNAR2.1) were also higher in roots or shoots of JFY than those in MXZ. Under 0.5 mM and 2.0 mM NO3-, the NO3- absorption and translocation rate, nitrate content, as well as nitrate reductase (NR) activity were all significantly higher in JFY, as compared to those in MXZ. Taken together, in JFY and MXZ, a higher level of PM H+-ATPase protein and higher activity coupled with greater efficiency in nitrate uptake, translocation and assimilation, suggesting the existence of a close correlation between PM H+-ATPase and nitrate utilization in indica rice. PM H+-ATPase may one of the elite genes that can contribute to nitrate use efficiency in rice.

Construction of a chemiluminescent biosensor based on enzymatic extension and click chemistry for sensitive measurement of MGMT activity in human breast tissues.

O6-methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT) is responsible for dealkylation of naturally occurring O6-methylguanines, and it is closely related with DNA replication, transcription, and cancers. Herein, we develop a chemiluminescent biosensor based on enzymatic extension and click chemistry for sensitive measurement of MGMT activity. When MGMT is present, the MGMT-catalyzed demethylation reaction initiates the cleavage of biotinylated dumbbell probes by PvuII restrictive enzyme, releasing two DNA fragments with 3'-OH end. The resultant DNA fragments can trigger terminal transferase (TdT)- and click chemistry-assisted isothermal amplification to obtain abundant G-rich sequences. The G-rich sequences can be captured by magnetic beads to produce a high chemiluminescence signal. This biosensor can greatly amplify the chemiluminescence signal, facilitating label-free and template-free measurement of MGMT. Especially, the introduction of dumbbell probe and PvuII enzyme can efficiently eliminate the false positive and improve the assay specificity. This biosensor possesses high sensitivity with a detection limit of 1.4 × 10-9 ng/µL, and it may accurately quantify the intracellular MGMT. Importantly, this biosensor can be used to screen the MGMT inhibitors and distinguish the MGMT level in breast tumor tissues and normal tissues, with great potential in drug discovery and cancer diagnosis.

GhMAC3e is involved in plant growth and defense response to Verticillium dahliae.

KEY MESSAGE: GhMAC3e expression was induced by various stresses and hormones. GhMAC3e may regulate plant growth by influencing auxin distribution, and play important roles in Verticillium wilt resistance via mediating SA signaling. The MOS4-Associated Complex (MAC) is a highly conserved protein complex involved in pre-mRNA splicing and spliceosome assembly, which plays a vital role in plant immunity. It comprises key components such as MOS4, CDC5, and PRL1. MAC3A/B, as U-box E3 ubiquitin ligases, are crucial for various plant processes including development, stress responses, and disease resistance. However, their roles in cotton remain largely unknown. In this study, we first cloned the GhMAC3e gene from cotton and explored its biological functions by using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) in cotton and transgenic overexpression in Arabidopsis. The results showed that GhMAC3e is ubiquitously expressed in cotton tissues and could be induced by salt stress, Verticillium dahliae (VD) infection, PEG, ABA, ETH, GA3, MeJA, and SA. Silencing GhMAC3e retarded primary stem growth and reduced biomass of cotton coupled with the reduced auxin content in the petioles and veins. Silencing GhMAC3e up-regulated expression of cell growth-related genes GhXTH16 and Gh3.6, while down-regulated GhSAUR12 expression. Ectopic expression of GhMAC3e in Arabidopsis significantly enhanced its resistance to Verticillium wilt (VW) in terms of decreased pathogen biomass and lowered plant mortality. Overexpression of GhMAC3e dramatically upregulated AtPR1 by around 15 fold and more than 262 fold under basal and VD inoculation condition, respectively. This change was not associated with the expression of GhNPR1. In conclusion, GhMAC3e may not only regulate plant growth by influencing auxin distribution and growth-related gene expression, but also play important roles in VW resistance via mediating SA signaling independent of NPR1 transcription level.

Neural stimulation and modulation with sub-cellular precision by optomechanical bio-dart.

Neural stimulation and modulation at high spatial resolution are crucial for mediating neuronal signaling and plasticity, aiding in a better understanding of neuronal dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases. However, developing a biocompatible and precisely controllable technique for accurate and effective stimulation and modulation of neurons at the subcellular level is highly challenging. Here, we report an optomechanical method for neural stimulation and modulation with subcellular precision using optically controlled bio-darts. The bio-dart is obtained from the tip of sunflower pollen grain and can generate transient pressure on the cell membrane with submicrometer spatial resolution when propelled by optical scattering force controlled with an optical fiber probe, which results in precision neural stimulation via precisely activation of membrane mechanosensitive ion channel. Importantly, controllable modulation of a single neuronal cell, even down to subcellular neuronal structures such as dendrites, axons, and soma, can be achieved. This bio-dart can also serve as a drug delivery tool for multifunctional neural stimulation and modulation. Remarkably, our optomechanical bio-darts can also be used for in vivo neural stimulation in larval zebrafish. This strategy provides a novel approach for neural stimulation and modulation with sub-cellular precision, paving the way for high-precision neuronal plasticity and neuromodulation.

Comparative Analysis of Hemodynamic Responses and Oropharyngeal Complications in Tracheal Intubation: Evaluating Conventional, Video, and Rigid Video Laryngoscopes Under General Anesthesia.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to compare the hemodynamic changes and the occurrence of oropharyngeal complications among patients undergoing tracheal intubation with an ordinary laryngoscope, video laryngoscope, and rigid video laryngoscope under general anesthesia. MATERIAL AND METHODS Patients undergoing elective tracheal intubation under general anesthesia were prospectively enrolled as study subjects. Hemodynamic indicators such as diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR), as well as the incidences of oropharyngeal complications, including dental injury, oral mucosal injury, hoarseness, sore throat, and dysphagia, were observed in the patients of 3 groups (group A: ordinary laryngoscope, group B: video laryngoscope, group C: rigid video laryngoscope). Observations were made after anesthesia induction (T0), immediately after tracheal intubation (T1), and at 5 min after intubation (T2). RESULTS The HR at T1 in group A was significantly higher than in groups B and C (P<0.05). However, the difference in the number of tracheal intubations was statistically significant among the 3 groups (P<0.05); group C exhibited the highest first-time success rate of tracheal intubation (95%), whereas group A had the highest failure rate (5%). Significant differences were also noted in the incidences of oral mucosal injury and sore throat among the groups (P<0.05), with the highest incidence in group A and the lowest in group C. CONCLUSIONS Compared with the ordinary laryngoscope, tracheal intubation using a video or rigid video laryngoscope results in milder hemodynamic impacts and fewer intubation-related complications. The rigid video laryngoscope may be safer and more effective.

Macular vascular and photoreceptor changes for diabetic macular edema at early stage.

This study was intended to investigate the macular vascular and photoreceptor changes for diabetic macular edema (DME) at the early stage. A total of 255 eyes of 134 diabetes mellitus patients were enrolled and underwent an ophthalmological and systemic evaluation in this cross-sectional study. Early DME was characterized by central subfoveal thickness (CST) value between 250 and 325 µm, intact ellipsoid zone, and an external limiting membrane. While non-DME was characterized by CST < 250 µm with normal retinal morphology and structure. Foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area ≤ 0.3 mm2 (P < 0.001, OR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.26-0.67 in the multivariate analysis) and HbA1c level ≤ 8% (P = 0.005, OR = 0.37, 95% CI 0.19-0.74 in multivariate analysis) were significantly associated with a higher risk of early DME. Meanwhile, no significant differences exist in cone parameters between non-DME and early DME eyes. Compared with non-DME eyes, vessel diameter, vessel wall thickness, wall-to-lumen ratio, the cross-sectional area of the vascular wall in the upper side were significantly decreased in the early DME eyes (P = 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.005, P = 0.003 respectively). This study suggested a vasospasm or vasoconstriction with limited further photoreceptor impairment at the early stage of DME formation. CST ≥ 250 µm and FAZ ≤ 0.3 mm2 may be the indicator for early DME detection.

Research on fatigue detection of flight trainees based on face EMF feature model combination with PSO-CNN algorithm.

Even though the capability of aircraft manufacturing has improved, human factors still play a pivotal role in flight accidents. For example, fatigue-related accidents are a common factor in human-led accidents. Hence, pilots' precise fatigue detections could help increase the flight safety of airplanes. The article suggests a model to recognize fatigue by implementing the convolutional neural network (CNN) by implementing flight trainees' face attributions. First, the flight trainees' face attributions are derived by a method called the land-air call process when the flight simulation is run. Then, sixty-eight points of face attributions are detected by employing the Dlib package. Fatigue attribution points were derived based on the face attribution points to construct a model called EMF to detect face fatigue. Finally, the proposed PSO-CNN algorithm is implemented to learn and train the dataset, and the network algorithm achieves a recognition ratio of 93.9% on the test set, which can efficiently pinpoint the flight trainees' fatigue level. Also, the reliability of the proposed algorithm is validated by comparing two machine learning models.

The clinical application value of multi-site mNGS detection of patients with sepsis in intensive care units.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis remains a leading cause of mortality in intensive care units, and rapid and accurate pathogen detection is crucial for effective treatment. This study evaluated the clinical application of multi-site metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for the diagnosis of sepsis, comparing its performance against conventional methods. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 69 patients with sepsis consecutively admitted to the Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Meizhou People's Hospital. Samples of peripheral blood and infection sites were collected for mNGS and conventional method tests to compare the positive rate of mNGS and traditional pathogen detection methods and the distribution of pathogens. The methods used in this study included a comprehensive analysis of pathogen consistency between peripheral blood and infection site samples. Additionally, the correlation between the pathogens detected and clinical outcomes was investigated. RESULTS: Of the patients with sepsis, 57.97% experienced dyspnea, and 65.2% had underlying diseases, with hypertension being the most common. mNGS demonstrated a significantly higher pathogen detection rate (88%) compared to the conventional method tests (26%). The pathogen consistency rate was 60% between plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples, and that of plasma and local body fluid samples was 63%. The most frequently detected pathogens were gram-negative bacteria, and Klebsiella pneumonia. There were no significant differences in the clinical features between the pathogens. CONCLUSION: mNGS is significantly superior to conventional methods in pathogen detection. There was a notable high pathogen consistency detection between blood and local body fluid samples, supporting the clinical relevance of mNGS. This study highlights the superiority of mNGS in detecting a broad spectrum of pathogens quickly and accurately. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

Association between osteoarthritis with Parkinson's disease in the US (NHANES 2011-2020).

Objected: To evaluate the association between osteoarthritis (OA) and Parkinson's disease (PD) in adults in the United States. Methods: Using 2011-2020 NHANES data, a cross-sectional study of 11,117 adults over the age of 40 was conducted. Univariate logistic regression and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the relationship between arthritis and PD. In addition, stratified analysis was used to examine whether the relationship between arthritis and PD was interactive with age, gender, race, education, BMI. Results: In this study, a total of 11,117 participants were included, and we found that osteoarthritis was positively correlated with the development of PD compared with non-arthritis patients [1.95 (1.44 ~ 2.62)] (p < 0.001). After adjusting the covariates, the results are still stable. Conclusion: PD patients were positively correlated with OA. Among people with OA, there was a 95% increased risk of PD compared to people without arthritis. Therefore, when treating OA, attention should be paid to the increased risk of PD. In the meantime, further studies are needed to explore the link between OA and PD patients.

Females with diabetes have a higher risk of ischemic stroke readmission: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: There are significant sex differences in the incidence of stroke or diabetes mellitus. However, little is known about sex differences in stroke rehospitalization among diabetic patients. OBJECT: To explore the sex differences in short-term and long-term rehospitalization of ischemic stroke patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted from 2017 to 2021. The rehospitalization events of ischemic stroke patients with diabetes mellitus were identified by the national unified Electronic Health Record. Propensity score matching was applied to adjust for multiple covariates, and LASSO regression was used to screen for independent variables. Cox proportional hazards model was utilized to analyze the different sex in short-term (90 days, 1 year) and long-term (5 years) rehospitalization in ischemic stroke patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. RESULT: A total of 10,724 ischemic stroke patients were included in this study, of whom 5,952 (55.5%) were males. After a 1:1 propensity score matching, there were 3,460 males and 2,772 females. After adjusting for confounding factors, female patients with type 2 diabetes had an increased risk of ischemic stroke rehospitalization at 90 days (HR: 1.94, 95%CI: 1.13-3.33, P < 0.05), 1 year (HR: 1.65, 95%CI:1.22-2.23, P = 0.001), and 5 years (HR: 1.58, 95%CI: 1.26-1.97, P < 0.001). However, there was no significant relationship between male patients with type 2 diabetes and the risk of ischemic stroke rehospitalization, either in the short or long term. CONCLUSION: Females with type 2 diabetes mellitus have a higher risk of ischemic stroke rehospitalization in both the short-term and long-term.

Efficient elimination of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in hyperthermophilic sludge composting.

Composting is widely applied in recycling ever-increasing sewage sludge. However, the insufficient elimination of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in conventional compost fertilizer poses considerable threat to agriculture safety and human health. Here we investigated the efficacy and potential mechanisms in the removal of antibiotics and ARGs from sludge in hyperthermophilic composting (HTC) plant. Our results demonstrated that the HTC product was of high maturity. HTC led to complete elimination of antibiotics and potential pathogens, as well as removal of 98.8 % of ARGs and 88.1 % of mobile genetic elements (MGEs). The enrichment of antibiotic-degrading candidates and related metabolic functions during HTC suggested that biodegradation played a crucial role in antibiotic removal. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) revealed that the reduction of ARGs was attributed to the decline of ARG-associated bacteria, mainly due to the high-temperature selection. These findings highlight the feasibility of HTC in sludge recycling and provide a deeper understanding of its mechanism in simultaneous removal of antibiotics and ARGs.

Development of T follicular helper cell-independent nanoparticle vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 or HIV-1 by targeting ICOSL.

T helper cells, particularly T follicular helper (TFH) cells, are essential for the neutralizing antibody production elicited by pathogens or vaccines. However, in immunocompromised individuals, the inefficient support from TFH cells could lead to limited protection after vaccine inoculation. Here we showed that the conjugation of inducible T cell costimulatory (ICOS) onto the nanoparticle, together with immunogen, significantly enhanced the immune response of the vaccines specific for SARS-CoV-2 or human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) in TFH-deficient mice. Further studies indicated that ICOSL on B cells was triggered by ICOS binding, subsequently activated the PKCß signaling pathway, and enhanced the survival and proliferation of B cells. Our findings revealed that the stimulation of ICOS-ICOSL interaction by adding ICOS on the nanoparticle vaccine significantly substitutes the function of TFH cells to support B cell response, which is significant for the immunocompromised people, such as the elderly or HIV-1-infected individuals.

H2O2 oxidation - CaO precipitation pretreatment combining forward osmosis for electroless nickel spent tank liquid (ENSTL) reduction.

The electroless nickel spent tank liquid (ENSTL), as a typical hazardous waste, contains a variety of refractory organic substances as well as heavy metals and inorganic salts. Generally, ENSTL is delegated for disposing by qualified hazardous waste disposal departments in China. However, the temporary storage, transportation, and higher entrusted disposal expenses increase the burden on enterprises producing the hazardous ENSTL. This paper explored an oxidation/precipitation pretreatment and forward osmosis (FO) combined process for ENSTL reduction. 400 mmol/L Hydrogen peroxide and 5.0 wt% calcium oxide were selected as the optimal pretreatment in order to minimize the osmotic pressure of ENSTL, by which the conductivity was significantly reduced from 50.8 mS/cm to 26.8 mS/cm. As a result, the concentrating factor (N) could be dramatically increased from 2.45 by the direct FO to 8.71 by the combined system. Accordingly, the average water flux during the 24 h concentrating cycle increased from 2.47 L/(m2·h) to 4.56 L/(m2·h). TOC rejection rate decreased from 90.23% to 84.39% due to the transformation of organic matter forms by the chemical oxidation during the pretreatment. Meanwhile, TP, Ni and NH4+ rejection rates decreased to a certain extent, which may related to the mitigation of membrane fouling by the pretreatment.

Association between life-ever gallstones and depressive symptoms in U.S. adults: a cross-sectional study.

Research on the potential association between life-ever gallstones and depressive symptoms is limited. This study aims to evaluate whether the presence of gallstone disease is associated with depressive symptoms. In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-March 2020 cycles. The presence of depressive symptoms and gallstone disease was assessed using questionnaire responses. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) were calculated using a multivariate logistic regression model, with adjustments made for age, sex, race, body mass index, history of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, arthritis, and pulmonary disease across different models. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted to ensure the stability of the results. This study included 6201 adults aged 20 years and above, with 539(8.7%) experiencing depressive symptoms. After adjusting for age, sex, race, body mass index, CVD history, hypertension, arthritis, pulmonary disease, depressive symptoms were possibly associated with life-ever gallstones (OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.91-2.08).When depressive symptoms were categorized as mild, moderate, moderately severe, and severe,life-ever gallstones was possibly associated with mild depressive symptoms (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.81-1.56), moderate depressive symptoms (OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.89-2.12), moderately severe depressive symptoms (OR 1.93, 95% CI 0.93-3.99), and severe depressive symptoms (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.16-2.88).As a continuous variable, life-ever gallstones was associated with the PHQ-9 score (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.02-0.83). The results remained stable after multiple imputation for all missing data. This cross-sectional study demonstrates no significant association between life-ever gallstones and depressive symptoms in US adults.