Finite element analysis of a three-dimensional cervical spine model with muscles based on CT scan data.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of cervical spondylosis is increasing, gradually affecting people's normal lives. Establishing a finite element model of the cervical spine is one of the methods for studying cervical spondylosis. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) still has certain difficulties in transitioning from human imaging to establishing muscle models suitable for finite element analysis. Medical software provides specific morphologies and can generate muscle finite element models. Additionally, there is little research on the static analysis of cervical spine finite element models with solid muscle. PURPOSE: A new method is proposed for establishing a finite element model of the cervical spine based on CT (Computed Tomography) data and medical software, and the model's effectiveness is validated. Human movement characteristics based on the force distribution in various parts are analyzed and predicted. METHODS: The muscle model is reconstructed in medical software and a three-dimensional finite element model of the entire cervical spine (C0-C7) is established by combining muscle models with CT vertebral data models. 1.5 Nm of load is applied to the finite element model to simulate the cervical spine movement. RESULTS: The finite element model was successfully established, and effectiveness was verified. Stress variations in various parts under six movements were obtained. The effectiveness of the model was basically verified. CONCLUSION: The finite element model of the cervical spine for mechanical analysis can be successfully established by using medical software and CT data. In daily life, the C2-3, C3-4, C4-C5 intervertebral discs, rectus capitis posterior major, longus colli, and obliquus capitis inferior are more prone to injury.

Fabrication and characterization of carrageenan-based multifunctional films integrated with gallic acid@ZIF-8 for beef preservation.

The development of environmentally friendly biodegradable films is urgently required for reducing the plastic pollution crisis and ensuring food safety. Thus, here we aimed to prepare ZIF-8 that has delivery ability for gallic acid (GA) and further incorporated this material (GA@ZIF-8) into carrageenan (CA) matrix to obtain a series of CA-GA@ZIF-8 films. This design significantly improved the mechanical strength and UV barrier and reduced water vapor permeability, moisture content, and swelling rate of the CA films. CA-GA@ZIF-8 films exhibited sustainable release of GA and controlled migration of Zn2+ up to 144 h in a high-fat food simulator. Also, the composite films performed high-efficiency antioxidant activities (83.29 % for DPPH and 62.11 % for ABTS radical scavenging activity) and 99.51 % antimicrobial effects against Escherichia coli O157:H7 after 24 h. The great biocompatibility of GA@ZIF-8 and CA-GA@ZIF-8-10 % was confirmed by hemolysis, cell cytotoxicity, and mice model. Finally, the preservation experiments showed that CA-GA@ZIF-8 films could effectively maintain freshness and reduce the growth of microorganisms and oxidation of lipids during the preservation of beef. These results suggest that CA-GA@ZIF-8 films hold promising potential for improving the quality preservation of beef.

The Scar-Hidden Surgery on Gynecomastia: Experiences from a Single-Institutional Large Case Series.

BACKGROUND: To summarize the experiences on the mastoscopic subcutaneous mastectomy for gynecomastia by "nine-step method" based on the "5S" goal and standardize this operation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 1, 2002, and October 31, 2021, a total of 2035 breasts of 1082 male patients with gynecomastia, of which 129 patients with one side, were underwent mastoscopic subcutaneous mastectomy. The follow-up endpoint was 3 months after surgery. RESULTS: All patients were successfully completed the operation, and none of them was transferred to open operation. The operation time for unilateral breast was 12-28 min, and the average time was 17.7 ± 6.2 min. The amount of bleeding during unilateral operation was very small, about 5-10 ml. The total drainage volume was 5-50 ml after the operation, and the drainage tube was removed in 3-5 days. The epidermal necrosis occurred in 0.3% nipple. 0.2% chest wall had a little ecchymosis in the supero-medial region of the breast. All patients had the normal feeling of nipples and areola, the smoothing and symmetrical chest wall, and the natural contour. There was no recurrence during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: The mastoscopic subcutaneous mastectomy for gynecomastia by "nine-step method" based on the "5S" goal has a short operation time, few surgical complications and good esthetics. It achieves the "5S" goals on the complete removal of glandular tissue (sweeping), small and scar-hidden incision are small (scarless), good symmetry of bilateral chest wall (symmetry), normal chest shape (shape), and smoothing chest wall (smoothing). LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III: The journal asks authors to assign a level of evidence to each article. For a complete description of Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, see the Table of Contents or the online Instructions for Authors at www.springer.com/00266 .

Changes induced by parental neighboring touch in the clonal plant Glechoma longituba depend on the light environment.

Introduction: Touch by neighboring plants is a common but overlooked environmental variable for plants, especially in dense vegetation. In addition, shade is inevitable for understory plants. The growth performance of clonal plant to the interaction between thigmomorphogenesis and shade response, and their impact on light adaptability is still unknown. Methods: At the present study, parental ramets of Glechoma longituba were exposed to two conditions (neighboring touch and shade), and their offspring ramets were in ambient or shaded environment. The phenotype and growth of parental and offspring ramets were analyzed. Results: The results showed that neighboring touch of parental ramets regulated the performance of offspring ramets, while the effect depended on the light environment. The parental neighboring touch occurring in ambient environment suppressed the expansion of leaf organ, showed as a shorter petiole and smaller leaf area. Moreover, G. longituba exhibited both shade avoidance and shade tolerance characters to shaded environment, such as increased leaf area ratio and leaf mass ratio, longer specific petiole length and specific stolon length. It was notable that these characters of shade response could be promoted by parental neighboring touch to some extent. Additionally, parental light environment plays an important role in offspring growth, parent with ambient light always had well-grown offspring whatever the light condition of offspring, but the growth of offspring whose parent in shaded environment was inhibited. Finally, for the offspring with shaded environment, the touch between parental ramets in shade environment showed a disadvantage on their growth, but the influence of the touch between parental ramets in ambient environment was slight. Discussion: Overall, the interaction of parental neighboring touch and shade environment complicate the growth of understory plants, the performance of plants is the integrated effect of both. These findings are conducive to an in-depth understanding of the environmental adaptation of plants.

Triple semicircular canal occlusion with endolymphatic sac decompression for intractable Meniere's disease.

Background: Meniere's disease (MD) is characterized by idiopathic endolymphatic hydrops (ELH). Frequent vertigo attacks is the most disabling symptom of MD. Objective: This study evaluated the efficacy of triple semicircular canal occlusion combined with endolymphatic sac decompression in the treatment of frequent vertigo in patients with MD. Methods: Eleven patients with complete medical records were included in this study conducted from May 2021 to April 2022. All patients were enrolled to undergo triple semicircular canal occlusion (TSCO) with endolymphatic sac decompression (ESD). Various tests including pure tone audiometry (PTA), vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs), the video head impulse test (v-HIT), caloric test data, the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) were performed both before and after the surgery. Results: The successful control rate of vertigo was 100% (9/9) in the average 23-month postoperative follow-up period, with complete control rate of 88.89% (8/9) and substantial control rate of 11.11% (1/9). Conclusion: Triple semicircular canal occlusion combined with ESD may be an effective treatment option for managing frequent vertigo attacks in patients with MD. This combination therapy has the potential to become a significant addition to the treatment framework for MD.

Long-neglected contribution of nitrification to N2O emissions in the Yellow River.

Rivers play a significant role in the global nitrous oxide (N2O) budget. However, the microbial sources and sinks of N2O in river systems are not well understood or quantified, resulting in the prolonged neglect of nitrification. This study investigated the isotopic signatures of N2O, thereby quantifying the microbial source of N2O production and the degree of N2O reduction in the Yellow River. Although denitrification has long been considered to be the dominant pathway of N2O production in rivers, our findings indicated that denitrification only accounted for 18.3% (8.2%-43.0%) of the total contribution to N2O production in the Yellow River, with 50.2%-80.2% being concurrently reduced. The denitrification contribution to N2O production (R2 = 0.44, p < 0.01) and N2O reduction degree (R2 = 0.70, p < 0.01) were positively related to the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content. Similar to urban rivers and eutrophic lakes, denitrification was the primary process responsible for N2O production (43.0%) in certain reaches with high organic content (DOC = 5.29 mg/L). Nevertheless, the denitrification activity was generally constrained by the availability of electron donors (average DOC = 2.51 mg/L) throughout the Yellow River basin. Consequently, nitrification emerged as the primary contributor in the well-oxygenated Yellow River. Additionally, our findings further distinguished the respective contribution of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) to N2O emissions. Although AOB dominated the N2O production in the Yellow River, the AOA specie abundance (AOA/(AOA + AOB)) contributed up to 32.6%, which resulted in 25.6% of the total nitrifier-produced N2O, suggesting a significant occurrence of AOA in the oligotrophic Yellow River. Overall, this study provided a non-invasive approach for quantifying the microbial sources and sinks to N2O emissions, and demonstrated the substantial role of nitrification in the large oligotrophic rivers.

Peroxidase-like activity and mechanism of gold nanoparticle-modified Ti3C2 MXenes for the construction of H2O2 and ampicillin colorimetric sensors.

Transition metal carbides modified by Au nanoparticles (Au/Ti3C2) were synthesized and developed as a colorimetric sensor for the determination of H2O2 and ampicillin. The surface electrical properties of Ti3C2 were changed, and Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) and gold growth solution were synthesized simultaneously. Au/Ti3C2 was obtained by seed growth method with AuNPs modified on the surface of transition metal carbides, nitrides or carbon-nitrides (Ti3C2 MXenes). The synthesized AuNPs and Ti3C2 had no peroxidase-like activity, but Au/Ti3C2 had. The peroxidase catalytic mechanism was due to electron transfer. The peroxidase activity of Au/Ti3C2 can be utilized for the determination of H2O2. The linear range of Au/Ti3C2 for H2O2 was 1-60 µM, and the detection limit was 0.12 µM (S/N = 3). A colometric sensor for ampicillin detection based on Au/Ti3C2 was further constructed since S in ampicillin formed an Au-S bond with Au/Ti3C2, leading to the weakening of its peroxidase-like property. The change of peroxidase-like property attenuated oxidation of TMB, and the ampicillin content was inversely proportional to the concentration of oxidized TMB, and the blue color of solution faded, which enabled the determination of ampicillin. The linear range for ampicillin was 0.005-0.5 µg mL- 1, and the detection limit was 1.1 ng mL- 1 (S/N = 3). The sensor was applied to the detection of ampicillin in milk and human serum.

The Impact of Sleep Quality on Cognitive Function in Patients with Chronic Subjective Tinnitus.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to explore the impact of sleep quality on cognitive function in patients with chronic subjective tinnitus. METHODS: The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA) were used to assess sleep quality and cognitive function in patients with chronic subjective tinnitus, sleep disorder patients (SD), and normal controls (NC). The tinnitus evaluation questionnaire (TEQ) and tinnitus loudness were used to assess the severity in patients with chronic subjective tinnitus. Tinnitus patients were divided into two groups based on PSQI results: "tinnitus with sleep disorder (TwSD)" and "tinnitus without sleep disorder (TnSD)." The MoCA scores in TwSD and TnSD groups were compared with those in SD and NC groups, and the correlation between PSQI, TEQ, tinnitus loudness, and MoCA scores in subjective tinnitus patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Whether TwSD group or TnSD group, the MoCA score was significantly lower than those in the NC group and SD group. Meanwhile, there was no significant difference between TwSD and TnSD groups in MoCA score, and PSQI, TEQ, and tinnitus loudness were not significantly correlated with MoCA. CONCLUSION: Subjective tinnitus may be an independent risk factor for cognitive impairment. The underlying neural mechanisms between subjective tinnitus, sleep disorders, and cognitive impairment need to be further explored and clarified.

The effect of lower back and lower-extremity kinesiology taping on static balance and physical function performance in people with multiple sclerosis: A pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Multiple sclerosis (MS) can lead to numerous deficits in body functions, including balance and mobility impairment. This study examined the effect of lower back and lower extremity kinesiology tape (KT) application on static balance and physical functioning performance in people with MS (pwMS) and compared that to a non-elastic tape. METHODS: This pilot randomized study recruited and enrolled 10 participants with MS that were allocated into two groups: kinesio (n = 6) and non-elastic (n = 4) tape. Participants were assessed with and without the respective tape on static balance with eyes open and closed and various physical function tests. RESULTS: Effect sizes for the Kinesio tape intervention were found to be small, while effect sizes for the sham tape/place condition varied from small to high. For both groups, the tendency was to reduce or maintain performance on the tests comparing tape and no tape. A subsequent, mixed-factor ANOVA revealed no significant difference between KT or sham tape/placebo. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that KT applied on lower back and lower extremity muscles does not seem to improve static balance and physical function performance in pwMS.

Trust over the transition to parenthood: Links to attachment, perception of partner's caregiving, and parenting.

We examined couples' dyadic trust profiles over the transition to parenthood and their associations with couples' attachment representations, perceptions of partner's caregiving, and parenting quality. We followed 125 couples from pregnancy to 24 months postpartum and applied the latent profile analysis (LPA) to examine whether distinct dyadic patterns of trust would emerge among couples. We then examined couples' attachment representations and perceptions of partner's caregiving as factors that might explain their trust profiles. Finally, we examined how couples' trust profiles would be related to their parenting quality 24 months postpartum. The dyadic LPA yielded three trust profiles: a both high profile (N = 64), a mother high, father moderate profile (N = 42), and a mother moderate to low, father moderate profile (N = 19). Mothers with dismissing attachment were able to hold high-stable trust when their partner also held high trust toward them, whereas mothers with preoccupied attachment, in general, were likely to have low and declining trust over time. Mothers' more positive perceptions of their husband's caregiving quality were also related to their high-stable trust over time. Mothers' high trust, in turn, was associated with their less emotionally disengaged and less role-reversed parenting. The findings highlight mothers' important role in couples' dyadic trust over the transition to parenthood. Implications of study findings are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Super enhancer related gene ANP32B promotes the proliferation of acute myeloid leukemia by enhancing MYC through histone acetylation.

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignancy of the hematopoietic system, and childhood AML accounts for about 20% of pediatric leukemia. ANP32B, an important nuclear protein associated with proliferation, has been found to regulate hematopoiesis and CML leukemogenesis by inhibiting p53 activity. However, recent study suggests that ANP32B exerts a suppressive effect on B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in mice by activating PU.1. Nevertheless, the precise underlying mechanism of ANP32B in AML remains elusive. RESULTS: Super enhancer related gene ANP32B was significantly upregulated in AML patients. The expression of ANP32B exhibited a negative correlation with overall survival. Knocking down ANP32B suppressed the proliferation of AML cell lines MV4-11 and Kasumi-1, along with downregulation of C-MYC expression. Additionally, it led to a significant decrease in H3K27ac levels in AML cell lines. In vivo experiments further demonstrated that ANP32B knockdown effectively inhibited tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS: ANP32B plays a significant role in promoting tumor proliferation in AML. The downregulation of ANP32B induces cell cycle arrest and promotes apoptosis in AML cell lines. Mechanistic analysis suggests that ANP32B may epigenetically regulate the expression of MYC through histone H3K27 acetylation. ANP32B could serve as a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for AML patients.

Self-supervised dynamic learning for long-term high-fidelity image transmission through unstabilized diffusive media.

Multimode fiber (MMF) which supports parallel transmission of spatially distributed information is a promising platform for remote imaging and capacity-enhanced optical communication. However, the variability of the scattering MMF channel poses a challenge for achieving long-term accurate transmission over long distances, of which static optical propagation modeling with calibrated transmission matrix or data-driven learning will inevitably degenerate. In this paper, we present a self-supervised dynamic learning approach that achieves long-term, high-fidelity transmission of arbitrary optical fields through unstabilized MMFs. Multiple networks carrying both long- and short-term memory of the propagation model variations are adaptively updated and ensembled to achieve robust image recovery. We demonstrate >99.9% accuracy in the transmission of 1024 spatial degree-of-freedom over 1 km length MMFs lasting over 1000 seconds. The long-term high-fidelity capability enables compressive encoded transfer of high-resolution video with orders of throughput enhancement, offering insights for artificial intelligence promoted diffusive spatial transmission in practical applications.

Ultrasmall Cu2O@His Nanozymes with RONS Scavenging Capability for Anti-inflammatory Therapy.

High concentrations of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) are key characteristics of inflammatory sites. Scavenging RONS at the site of inflammation is an effective therapeutic strategy. This study introduces ultrasmall Cu2O@His nanoparticles with RONS-scavenging ability for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in mice. The strong coordination between the nitrogen atom in histidine (His) and copper enhances the dispersion and stability of Cu2O@His. Due to their small size and large surface area, Cu2O@His exhibits outstanding RONS-clearing ability. Importantly, Cu2O@His can target mitochondrial sites and repair damaged mitochondria. With excellent dispersion and scavenging RONS ability, Cu2O@His demonstrates good efficacy in treating mouse IBD. This work provides a new paradigm for developing nanozymes with an ultrasmall size and multiple scavenging RONS abilities.

Referral to Community-Based Rehabilitation Following Acute Stroke: Findings From the COMPASS Pragmatic Trial.

BACKGROUND: Few studies on care transitions following acute stroke have evaluated whether referral to community-based rehabilitation occurred as part of discharge planning. Our objectives were to describe the extent to which patients discharged home were referred to community-based rehabilitation and identify the patient, hospital, and community-level predictors of referral. METHODS: We examined data from 40 North Carolina hospitals that participated in the COMPASS (Comprehensive Post-Acute Stroke Services) cluster-randomized trial. Participants included adults discharged home following stroke or transient ischemic attack (N=10 702). In this observational analysis, COMPASS data were supplemented with hospital-level and county-level data from various sources. The primary outcome was referral to community-based rehabilitation (physical, occupational, or speech therapy) at discharge. Predictor variables included patient (demographic, stroke-related, medical history), hospital (structure, process), and community (therapist supply) measures. We used generalized linear mixed models with a hospital random effect and hierarchical backward model selection procedures to identify predictors of therapy referral. RESULTS: Approximately, one-third (36%) of stroke survivors (mean age, 66.8 [SD, 14.0] years; 49% female, 72% White race) were referred to community-based rehabilitation. Rates of referral to physical, occupational, and speech therapists were 31%, 18%, and 10%, respectively. Referral rates by hospital ranged from 3% to 78% with a median of 35%. Patient-level predictors included higher stroke severity, presence of medical comorbidities, and older age. Female sex (odds ratio, 1.24 [95% CI, 1.12-1.38]), non-White race (2.20 [2.01-2.44]), and having Medicare insurance (1.12 [1.02-1.23]) were also predictors of referral. Referral was higher for patients living in counties with greater physical therapist supply. Much of the variation in referral across hospitals remained unexplained. CONCLUSIONS: One-third of stroke survivors were referred to community-based rehabilitation. Patient-level factors predominated as predictors. Variation across hospitals was notable and presents an opportunity for further evaluation and possible targets for improved poststroke rehabilitative care. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02588664.

Promoting threshold voltage of P2-Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.67O2 with Cu2+ cation doping toward high-stability cathode for sodium-ion battery.

P2-type Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.67O2 has attracted considerable attraction as a cathode material for sodium-ion batteries owing to its high operating voltage and theoretical specific capacity. However, when the charging voltage is higher than 4.2 V, the Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.67O2 cathode undergoes a detrimental irreversible phase transition of P2-O2, leading to a drastic decrease in specific capacity. To address this challenge, we implemented a Cu-doping strategy (Na0.67Ni0.23Cu0.1Mn0.67O2) in this work to stabilize the structure of the transition metal layer. The stabilization strategy involved reinforcing the transition metal-oxygen (TMO) bonds, particularly the MnO bond and inhibiting interlayer slip during deep desodiation. As a result, the irreversible phase transition voltage is delayed, with the threshold voltage increasing from 4.2 to 4.4 V. Ex-situ X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that the Na0.67Ni0.23Cu0.1Mn0.67O2 cathode maintains the P2 phase within the voltage window of 2.5-4.3 V, whereas the P2-Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.67O2 cathode transforms entirely into O2-type Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.67O2 when the voltage exceeds 4.3 V. Furthermore, absolute P2-O2 phase transition of the Na0.67Ni0.23Cu0.1Mn0.67O2 cathode occurred at 4.6 V, indicating that Cu2+ doping enhances the stability of the layer structure and increases the threshold voltage. The resulting Na0.67Ni0.23Cu0.1Mn0.67O2 cathode exhibited superior electrochemical properties, demonstrating an initial reversible specific capacity of 89.1 mAh/g at a rate of 2C (360 mA g-1) and retaining more than 78 % of its capacity after 500 cycles.

A versatile Wavelet-Enhanced CNN-Transformer for improved fluorescence microscopy image restoration.

Fluorescence microscopes are indispensable tools for the life science research community. Nevertheless, the presence of optical component limitations, coupled with the maximum photon budget that the specimen can tolerate, inevitably leads to a decline in imaging quality and a lack of useful signals. Therefore, image restoration becomes essential for ensuring high-quality and accurate analyses. This paper presents the Wavelet-Enhanced Convolutional-Transformer (WECT), a novel deep learning technique developed specifically for the purpose of reducing noise in microscopy images and attaining super-resolution. Unlike traditional approaches, WECT integrates wavelet transform and inverse-transform for multi-resolution image decomposition and reconstruction, resulting in an expanded receptive field for the network without compromising information integrity. Subsequently, multiple consecutive parallel CNN-Transformer modules are utilized to collaboratively model local and global dependencies, thus facilitating the extraction of more comprehensive and diversified deep features. In addition, the incorporation of generative adversarial networks (GANs) into WECT enhances its capacity to generate high perceptual quality microscopic images. Extensive experiments have demonstrated that the WECT framework outperforms current state-of-the-art restoration methods on real fluorescence microscopy data under various imaging modalities and conditions, in terms of quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Development and Validation of Nomograms to Predict Risk and Prognosis in Salivary Gland Carcinoma Patient with Distant Metastases.

Background: Salivary gland carcinoma (SGC) patients with distant metastasis (DM) are rare, and understanding this disease is insufficient. Nomograms can predict the prognostic probability of patients, while few studies have examined diagnostic and prognostic factors in SGC patients with DM. The purpose of this study was to establish and validate the risk and prognostic nomograms of SGC patients with DM. Methods: Based on the SEER database, we analyzed the data of SGC patients between 2004 and 2015. Logistic regression analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to identify risk and prognostic factors for DM in SGC patients. Based on the Akaike information criterion (AIC) value and likelihood ratio test, the best-fitting model was selected to build risk and prognostic nomograms, and the results were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival curves. ROC curves were also used to compare the nomograms with the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system. Results: 7418 SGC patients were included in the study, and 307 (4.14%) of them were diagnosed with DM. This study identified that there are variables (age ≥ 80, no-parotid gland primary site, histologic type of mucoepidermoid carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, T stage ≥ T2, N staged ≥ N1, histologic grade ≥ III, and tumor size ≥ 41 mm) associated with the occurrence of DM in SGC patients. Therefore, we constructed diagnostic and prognostic nomograms after incorporating these variables. ROC curves illustrated the better predictive efficacy of 2 nomograms over the AJCC staging system. DCA curves, calibration curves, and K-M survival curves showed that 2 nomograms can accurately predict the occurrence and prognosis of DM among SGC patients in training and validation sets. Conclusion: It was shown that the nomograms were highly discriminative in predicting the diagnosis and prognosis of SGC patients with DM, and could identify high-risk patients, thereby providing SGC patients with individualized treatment plans.

Spatial pilot-aided fast-adapted framework for stable image transmission over long multi-mode fiber.

Multi-mode fiber (MMF) has emerged as a promising platform for spatial information transmission attributed to its high capacity. However, the scattering characteristic and time-varying nature of MMF pose challenges for long-term stable transmission. In this study, we propose a spatial pilot-aided learning framework for MMF image transmission, which effectively addresses these challenges and maintains accurate performance in practical applications. By inserting a few reference image frames into the transmitting image sequence and leveraging a fast-adapt network training scheme, our framework adaptively accommodates to the physical channel variations and enables online model update for continuous transmission. Experimented on 100 m length unstable MMFs, we demonstrate transmission accuracy exceeding 92% over hours, with pilot frame overhead around 2%. Our fast-adapt learning scheme requires training of less than 2% of network parameters and reduces the computation time by 70% compared to conventional tuning approaches. Additionally, we propose two pilot-insertion strategies and elaborately compare their applicability to a wide range of scenarios including continuous transmission, burst transmission and transmission after fiber re-plugging. The proposed spatial pilot-aided fast-adapt framework opens up the possibility for MMF spatial transmission in practical complicated applications.

Characterization and genome analysis of Neobacillus mesonae NS-6, a ureolysis-driven strain inducing calcium carbonate precipitation.

In this study, a highly promising bacterium was isolated from sandstone oil in the Ordos Basin, named strain NS-6 which exhibited exceptional urease production ability and demonstrated superior efficiency in inducing the deposition of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Through morphological and physiochemical characteristics analysis, as well as 16S rRNA sequencing, strain NS-6 was identified as Neobacillus mesonae. The activity of urease and the formation of CaCO3 increased over time, reaching a maximum of 7.9 mmol/L/min and 184 mg (4.60 mg/mL) respectively at 32 h of incubation. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed CaCO3 crystals ranging in size from 5 to 6 µm, and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis verified the presence of calcium, carbon, and oxygen within the crystals. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis further confirmed the composition of these CaCO3 crystals as calcite and vaterite. Furthermore, the maximum deposition of CaCO3 by strain NS-6 was achieved using response surface methodology (RSM), amounting to 193.8 mg (4.845 mg/mL) when the concentration of calcium ions was 0.5 mmol/L supplemented with 0.9 mmol/L of urea at pH 8.0. Genome-wide analysis revealed that strain NS-6 possesses a chromosome of 5,736,360 base pairs, containing 5,442 predicted genes, including 3,966 predicted functional genes and 1,476 functionally unknown genes. Genes like ureA, ureB, and ureC related to urea catabolism were identified by gene annotation, indicating that strain NS-6 is a typical urease-producing bacterium and possesses a serial of genes involved in metabolic pathways that mediated the deposition of CaCO3 at genetic level.

A gene expression profile-based approach to screen the occurrence and predisposed host characteristics of drug-induced liver injury: a case study of Psoralea corylifolia Linn.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is one of the most common causes of a drug being withdrawn, and identifying the culprit drugs and the host factors at risk of causing DILI has become a current challenge. Recent studies have found that immune status plays a considerable role in the development of DILI. In this study, DILI-related differentially expressed genes mediated by immunoinflammatory cytokines were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to predict the occurrence of DILI (named the DILI predictive gene set, DILI_PGS), and the predictability of the DILI_PGS was verified using the Connectivity Map (CMap) and LiverTox platforms. The results obtained DILI_PGS from the GEO database could predict 81.25% of liver injury drugs. In addition, the Coexpedia platform was used to predict the DILI_PGS-related characteristics of common host diseases and found that the DILI_PGS mainly involved immune-related diseases and tumor-related diseases. Then, animal models of immune stress (IS) and immunosuppressive (IP) were selected to simulate the immune status of the above diseases. Meanwhile, psoralen, a main component derived from Psoralea corylifolia Linn. with definite hepatotoxicity, was selected as an experimental drug with highly similar molecular fingerprints to three idiosyncratic hepatotoxic drugs (nefazodone, trovafloxacin, and nimesulide) from the same DILI_PGS dataset. The animal experiment results found a single administration of psoralen could significantly induce liver injury in IS mice, while there was no obvious liver function change in IP mice by repeatedly administering the same dose of psoralen, and the potential mechanism of psoralen-induced liver injury in IS mice may be related to regulating the expression of the TNF-related pathway. In conclusion, this study constructed the DILI_PGS with high accuracy to predict the occurrence of DILI and preliminarily identified the characteristics of host factors inducing DILI.