Perceptions of biomass energy sustainability in policy scenarios of China.

This study examines biomass energy policies in the EU, US, and Japan, noting high implementation rates in Poland (86.5 %) and Finland (90.6 %). Germany's biogas utilization is particularly noteworthy, accounting for 29.6 %. The paper summarizes China's national and provincial waste biomass management and energization policies, encompassing agriculture, biomass energy, and environmental governance aspects. Analyzing China's biomass energy industry reveals challenges requiring a comprehensive development plan based on waste biomass resources and environmental zoning. Proposed solutions include establishing ecological energy agriculture demonstration zones, optimizing policies for environmental benefits, encouraging technological innovation, establishing a trade association, improving standards, setting up a waste biomass fund, introducing green certificates and quotas, and integrating waste biomass into the national carbon trading system.

Multiview deep learning networks based on automated breast volume scanner images for identifying breast cancer in BI-RADS 4.

Objectives: To develop and validate a deep learning (DL) based automatic segmentation and classification system to classify benign and malignant BI-RADS 4 lesions imaged with ABVS. Methods: From May to December 2020, patients with BI-RADS 4 lesions from Centre 1 and Centre 2 were retrospectively enrolled and divided into a training set (Centre 1) and an independent test set (Centre 2). All included patients underwent an ABVS examination within one week before the biopsy. A two-stage DL framework consisting of an automatic segmentation module and an automatic classification module was developed. The preprocessed ABVS images were input into the segmentation module for BI-RADS 4 lesion segmentation. The classification model was constructed to extract features and output the probability of malignancy. The diagnostic performances among different ABVS views (axial, sagittal, coronal, and multi-view) and DL architectures (Inception-v3, ResNet 50, and MobileNet) were compared. Results: A total of 251 BI-RADS 4 lesions from 216 patients were included (178 in the training set and 73 in the independent test set). The average Dice coefficient, precision, and recall of the segmentation module in the test set were 0.817 ± 0.142, 0.903 ± 0.183, and 0.886 ± 0.187, respectively. The DL model based on multiview ABVS images and Inception-v3 achieved the best performance, with an AUC, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 0.949 (95% CI: 0.945-0.953), 82.14%, 95.56%, 92.00%, and 89.58%, respectively, in the test set. Conclusions: The developed multiview DL model enables automatic segmentation and classification of BI-RADS 4 lesions in ABVS images.

Electrochemical Relithiation in Spent LiFePO4 Slurry for Regeneration of Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode.

Recycling spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in a green and economical way is vital for maintaining the sustainability of the LIB industry. However, given the low content of high-value components in olivine-type lithium iron phosphate (LFP), traditional metallurgical processes are economically unfeasible for recycling due to high chemical/energy consumption and labor-intensive procedures. This study proposes a facile electrochemistry strategy to directly regenerate the spent LFP material by an electrically driven lithiation process as a spent LFP slurry (200 g/L) rather than as electrodes. Minimal energy and chemical consumption are achieved by enabling the healing of spent LFP without destroying the original olivine-type crystal structure. The proposed method utilizes mild healing conditions (25 °C for 2 h) and LiCl solution as the only reagent in the regeneration process, significantly lowering the expenses associated with producing cathode electrodes. The electrochemical performance of the regenerated LFP have been dramatically recovered after regeneration, exhibiting a capacity of 151.5 mA h g-1 at 0.1 C and 96.6% capacity retention over 400 cycles at 1 C. This approach demonstrates a high processing capability and offers considerable economic and environmental benefits, making it an eco-friendly option and supporting the sustainable development of the LFP industry.

Fabrication of 3D Biomimetic Smooth Muscle Using Magnetic Induction and Bioprinting for Tissue Regeneration.

Smooth muscles play a vital role in peristalsis, tissue constriction, and relaxation but lack adequate self-repair capability for addressing extensive muscle defects. Engineering scaffolds have been broadly proposed to repair the muscle tissue. However, efforts to date have shown that those engineered scaffolds focus on cell alignment in 2-dimension (2D) and fail to direct muscle cells to align in 3D area, which is irresolvable to remodel the muscle architecture and restore the muscle functions like contraction and relaxation. Herein, we introduced an iron oxide (Fe3O4) filament-embedded gelatin (Gel)-silk fibroin composite hydrogel in which the oriented Fe3O4 self-assembled and functioned as micro/nanoscale geometric cues to induce cell alignment growth. The hydrogel scaffold can be designed to fabricate aligned or anisotropic muscle by combining embedded 3D bioprinting with magnetic induction to accommodate special architectures of muscular tissues in the body. Particularly, the bioprinted muscle-like matrices effectively promote the self-organization of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and the directional differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into SMCs. This biomimetic muscle accelerated tissue regeneration, enhancing intercellular connectivity within the muscular tissue, and the deposition of fibronectin and collagen I. This work provides a novel approach for constructing engineered biomimetic muscles, holding significant promise for clinical treatment of muscle-related diseases in the future.

Evaluation and integration of cell-free DNA signatures for detection of lung cancer.

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis has shown potential in detecting early-stage lung cancer based on non-genetic features. To distinguish patients with lung cancer from healthy individuals, peripheral blood were collected from 926 lung cancer patients and 611 healthy individuals followed by cfDNA extraction. Low-pass whole genome sequencing and targeted methylation sequencing were conducted and various features of cfDNA were evaluated. With our customized algorithm using the most optimal features, the ensemble stacked model was constructed, called ESim-seq (Early Screening tech with Integrated Model). In the independent validation cohort, the ESim-seq model achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.948 (95 % CI: 0.915-0.981), with a sensitivity of 79.3 % (95 % CI: 71.5-87.0 %) across all stages at a specificity of 96.0 % (95 % CI: 90.6-100.0 %). Specifically, the sensitivity of the ESim-seq model was 76.5 % (95 % CI: 67.3-85.8 %) in stage I patients, 100 % (95 % CI: 100.0-100.0 %) in stage II patients, 100 % (95 % CI: 100.0-100.0 %) in stage III patients and 87.5 % (95 % CI: 64.6%-100.0 %) in stage IV patients in the independent validation cohort. Besides, we constructed LCSC model (Lung Cancer Subtype multiple Classification), which was able to accurately distinguish patients with small cell lung cancer from those with non-small cell lung cancer, achieving an AUC of 0.961 (95 % CI: 0.949-0.957). The present study has established a framework for assessing cfDNA features and demonstrated the benefits of integrating multiple features for early detection of lung cancer.

Machine learning phenotyping and GWAS reveal genetic basis of Cd tolerance and absorption in jute.

Cadmium (Cd) is a dangerous environmental contaminant. Jute (Corchorus sp.) is an important natural fiber crop with strong absorption and excellent adaptability to metal-stressed environments, used in the phytoextraction of heavy metals. Understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying Cd tolerance and accumulation in plants is essential for efficient phytoremediation strategies and breeding novel Cd-tolerant cultivars. Here, machine learning (ML) and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) combining genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and RNA-seq reveal the genetic basis of Cd resistance and absorption in jute. ML needs a small number of plant phenotypes for training and can complete the plant phenotyping of large-scale populations with efficiency and accuracy greater than 90%. In particular, a candidate gene for Cd resistance (COS02g_02406) and a candidate gene (COS06g_03984) associated with Cd absorption are identified in isoflavonoid biosynthesis and ethylene response signaling pathways. COS02g_02406 may enable plants to cope with metal stress by regulating isoflavonoid biosynthesis involved in antioxidant defense and metal chelation. COS06g_03984 promotes the binding of Cd2+ to ETR/ERS, resulting in Cd absorption and tolerance. The results confirm the feasibility of high-throughput phenotyping for studying plant Cd tolerance by combining HSI and ML approaches, facilitating future molecular breeding.

CRISPR/Cas12a-Based Indirect Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Sensitive Detection of Ochratoxin A.

The high toxicity and widespread contamination of ochratoxin A (OTA) make it urgent to develop a sensitive method to detect trace OTA in complex food matrices. Herein, an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA)-based on the CRISPR/Cas12a system is described. DNA amplicons with multiple activation sequences of the CRISPR/Cas12a system were pre-prepared to improve detection sensitivity. In the absence of OTA, streptavidin-mediated biotinylated DNA amplicons were captured by the biotinylated secondary antibody on the microplate. The captured DNA amplicons activated the CRISPR/Cas12a system, which thereby effectively cleaved the reporter DNA, producing strong fluorescence. The presence of OTA led to a decrease in DNA amplicons on the microplate, resulting in a decrease in activated Cas12a and ultimately a drop in fluorescence intensity. OTA in food matrices at nanogram per milliliter levels can be detected. Therefore, the new method has great potential in monitoring OTA.

IgG4-related disease in the nervous system.

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a recently described multisystemic disorder with a spectrum of manifestations that continue to be described. Nonetheless, there are recognised distinct patterns of disease. Neurological involvement is rare, particularly in isolation, but IgG4-RD may present with orbital disease, hypophysitis or pachymeningitis. Typically, it is highly responsive to treatment. This review highlights neurological manifestations of IgG4-RD and emphasises the importance of a high index of clinical suspicion to facilitate investigation and appropriate management, avoiding irreversible tissue damage and neurological dysfunction. We present a treatment algorithm for suggested management of IgG4-RD affecting the nervous system.

Mechanisms underlying the nucleation processes of mesoporous ceria nanoparticles.

Mesoporous ceria nanoparticles featuring ordered pores (O-MCNs) have much greater potential than their counterparts featuring interparticle pores (I-MCNs) due to their uniform pore size and interconnected framework structures. However, current methods can only synthesize I-MCNs and fail to achieve O-MCNs. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the formation of pores in I-MCNs can spark ideas for designing new methods to realize the synthesis of O-MCNs. In this study, the details of an established I-MCN synthetic method using 1-octadecene (ODE) and ethanol as a mixed solvent, Ce(NO3)3·6H2O as a precursor and trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) as a ligand were explored. The results revealed that six groups of molecules were generated ahead of ceria crystal nucleation, and these molecules played different roles in the formation of I-MCNs. Four steps, namely, ceria crystal nucleation, small ceria nanoparticle formation, small ceria nanoparticle assembly, and I-MCN growth, were involved in the formation of the I-MCNs. The assembly of small ceria nanoparticles driven by the fusion of the (200) plane leaving behind unoccupied spaces was the major reason for the formation of pores in the I-MCNs. These findings provided very useful information for the future design of new methods to achieve O-MCNs.

Prediction for the recycle of phosphate tailings in enhanced gravity field based on machine learning and interpretable analysis.

Recleaning phosphate tailings using the low-cost enhanced gravity separation method is beneficial for maximizing the recovery of phosphorus element. A machine learning framework was constructed to predict the target variables of the yield, grade, and recovery from the feature variables of slurry concentration, backwash water pressure, and rotational frequency of bowl, whose data came from the phosphate tailings separation experiments in the enhanced gravity field. The coefficient of determination R2 and mean squared error were used to evaluate the performance of seven machine learning models. After hyper-parameter optimization, GBR demonstrated the best performance in predicting yield, grade, and recovery, with prediction accuracy of 95.58 %, 90.72 %, and 94.25 %, respectively. SHapley Additive exPlanations interpretability analysis revealed that the rotational frequency of the bowl had the most significant impact on the grade and recovery of concentrates, while slurry concentration had the most significant effect on the yield. A lower rotational frequency of the bowl, a higher slurry concentration, and an increased backwash water pressure were positively correlated with both the yield and recovery. However, the grade was favorably correlated with a higher rotational frequency of bowl and a lower slurry concentration, whereas its correlation with the backwash water pressure could be positive or adverse, depending on its specific value. The limitations and implications of these findings were also demonstrated, and the constructed framework was anticipated to achieve higher prediction accuracy with reasonable interpretability in further studies.

The Digital Divide: Examining the Associations Between Mobile Health Services Use, Health Literacy, Self-Efficacy, and Social Adaptation Among Older Adults in China.

Despite mobile health services becoming a vital tool for improving accessibility and connectivity for older people, there is limited understanding of how they use mHealth services in China. This research hoped to determine the use of health services, health literacy, self-efficacy, and social adaptation among over 60-year-old people in China. Results showed that 48% of participants used mHealth services, and its use correlated with self-efficacy and social adaptation. Developing targeted interventions, including online health education programs, is crucial to address the digital divide and support ageing well.

Post-translational modification in the pathogenesis of vitiligo.

Vitiligo is a chronic dermatological condition marked by the loss of skin pigmentation. Its complex etiology involves multiple factors and has not been completely elucidated. Protein post-translational modification pathways have been proven to play a significant role in inflammatory skin diseases, yet research in the context of vitiligo remains limited. This review focuses on the role of post-translational modifications in vitiligo pathogenesis, especially their impact on cellular signaling pathways related to immune response and melanocyte survival. Current therapeutic strategies targeting these pathways are discussed, emphasizing the potential for novel treatments in vitiligo management.

The interaction of innate immune and adaptive immune system.

The innate immune system serves as the body's first line of defense, utilizing pattern recognition receptors like Toll-like receptors to detect pathogens and initiate rapid response mechanisms. Following this initial response, adaptive immunity provides highly specific and sustained killing of pathogens via B cells, T cells, and antibodies. Traditionally, it has been assumed that innate immunity activates adaptive immunity; however, recent studies have revealed more complex interactions. This review provides a detailed dissection of the composition and function of the innate and adaptive immune systems, emphasizing their synergistic roles in physiological and pathological contexts, providing new insights into the link between these two forms of immunity. Precise regulation of both immune systems at the same time is more beneficial in the fight against immune-related diseases, for example, the cGAS-STING pathway has been found to play an important role in infections and cancers. In addition, this paper summarizes the challenges and future directions in the field of immunity, including the latest single-cell sequencing technologies, CAR-T cell therapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. By summarizing these developments, this review aims to enhance our understanding of the complexity interactions between innate and adaptive immunity and provides new perspectives in understanding the immune system.

Aromatic Nitration Enhances Absorption of Biomass Burning Brown Carbon in an Oxidizing Urban Environment.

Brown carbon (BrC) from biomass burning constitutes a significant portion of light-absorbing components in the atmosphere. Although the aging of BrC surrogates from biomass burning has been studied in many laboratory settings, BrC aging behavior in real-world urban environments is not well understood. In this study, through a combination of online dynamic monitoring and offline molecular characterization, the ambient optical aging of BrC was linked to its dynamic changes in molecular composition. Enhanced light absorption by BrC was consistently observed during the periods dominated by oxygenated biomass burning organic aerosol (BBOA), in contrast to periods dominated by primary emissions or secondary formation in aqueous-phase. This enhancement was linked to the formation of nitrogen-containing compounds during the ambient aging of BBOA. Detailed molecular characterization, alongside analysis of environmental parameters, revealed that an increased atmospheric oxidizing capacity, marked by elevated levels of ozone and nighttime NO3 radicals, facilitated the formation of nitrated aromatic BrC chromophores. These chromophores were primarily responsible for the enhanced light absorption during the ambient aging of BBOA. This study elucidates the nitration processes that enhance BrC light absorption for ambient BBOA, and highlights the crucial role of meteorological conditions. Furthermore, our findings shed light on the chemical and optical aging processes of biomass burning BrC in ambient air, offering insights into its environmental behavior and effects.

Aligned fibrous scaffolds promote directional migration of breast cancer cells via caveolin-1/YAP-mediated mechanosensing.

Tumorigenesis and metastasis are highly dependent on the interactions between the tumor and the surrounding microenvironment. In 3D matrix, the fibrous structure of the extracellular matrix (ECM) undergoes dynamic remodeling during tumor progression. In particular, during the late stage of tumor development, the fibers become more aggregated and oriented. However, it remains unclear how cancer cells respond to the organizational change of ECM fibers and exhibit distinct morphology and behavior. Here, we used electrospinning technology to fabricate biomimetic ECM with distinct fiber arrangements, which mimic the structural characteristics of normal or tumor tissues and found that aligned and oriented nanofibers induce cytoskeletal rearrangement to promote directed migration of cancer cells. Mechanistically, caveolin-1(Cav-1)-expressing cancer cells grown on aligned fibers exhibit increased integrin ß1 internalization and actin polymerization, which promoted stress fiber formation, focal adhesion dynamics and YAP activity, thereby accelerating the directional cell migration. In general, the linear fibrous structure of the ECM provides convenient tracks on which tumor cells can invade and migrate. Moreover, histological data from both mice and patients with tumors indicates that tumor tissue exhibits a greater abundance of isotropic ECM fibers compared to normal tissue. And Cav-1 downregulation can suppress cancer cells muscle invasion through the inhibition of YAP-dependent mechanotransduction. Taken together, our findings revealed the Cav-1 is indispensable for the cellular response to topological change of ECM, and that the Cav-1/YAP axis is an attractive target for inhibiting cancer cell directional migration which induced by linearization of ECM fibers.

Mechanism of two styryl BODIPYs as fluorescent probes and protective agents in lipid bilayers against aqueous ClO.

Two styryl BODIPY derivatives, BOH and BOE, with different hydrophilic properties, were investigated for their reaction mechanisms in lipid bilayers against aqueous ClO-, by both experimental and theoretical methods. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed their identical conformations in solution. Fluorescence spectra and high-resolution mass spectra corroborated the central vinyl group as a common antioxidation moiety against ClO- oxidation. In giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), distinct reaction kinetics with ClO- suggested that BOE provided superior protective effects compared to BOH on lipids. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the lipophilic octyloxy group in BOE led to its deeper localization within the lipid phase, bringing it closer to the corresponding lipid target group. This study establishes the two styryl BODIPYs as promising fluorescent probes for detecting aqueous ClO- in lipid-water polyphasic systems.

Association Between Cannabis Use and Brain Structures: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background  Observational studies suggested that cannabis use was associated with alternation of brain structures; however, as subjected to confounding factors, they were difficult to make causal inferences and direction determinations. In this study, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was employed to examine the potential causal association between cannabis use and brain structures. Methods The genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data for lifetime cannabis use (LCU), cannabis use disorder (CUD), and brain cortical and subcortical structures were utilized in this study. Cortical structures were divided into 34 distinct gyral-defined regions with surface area (SA) and thickness (TH) measured. Subcortical structures encompassed volumes from seven specified regions. The primary estimator used in our analysis was inverse-variance weighted (IVW), complemented by MR-Egger and weighted median methods to enhance the robustness of the results. The Cochran's Q test, funnel plots, and MR-Egger intercept tests were used to detect heterogeneity and pleiotropy. Results  No causal relationship was detected between LCU and global cortical SA or TH. However, at the regional cortex level, LCU was associated with decreased TH in the fusiform (ß = -0.0168 mm, SE = 0.00581, P = 0.0039) and lateral occipital (ß = -0.0141 mm, SE = 0.00531, P = 0.0079) regions, while increasing TH in the postcentral region (ß = 0.0093 mm, SE = 0.00445, P = 0.0374). At the subcortical level, LCU was found to increase the brainstem volume (ß = 0.224 mm3, SE = 0.09, P = 0.0128). CUD did not show any causal association with brain structure at either cortical or subcortical levels. Nonetheless, after applying multiple comparison corrections, the P values for the MR analysis of causal relationships between cannabis use and these brain structures did not meet the significance threshold. Conclusion  The evidence for cannabis use causally influencing brain structures is insufficient.

Substrate specificity of a branch of aromatic dioxygenases determined by three distinct motifs.

The inversion of substrate size specificity is an evolutionary roadblock for proteins. The Duf4243 dioxygenases GedK and BTG13 are known to catalyze the aromatic cleavage of bulky tricyclic hydroquinone. In this study, we discover a Duf4243 dioxygenase PaD that favors small monocyclic hydroquinones from the penicillic-acid biosynthetic pathway. Sequence alignments between PaD and GedK and BTG13 suggest PaD has three additional motifs, namely motifs 1-3, distributed at different positions in the protein sequence. X-ray crystal structures of PaD with the substrate at high resolution show motifs 1-3 determine three loops (loops 1-3). Most intriguing, loops 1-3 stack together at the top of the pocket, creating a lid-like tertiary structure with a narrow channel and a clearly constricted opening. This drastically changes the substrate specificity by determining the entry and binding of much smaller substrates. Further genome mining suggests Duf4243 dioxygenases with motifs 1-3 belong to an evolutionary branch that is extensively involved in the biosynthesis of natural products and has the ability to degrade diverse monocyclic hydroquinone pollutants. This study showcases how natural enzymes alter the substrate specificity fundamentally by incorporating new small motifs, with a fixed overall scaffold-architecture. It will also offer a theoretical foundation for the engineering of substrate specificity in enzymes and act as a guide for the identification of aromatic dioxygenases with distinct substrate specificities.

Fruquintinib in metastatic colorectal cancer: a multicenter real-world analysis on efficacy, safety, and predictive and prognostic factors.

Background: Randomized trials have shown a survival benefit for fruquintinib over placebo in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) that progressed after standard therapies, but real-world prognostic analyses have been seldom reported. We evaluated survival, safety outcomes, and predictive and prognostic factors in patients treated with fruquintinib in a real-life setting. Methods: We conducted a multi-center study by collecting relevant data on patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) who received fruquintinib, focusing on progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and L3 skeletal muscle index (SMI), including safety follow-up. Results: From January 2020 to January 2022, a total of 140 patients were selected and included in this study. The cut-off date was 30 July 2022. The median follow-up time was 18.3 months (range, 6-29.3 months) and the median age of included cases was 63 years (range, 32-81 years). The median PFS and OS for the 140 patients was 6.3 and 12.6 months, respectively. The median PFS and OS for the 76 patients who were included in SMI analysis was 6.0 and 12.0 months, respectively. Multivariate analysis suggested brain metastasis {hazard ratio (HR) [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 2.779 (1.162-6.646), P=0.02}, decrease in SMI of >5% [HR (95% CI): 9.732 (2.201-43.028), P=0.003], and baseline carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level [HR (95% CI): 4.061 (1.391-11.858), P=0.01] as independent predictors of OS. The most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were hypertension (24, 17.1%), fatigue (21, 15%), and hand-foot syndrome (20, 14.3%); 9 (13.6%) and 15 (10.7%) patients had dose reduction and treatment discontinuation due to TRAEs respectively. Conclusions: The real-world efficacy and safety of fruquintinib in advanced CRC patients are numerically superior to that in the previous phase III studies. SMI, brain metastasis and CEA could serve as potential markers for patient selection.

Potential regulation and prognostic model of colorectal cancer with extracellular matrix genes.

Background: The tumor microenvironment (TME) of colorectal cancer (CRC) mainly comprises immune cells, stromal cells, tumor cells, as well as the extracellular matrix (ECM), which holds a pivotal position. The ECM affects cancer progression, but its regulatory roles and predictive potential in CRC are not fully understood. Methods: We analyzed transcriptomes from CRC tumors and paired normal tissues to study ECM features. Up-regulated ECM components were examined through functional enrichment analysis, and single-cell sequencing identified cell types producing collagen, regulators, and secreted factors. Transcription factor analysis and cell-cell interaction studies were conducted to identify potential regulators of ECM changes. Additionally, a prognostic model was developed using TCGA-CRC cohort data, focusing on up-regulated core ECM components. Results: Bulk RNA-seq analysis revealed a unique ECM pattern in tumors, with ECM abundance and composition significantly related to patient survival. Up-regulated ECM components were linked to various cancer-related pathways. Fibroblasts and non-fibroblasts interactions were crucial in forming the TME. Key potential regulators identified included ZNF469, PRRX2, TWIST1, and AEBP1. A prognostic model based on five ECM genes (THBS3, LAMB3, ESM1, SPRX, COL9A3) demonstrated strong associations with immune suppression and tumor angiogenesis. Conclusions: The ECM components were involved in various cell-cell interactions and correlated with tumor development and poor survival outcomes. The ECM prognostic model components could be potential targets for novel therapeutic interventions in colorectal cancer.