An underutilized bean: hyacinth bean [Lablab purpureus (L.) sweet]: bioactive compounds, functional activity, and future food prospect and applications.

Hyacinth bean [Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet], a plant belonging to the leguminous family and traditionally used for medicinal purposes in China, is a valuable resource with a wide range of health benefits. This review examines the bioactive compounds, health-promoting properties and functional food potential of hyacinth bean, highlighting its role in protecting against metabolic diseases and the underlying molecular mechanisms. According to existing research, hyacinth bean contains a diverse array of bioactive compounds, Consumption of hyacinth beans and hyacinth bean-related processed food products, as well as their use in medicines, is associated with a variety of health benefits that are increasingly favoured by the scientific community. In light of these findings, we posit that hyacinth bean holds great promise for further research and food application. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Identification of a Hippocampus-to-Zona Incerta Projection involved in Motor Learning.

Motor learning (ML), which plays a fundamental role in growth and physical rehabilitation, involves different stages of learning and memory processes through different brain regions. However, the neural mechanisms that underlie ML are not sufficiently understood. Here, a previously unreported neuronal projection from the dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) to the zona incerta (ZI) involved in the regulation of ML behaviors is identified. Using recombinant adeno-associated virus, the projections to the ZI are surprisingly identified as originating from the dorsal dentate gyrus (DG) and CA1 subregions of the dHPC. Furthermore, projection-specific chemogenetic and optogenetic manipulation reveals that the projections from the dorsal CA1 to the ZI play key roles in the acquisition and consolidation of ML behaviors, whereas the projections from the dorsal DG to the ZI mediate the retrieval/retention of ML behaviors. The results reveal new projections from the dorsal DG and dorsal CA1 to the ZI involved in the regulation of ML and provide insight into the stages over which this regulation occurs.

Comprehensive evaluation of nitrogen contamination in water ecosystems of the Miyun reservoir watershed, northern China: distribution, source apportionment and risk assessment.

Miyun Reservoir plays a vital role as a source of drinking water for Beijing, however it grapples with nitrogen contamination issues that have been poorly understood in terms of their distribution, source, and associated health risks. This study addresses this knowledge gap by employing data on nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N), chloride (Cl-), dual isotopic compositions of NO3- (δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3-) data in water ecosystems, systematically exploring the distribution, source and health risk of nitrogen contaminants in Miyun reservoir watersheds. The results showed that over the past 30 years, surface water runoff has exhibited a notable decrease and periodic fluctuations due to the combined influence of climate and anthropogenic activities, while the total nitrogen (TN) concentration in aquatic ecosystems presented an annual fluctuating upward trend. The TN concentration in the wet season was predominantly elevated because a large amount of nitrogen contaminants migrated into water ecosystems through heavy rainfall or river erosion. The concentration of NO3--N, the main contaminant of the water ecosystems, showed distinct variations across different watersheds, followed as rivers over the Miyun reservoir. Moreover, NO3--N levels gradually increased from upstream to downstream in different basins. NO3--N in surface water was mainly derived from the mixture of agricultural ammonia fertilizer and sewage and manure, with a minority of samples potentially undergoing denitrification. Comparatively, the main sources of NO3--N in groundwater were soil N and sewage and manure, while the denitrification process was inactive. The carcinogenic risks caused by NO3--N in groundwater were deemed either nonexistent or minimal, while the focus should predominantly be on potential non-carcinogenic risks, particularly for infants and children. Therefore, it is crucial to perform proactive measures aimed at safeguarding water ecosystems, guided by an understanding of the distribution, sources, and associated risks of nitrogen contamination.

High-Efficiency Frequency Doubling Blue-Laser VECSEL Based on Intracavity Beam Control.

Blue lasers are integral to a variety of applications, including marine communication, underwater resource exploration, cold laser processing, laser medicine, and beyond. Vertical external cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSELs) have the advantages of high output power and tunable wavelength, and can output blue laser via frequency doubling. In this article, a new type of intracavity beam control external-cavity structure is introduced. The laser beam waist is effectively adjusted by intracavity beam control, and the frequency conversion efficiency is improved. A laser cavity stability analysis model was developed to investigate the impact of laser cavity lens parameters and relative positions on stability. The external resonant cavity of VECSELs utilizes two optical lenses to position the beam waist near the laser output coupling mirror and locates the frequency doubling crystal at a high optical power density position to optimize frequency conversion efficiency. The VECSEL straight external-cavity structure achieves a frequency conversion efficiency of up to 60.2% at 488 nm, yielding a blue laser output exceeding 1.3 W. The full width at half maximum of the 488 nm spectrum measures approximately 0.23 nm. This intracavity beam-controlled direct external-cavity structure effectively mitigates laser mode leakage and shows potential for the development of an efficient and compact blue laser source.

In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Lactoferrin-Modified Liposomal Etomidate with Enhanced Brain-Targeting Effect for General Anesthesia.

Etomidate is a general anesthetic that has shown good hemodynamic stability without significant cardiovascular or respiratory depression. Despite several kinds of dosage forms having been reported for this drug, formulation types are very limited in clinical practice, and brain-targeted formulations for this central nervous system (CNS) drug have been rarely reported. Moreover, studies on the biocompatibility, toxicity, and anesthetic effects of the etomidate preparations in vivo were inadequate. The present study was to develop lactoferrin-modified liposomal etomidate (Eto-lip-LF) for enhanced drug distribution in the brain and improved anesthetic effects. Eto-lip-LF had good stability for storage and hemocompatibility for intravenous injection. Compared with the non-lactoferrin-containing liposomes, the lactoferrin-modified liposomes had notably enhanced brain-targeting ability in vivo, which was probably realized by the binding of transferrin with the transferrin and lactoferrin receptors highly distributed in the brain. Eto-lip-LF had a therapeutic index of about 25.3, higher than that of many other general anesthetics. Moreover, compared with the commercial etomidate emulsion, Eto-lip-LF could better achieve rapid onset of general anesthesia and rapid recovery from anesthesia, probably due to the enhanced drug delivery to the brain. The above results demonstrated the potential of this lactoferrin-modified liposomal etomidate to become an alternative preparation for clinical general anesthesia.

Starch chain-length distributions affect the processing and digestion characteristics of proso millet starch.

Starch chain-length distributions play a key role in regulating the processing and digestion characteristics of proso millet starch. Waxy proso millet starch has higher endothermic enthalpy (13.06-16.73 J/g) owing to its higher relative crystallinity (27.83%-32.04%), while nonwaxy proso millet starch has lower peak viscosity (1.0630-1.1930 Pa∙s) and stronger viscoelasticity owing to its higher amylose content (21.72%-24.34%). Non-waxy proso millet starch exhibited two different digestion phases and its resistant starch content (18.37%-20.80%) was higher than waxy proso millet starch. Correlation analysis showed proso millet starch with longer amylopectin B1 chains and more amylopectin B2 chains exhibited excellent thermal ability and retrograde resistance, whereas proso millet starch with shorter and more amylose medium/long-chains not only reduced the digestion rate and increased the resistant starch content but also exhibited stronger viscoelasticity and excellent retrogradation properties. These results could provide more insights into efficient utilization of proso millet starch.

Causal relationship between gut microbiota and puerperal sepsis: a 2-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Some recent observational studies have shown that gut microbiota composition is associated with puerperal sepsis (PS) and no causal effect have been attributed to this. The aim of this study was to determine a causal association between gut microbiota and PS by using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Methods: This study performed MR analysis on the publicly accessible genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary level data in order to explore the causal effects between gut microbiota and PS. Gut microbiota GWAS (n = 18,340) were obtained from the MiBioGen study and GWAS-summary-level data for PS were obtained from the UK Biobank (PS, 3,940 cases; controls, 202,267 cases). Identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with each feature were identified based on a significance threshold of p < 1.0 × 10-5. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) parameter was used as the primary method for MR and it was supplemented by other methods. Additionally, a set of sensitivity analytical methods, including the MR-Egger intercept, Mendelian randomized polymorphism residual and outlier, Cochran's Q and the leave-one-out tests were carried out to assess the robustness of our findings. Results: Our study found 3 species of gut microbiota, Lachnospiraceae FCS020, Lachnospiraceae NK4A136, and Ruminococcaceae NK4A214, to be associated with PS. The IVW method indicated an approximately 19% decreased risk of PS per standard deviation increase with Lachnospiraceae FCS020 (OR = 0.81; 95% CI 0.66-1.00, p = 0.047). A similar trend was also found with Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 (OR = 0.80; 95% CI 0.66-0.97, p = 0.024). However, Ruminococcaceae NK4A214 was positively associated with the risk of PS (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.07-1.67, p = 0.011). Conclusion: This two-sample MR study firstly found suggestive evidence of beneficial and detrimental causal associations of gut microbiota on the risk of PS. This may provide valuable insights into the pathogenesis of microbiota-mediated PS and potential strategies for its prevention and treatment.

Fe-CP-based Catalytic Oxidation and Dissipative Self-Assembly of a Ferrocenyl Surfactant Applied in DNA Capture and Release.

Dissipative self-assembly plays a vital role in fabricating intelligent and transient materials. The selection and design of the molecular structure is critical, and the introduction of valuable stimuli-responsive motifs into building blocks would bring about a novel perspective on the fuel driven nonequilibrium assemblies. For redox-responsive surfactants, novel methods of catalytic oxidation are very important for their activation/deactivation process through designing fuel input/energy dissipation. As an enzyme with a fast catalytic rate, Fe-based coordination polymers (Fe-CPs) are found to be highly effective oxidase-like enzymes to induce a reversible switch of a ferrocene-based surfactant over a wide range of temperatures and pH. This builds a bridge between the CPs materials and surfactants. Furthermore, glucose oxidase can also induce a switchable transition of a ferrocene-based surfactant. The GOX-catalyzed, glucose-fueled transient surfactant assemblies have been fabricated for many cycles, which has a successful application in a time-controlled and autonomous DNA capture and release process. The intelligent use of enzymes including CPs and GOX in ferrocene-based surfactants will pave the way for the oxidation of redox surfactants, which extends the application of stable or transient ferrocenyl self-assemblies.

The importance of starch chain-length distribution for in vitro digestion of ungelatinized and retrograded foxtail millet starch.

The digestibility of ungelatinized, short-term retrograded and long-term retrograded starch from foxtail millet was investigated and correlated with starch chain length distributions (CLDs). Some variations in starch CLDs of different varieties were obtained. Huangjingu and Zhonggu 9 had higher average chain lengths of debranched starch and lower average chain length ratios of amylopectin and amylose than Dajinmiao and Jigu 168. Compared to ungelatinized starch, retrogradation significantly increased the estimated glycemic index (eGI), whereas significantly decreased the resistant starch (RS). In contrast, long-term retrograded starches have lower eGI (93.33-97.37) and higher RS (8.04-14.55%) than short-term retrograded starch. PCA and correlation analysis showed that amylopectin with higher amounts of long chains and longer long chains contributed to reduced digestibility in ungelatinized starch. Both amylose and amylopectin CLDs were important for the digestibility of retrograded starch. This study helps a better understanding of the interaction of starch CLDs and digestibility during retrogradation.

Development and validation of a model to predict the need for artificial airways for acute trauma patients in the emergency department: a retrospective case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To develop scores for predicting the need for artificial airway procedures for acute trauma patients in the emergency department (ED). DESIGN: Retrospective case-control. SETTING: A tertiary comprehensive hospital in China. PARTICIPANTS: 8288 trauma patients admitted to the ED within 24 hours of injury and who were admitted from 1 August 2012 to 31 July 2020. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The study outcome was the establishment of an artificial airway within 24 hours of admission to the ED. Based on the different feature compositions, two scores were developed in the development cohort by multivariable logistic regression. The predictive performance was assessed in the validation cohort. RESULTS: The O-SPACER (Oxygen saturation, Systolic blood pressure, Pulse rate, Age, Coma Scale, Eye response, Respiratory rate) score was developed based on the patient's basic information with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.85 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.89) in the validation group. Based on the basic information and trauma scores, the IO-SPACER (Injury Severity Score, Oxygen saturation, Systolic blood pressure, Pulse rate, Age, Coma Scale, Eye response, Respiratory rate) score was developed, with an AUC of 0.88 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.92). According to the O-SPACER and IO-SPACER scores, the patients were stratified into low, medium and high-risk groups. According to these two scores, the high-risk patients were associated with an increased demand for artificial airways, with an OR of 40.16-40.67 compared with the low-risk patients. CONCLUSIONS: The O-SPACER score provides risk stratification for injured patients requiring urgent airway intervention in the ED and may be useful in guiding initial management. The IO-SPACER score may assist in further determining whether the patient needs planned intubation or tracheotomy early after trauma.

A comprehensive epigenetic network can influence the occurrence of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy by affecting immune and inflammatory response.

The primary objective of this study is to understand the regulatory role of epigenetics in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) using multi-omics sequencing data. We utilized tRFs sequencing data, DNA methylation sequencing data, and lncRNA/circRNA/mRNA sequencing data, as well as several RNA methylation target prediction websites, to analyze the regulatory effect of DNA methylation, non-coding RNA, and RNA methylation on TAO-associated genes. Through differential expression analysis, we identified 1019 differentially expressed genes, 985 differentially methylated genes, and 2601 non-coding RNA. Functional analysis showed that differentially expressed genes were mostly associated with the PI3K signaling pathway and the IL17 signaling pathway. Genes regulated by DNA epigenetic regulatory networks were mainly related to the Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway, whereas genes regulated by RNA epigenetic regulatory networks were primarily related to the T cell receptor signaling pathway. Finally, our integrated regulatory network analysis revealed that epigenetics mainly impacts the occurrence of TAO through its effects on key pathways such as cell killing, cytokine production, and immune response. In summary, this study is the first to reveal a new mechanism underlying the development of TAO and provides new directions for future TAO research.

ZL006 mitigates anxiety-like behaviors induced by closed head injury through modulation of the neural circuit from the medial prefrontal cortex to amygdala.

Closed head injury is a prevalent form of traumatic brain injury with poorly understood effects on cortical neural circuits. Given the emotional and behavioral impairments linked to closed head injury, it is vital to uncover brain functional deficits and their driving mechanisms. In this study, we employed a robust viral tracing technique to identify the alteration of the neural pathway connecting the medial prefrontal cortex to the basolateral amygdala, and we observed the disruptions in neuronal projections between the medial prefrontal cortex and the basolateral amygdala following closed head injury. Remarkably, our results highlight that ZL006, an inhibitor targeting PSD-95/nNOS interaction, stands out for its ability to selectively reverse these aberrations. Specifically, ZL006 effectively mitigates the disruptions in neuronal projections from the medial prefrontal cortex to basolateral amygdala induced by closed head injury. Furthermore, using chemogenetic approaches, we elucidate that activating the medial prefrontal cortex projections to the basolateral amygdala circuit produces anxiolytic effects, aligning with the therapeutic potential of ZL006. Additionally, ZL006 administration effectively mitigates astrocyte activation, leading to the restoration of medial prefrontal cortex glutamatergic neuron activity. Moreover, in the context of attenuating anxiety-like behaviors through ZL006 treatment, we observe a reduction in closed head injury-induced astrocyte engulfment, which may correlate with the observed decrease in dendritic spine density of medial prefrontal cortex glutamatergic neurons.

Symptom clusters and unplanned hospital readmission in Chinese patients with acute myocardial infarction on admission.

Backgroud: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has a high morbidity rate, high mortality rate, high readmission rate, high health care costs, and a high symptomatic, psychological, and economic burden on patients. Patients with AMI usually present with multiple symptoms simultaneously, which are manifested as symptom clusters. Symptom clusters have a profound impact on the quality of survival and clinical outcomes of AMI patients. Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze unplanned hospital readmissions among cluster groups within a 1-year follow-up period, as well as to identify clusters of acute symptoms and the characteristics associated with them that appeared in patients with AMI. Methods: Between October 2021 and October 2022, 261 AMI patients in China were individually questioned for symptoms using a structured questionnaire. Mplus 8.3 software was used to conduct latent class analysis in order to find symptom clusters. Univariate analysis is used to examine characteristics associated with each cluster, and multinomial logistic regression is used to analyze a cluster membership as an independent predictor of hospital readmission after 1-year. Results: Three unique clusters were found among the 11 acute symptoms: the typical chest symptom cluster (64.4%), the multiple symptom cluster (29.5%), and the atypical symptom cluster (6.1%). The cluster of atypical symptoms was more likely to have anemia and the worse values of Killip class compared with other clusters. The results of multiple logistic regression indicated that, in comparison to the typical chest cluster, the atypical symptom cluster substantially predicted a greater probability of 1-year hospital readmission (odd ratio 8.303, 95% confidence interval 2.550-27.031, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Out of the 11 acute symptoms, we have found three clusters: the typical chest symptom, multiple symptom, and atypical symptom clusters. Compared to patients in the other two clusters, those in the atypical symptom cluster-which included anemia and a large percentage of Killip class patients-had worse clinical indicators at hospital readmission during the duration of the 1-year follow-up. Both anemia and high Killip classification suggest that the patient's clinical presentation is poor and therefore the prognosis is worse. Intensive treatment should be considered for anemia and high level of Killip class patients with atypical presentation. Clinicians should focus on patients with atypical symptom clusters, enhance early recognition of symptoms, and develop targeted symptom management strategies to alleviate their discomfort in order to improve symptomatic outcomes.

The effectiveness of booster vaccination of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines against susceptibility, infectiousness, and transmission of omicron BA.2 variant: a retrospective cohort study in Shenzhen, China.

Little studies evaluated the effectiveness of booster vaccination of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines against being infected (susceptibility), infecting others (infectiousness), and spreading the disease from one to another (transmission). Therefore, we conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the effectiveness of booster vaccination of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines against susceptibility, infectiousness, and transmission in Shenzhen during an Omicron BA.2 outbreak period from 1 February to 21 April 2022. The eligible individuals were classified as four sub-cohorts according to the inactivated COVID-19 vaccination status of both the close contacts and their index cases: group 2-2, fully vaccinated close contacts seeded by fully vaccinated index cases (reference group); group 2-3, booster-vaccinated close contacts seeded by fully vaccinated index cases; group 3-2, fully vaccinated close contacts seeded by booster-vaccinated index cases; and group 3-3, booster-vaccinated close contacts seeded by booster-vaccinated index cases. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to estimate the effectiveness of booster vaccination. The sample sizes of groups 2-2, 2-3, 3-2, and 3-3 were 846, 1,115, 1,210, and 2,417, respectively. We found that booster vaccination had an effectiveness against infectiousness of 44.9% (95% CI: 19.7%, 62.2%) for the adults ≥ 18 years, 62.2% (95% CI: 32.0%, 78.9%) for the female close contacts, and 60.8% (95% CI: 38.5%, 75.1%) for the non-household close contacts. Moreover, booster vaccination had an effectiveness against transmission of 29.0% (95% CI: 3.2%, 47.9%) for the adults ≥ 18 years, 38.9% (95% CI: 3.3%, 61.3%) for the female close contacts, and 45.8% (95% CI: 22.1%, 62.3%) for the non-household close contacts. However, booster vaccination against susceptibility did not provide any protective effect. In summary, this study confirm that booster vaccination of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccines provides low level of protection and moderate level of protection against Omicron BA.2 transmission and infectiousness, respectively. However, booster vaccination does not provide any protection against Omicron BA.2 susceptibility.

Inflammatory proteins mediate male erectile dysfunction via plasma metabolites.

Background: There are no clear conclusions as to whether inflammatory proteins and plasma metabolites influence erectile dysfunction (ED). Aim: In this research, we used Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to discover a causal relationship between inflammatory proteins, plasma metabolites, and ED. Methods: Raw data with ED, inflammatory proteins, and plasma metabolites were obtained from the MRC IEU OpenGWAS and FinnGen database. After a series of screenings, the remaining single nucleotide polymorphisms were selected as instrumental variables or MR analysis to assess the relationship between genetically predicted inflammatory proteins or plasma metabolites and the pathogenesis of ED. Outcomes: The relationship between inflammatory factors and ED was fully analyzed and elaborated. Results: In the inverse variance-weighted method, there exists a significant causal relationship between 4 types of genetically predicted inflammatory proteins and 50 types of plasma metabolites with the incidence of ED. The primary discovery is that 3 inflammatory proteins, fibroblast growth factor 5, interleukin-22 receptor subunit alpha-1, and protein S100-A12, can impact the risk of ED through plasma metabolites. Clinical Implications: ED metabolites and inflammatory proteins are also closely associated with cardiovascular diseases, warranting further exploration. Strengths and Limitations: Our analysis is based on a European population, limiting its generalizability, the genome-wide association study dataset for ED has a relatively small number of cases, and we hope for larger genome-wide association study datasets for future validation. Conclusion: This study has identified that inflammatory proteins can influence ED through plasma metabolites.

Association between Socioeconomic Inequalities in Pain and All-cause Mortality in China: Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND: Fewer studies focus on the equality of pain, and the relationship between pain and death is inconclusive. Investigating the distribution of pain and potential mortality risks is crucial for ameliorating painful conditions and devising targeted intervention measures. OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to investigate the association between inequalities in pain and all-cause mortality in China. METHODS: Longitudinal cohort data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2011-2013 (waves 1, wave 2) were used in this study. Pain was self-reported at baseline, and death information was obtained from the 2013 follow-up survey. The concentration index and its decomposition were used to explain the inequity of pain, and the association between pain and death was analyzed by cox proportional risk model. RESULTS: A total of 16747 participants were included, with an average age of 59.57±9.82 years old. The prevalence of pain was 32.54% (8196/16747). The main pain type was moderate pain (36.36%), and the common pain locations were waist (19.30%), leg (14.78%), and head (13.44%). We found that the prevalence of pain was concentrated in participant with poor economic status (concentration index: -0.066, 95%CI: -0.078, -0.054), and educational level (36.49%), location (36.87%) and economic status (25.05%) contributed significantly to the inequality of pain. In addition, cox regression found that participants with pain was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR=1.30, 95%CI: 1.06, 1.61). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of pain in Chinese adults is concentrated among participants with poor economic conditions, and pain increases the risk of all-cause death. Our results highlight the importance of socioeconomic factors to reduce deaths due to pain inequities by implementing targeted interventions to reduce pain inequities.

Caseinate-coated zein nanoparticles as potential delivery vehicles for guavinoside B from guava: Molecular interactions and encapsulation properties.

Guavinoside B (GUB) is a characteristic constituent from guava with strong antioxidant activity; however, its low water solubility limits its utilization. Herein, we investigated the interaction between GUB and zein, a prolamin with self-assembling property, using multiple spectroscopic methods and fabricated GUB-zein-NaCas nanoparticles (GUB-Z-N NPs) via the antisolvent coprecipitation approach. GUB caused fluorescence quenching to zein via the static quenching mechanism. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and computational analysis revealed that GUB bound to zein via van der Waals interaction, hydrogen bond, and hydrophobic forces. The GUB-Z-N NPs were in the nanometric size range (< 200 nm) and exhibited promising encapsulation efficiency and redispersibility after freeze-drying. These particles remained stable for up to 31 days at 4 °C and great resistance to salt and pH variation, and displayed superior antioxidant activity to native GUB. The current study highlights the potential of zein-based nanoparticles as delivery vehicles for GUB in the food industry.

Prediction of arsenic and fluoride in groundwater of the North China Plain using enhanced stacking ensemble learning.

Chronic exposure to elevated geogenic arsenic (As) and fluoride (F-) concentrations in groundwater poses a significant global health risk. In regions around the world where regular groundwater quality assessments are limited, the presence of harmful levels of As and F- in shallow groundwater extracted from specific wells remains uncertain. This study utilized an enhanced stacking ensemble learning model to predict the distributions of As and F- in shallow groundwater based on 4,393 available datasets of observed concentrations and forty relevant environmental factors. The enhanced model was obtained by fusing well-suited Extreme Gradient Boosting, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine as the base learners and a structurally simple Linear Discriminant Analysis as the meta-learner. The model precisely captured the patchy distributions of groundwater As and F- with an AUC value of 0.836 and 0.853, respectively. The findings revealed that 9.0% of the study area was characterized by a high As risk in shallow groundwater, while 21.2% was at high F- risk identified as having a high risk of fluoride contamination. About 0.2% of the study area shows elevated levels of both of them. The affected populations are estimated at approximately 7.61 million, 34.1 million, and 0.2 million, respectively. Furthermore, sedimentary environment exerted the greatest influence on distribution of groundwater As, with human activities and climate following closely behind at 29.5%, 28.1%, and 21.9%, respectively. Likewise, sedimentary environment was the primary factor affecting groundwater F- distribution, followed by hydrogeology and soil physicochemical properties, contributing 27.8%, 24.0%, and 23.3%, respectively. This study contributed to the identification of health risks associated with shallow groundwater As and F-, and provided insights into evaluating health risks in regions with limited samples.

TASA: Temporal Attention With Spatial Autoencoder Network for Odor-Induced Emotion Classification Using EEG.

The olfactory system enables humans to smell different odors, which are closely related to emotions. The high temporal resolution and non-invasiveness of Electroencephalogram (EEG) make it suitable to objectively study human preferences for odors. Effectively learning the temporal dynamics and spatial information from EEG is crucial for detecting odor-induced emotional valence. In this paper, we propose a deep learning architecture called Temporal Attention with Spatial Autoencoder Network (TASA) for predicting odor-induced emotions using EEG. TASA consists of a filter-bank layer, a spatial encoder, a time segmentation layer, a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) module, a multi-head self-attention (MSA) layer, and a fully connected layer. We improve upon the previous work by utilizing a two-phase learning framework, using the autoencoder module to learn the spatial information among electrodes by reconstructing the given input with a latent representation in the spatial dimension, which aims to minimize information loss compared to spatial filtering with CNN. The second improvement is inspired by the continuous nature of the olfactory process; we propose to use LSTM-MSA in TASA to capture its temporal dynamics by learning the intercorrelation among the time segments of the EEG. TASA is evaluated on an existing olfactory EEG dataset and compared with several existing deep learning architectures to demonstrate its effectiveness in predicting olfactory-triggered emotional responses. Interpretability analyses with DeepLIFT also suggest that TASA learns spatial-spectral features that are relevant to olfactory-induced emotion recognition.

FUDNC1-dependent mitophagy ameliorate motor neuron death in an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mouse model.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, yet effective treatment is lacking. Moreover, the underlying pathomechanisms of ALS remain unclear, with impaired mitophagy function being increasingly recognized as a contributing factor. FUN14 domain-containing protein 1 (FUNDC1) is an autophagy receptor localized to the outer mitochondrial membrane and a mitochondrial membrane protein that mediates mitophagy and therefore considered as important factor in neurodegenerative diseases. However, its specific role in ALS is not yet clear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the regulatory role of FUNDC1 in ALS and determine its regulatory mechanisms. ALS transgenic mice were obtained and maintained under standard conditions. Cell lines were generated by stable transfection with hSOD1G93A or control vectors. Mice received intrathecal injections of AAV9 vectors expressing FUNDC1 or EGFP. Motor function was assessed through behavioral tests, and histological and immunostaining analyses were performed. Colocalization analysis was conducted in transfected cells, and protein expression was evaluated via western blotting. We first observed that FUNDC1 was significantly downregulated in the spinal cord tissues of SOD1G93A mice. FUNDC1 overexpression considerably improved locomotor activity and prolonged survival time in SOD1G93A mice. Mechanistically, reduced expression of FUNDC1 resulted in decreased mitophagy, as indicated by decreased recruitment through LC3 in SOD1G93A mice and cellular models. Consequently, this led to increased mitochondrial accumulation and cell apoptosis, exacerbating the ALS phenotype. Furthermore, we identified transcription factor FOXD3 as an essential upstream factor of FUNDC1, resulting in reduced transcription of FUNDC1 in ALS lesions. This study suggests a novel strategy of targeting FUNDC1-mediated mitophagy for developing therapeutic interventions to mitigate disease progression and improve outcomes for ALS patients.