Expanding the Potential Window through Synergistic Design and Oriented Heterostructure for Supercapacitor.

Metal telluride-based nanomaterials have recently gained attention as promising candidates for enhancing the performance of electrodes in energy storage devices. In this study, Co-Zr-Te@CuO electrode materials engineered through strategic approach are introduced, involving the deposition of a Co-Zr metal-organic framework (MOF) on CuO nanowires, followed by a tellurization. This composite material demonstrates an expanded potential window of 1.2 V, making it potential electrode material for supercapacitor applications. Electrochemical evaluations reveal that the Co-Zr-Te@CuO electrode exhibits 576 C g-1, 1.8 times higher than Co-Zr-MOF@CuO. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm enhancements in conductivity and explains the synergistic effects present within the heterostructure. Hybrid supercapacitor (HSC) device achieves a peak energy density of 69.4 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 1.4 kW kg-1. This evidence of Co-Zr-Te@CuO effective electrode performance demonstrates its potential and robust stability for real-world energy storage applications.

Optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy for minor stroke within 72 hours of symptom onset: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Despite the potential spillover effect, the optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy for minor stroke within 72 hours of symptom onset is still uncertain. METHODS: Safety and Efficacy of Aspirin-Clopidogrel in Acute Noncardiogenic Minor Ischemic Stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score≤5) is a prospective cohort study involving patients with minor ischaemic stroke within 72 hours of symptom onset. The DAPT group was further categorised into three subgroups: shorter duration (<10 days), short duration (10-21 days) and long duration (>21 days). The primary efficacy and safety outcomes were composite vascular event and severe bleeding during 90 days. RESULTS: Among 3061 eligible patients (age was 61.7±12.0 years, 73.3% were men, median (IQR) NIHSS score, 2 (1-3)), 2977 (97.4%) completed the follow-up. Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) and single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) were administered in 61.0% and 39.0% of patients. Among them, 305 patients (16.8%) received a shorter duration of DAPT, 937 patients (51.7%) received a short duration and 572 patients (31.5%) received a long duration. In the propensity-weighted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, the use of DAPT in the short-duration group was associated with a lower risk of the primary vascular event outcome (HR (HR)=0.66, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.94, p=0.02) compared with SAPT group. The incidence of severe bleeding events at 90 days was similar. Similar findings were obtained from the propensity score-matching analysis. CONCLUSION: Short duration of DAPT (10-21 days) is superior to SAPT in minor stroke within 72 hours, reducing 90-day composite vascular events without increasing bleeding risk.

Non-HDL-C, Symptomatic Intracranial Arterial Stenosis, and Recurrent Vascular Risk in Minor Stroke.

AIM: We aimed to assess the association between non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) and symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis (sICAS), as well as the impact of non-HDL-C on recurrent vascular events in patients with mild ischemic stroke ( NIHSS score ≤ 5). METHODS: This prospective study was based on data from patients presenting within 72 hours of stroke occurrence. We included patients admitted to 8 Chinese hospitals between September 2019 and November 2021. The associations of non-HDL-C with sICAS and recurrent vascular risk were assessed using multivariate regression models and a restricted cubic spline analysis. RESULTS: Among the 2,544 patients analyzed at 12 months, 652 (25.6%) were diagnosed with sICAS. Elevated non-HDL-C was linked to a higher incidence of sICAS, and the adjusted odd ratios for quintile variables and continuous variables were 1.36 ([95% CI, 1.01-1.81]) and 1.14 ([95% CI, 1.04-1.24). In comparison to those in the first quintile, the adjusted hazard ratio of the fifth quintile of non-HDL-C was 1.19 ([95% CI 0.78-1.80]) for recurrent ischemic stroke and was 0.39 ([95% CI, 0.17-0.91]) for intracranialhemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS: The non-HDL-C level may be a useful predictor of sICAS. Higher non-HDL-C levels may be associated with a lower risk of intracranial hemorrhage in mild, noncardiogenic stroke, but not a higher risk of recurrent ischemic stroke.

Specific Monoclonal Antibodies against African Swine Fever Virus Protease pS273R Revealed a Novel and Conserved Antigenic Epitope.

The African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large enveloped DNA virus that causes a highly pathogenic hemorrhagic disease in both domestic pigs and wild boars. The ASFV genome contains a double-stranded DNA encoding more than 150 proteins. The ASFV possesses only one protease, pS273R, which is important for virion assembly and host immune evasion. Therefore, the specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) against pS273R is useful for ASFV research. Here, we generated two specific anti-pS273R mAbs named 2F3 and 3C2, both of which were successfully applied for ELISA, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence assays. Further, we showed that both 2F3 and 3C2 mAbs recognize a new epitope of N terminal 1-25 amino acids of pS273R protein, which is highly conserved across different ASFV strains including all genotype I and II strains. Based on the recognized epitope, an indirect ELISA was established and was effective in detecting antibodies during ASFV infection. To conclude, the specific pS273R mAbs and corresponding epitope identified will strongly promote ASFV serological diagnosis and vaccine research.

MOF-derived scaffolds as electrode materials: a mini-review.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have unique properties but suffer from low conductivity and poor stability, limiting their use in energy storage. Transforming MOFs into other materials, like porous carbon or metal oxides/chalcogenides has been explored to overcome these limitations. However, these approaches still face issues such as dead volume and poor attachment due to insulating binders, causing high resistance and detachment. To address this, MOFs and their derived scaffolds directly on conductive substrates without binders have emerged. These electrodes offer simplified preparation, enhanced electron transfer, and improved interface contact. This mini-review focuses on MOF-derived scaffold electrodes using transition metal oxides, sulfides, selenides, and tellurides, which show promise in energy storage applications. Valuable insights, identified opportunities, and future suggestions in the field of MOF-derived scaffold electrodes and their applications in energy storage applications have been discussed.

Intensive Versus Moderate Statin-Based Therapies in Patients With Mild Ischemic Stroke: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Statins are widely used for treating patients with ischemic stroke at risk of secondary cerebrovascular events. It is unknown whether Asian populations benefit from more intensive statin-based therapy for stroke recurrence. Therefore, in the present study we evaluated the effectiveness and safety of high-dose and moderate-dose statins for patients who had experienced mild ischemic stroke during the acute period. METHODS AND RESULTS: This multicenter prospective study included patients with mild ischemic stroke who presented within 72 hours of symptom onset. The outcomes of patients in the high-intensity and moderate-intensity statin treatment groups were compared, with the main efficacy outcome being stroke recurrence and the primary safety end point being intracranial hemorrhage. The propensity score matching method was employed to control for imbalances in baseline variables. Subgroup analyses were conducted to evaluate group differences. In total, the data of 2950 patients were analyzed at 3 months, and the data of 2764 patients were analyzed at 12 months due to loss to follow-up. According to the multivariable Cox analyses adjusted for potential confounders, stroke recurrence occurred similarly in the high-intensity statin and moderate-intensity statin groups (3 months: adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.12 [95% CI, 0.85-1.49]; P=0.424; 12 months: adjusted HR, 1.08 [95% CI, 0.86-1.34]; P=0.519). High-intensity statin therapy was associated with an increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage (3 months: adjusted HR, 1.81 [95% CI, 1.00-3.25]; P=0.048; 12 months: adjusted HR, 1.86 [95% CI, 1.10-3.16]; P=0.021). The results from the propensity score-matched analyses were consistent with those from the Cox proportional hazards analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with moderate-intensity statin therapy, high-dose statin therapy may not decrease the risk of mild, noncardiogenic ischemic stroke recurrence but may increase the risk of intracranial hemorrhage. REGISTRATION: URL: www.chictr.org.cn/. Unique Identifier: ChiCTR1900025214.

Tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 promotes endothelial cell-mediated suppression of CD8+ T cells through tuning glycolysis in chemoresistance of breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: T cells play a pivotal role in chemotherapy-triggered anti-tumor effects. Emerging evidence underscores the link between impaired anti-tumor immune responses and resistance to paclitaxel therapy in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Tumor-related endothelial cells (ECs) have potential immunoregulatory activity. However, how ECs regulate T cell activity during TNBC chemotherapy remains poorly understood. METHODS: Single-cell analysis of ECs in patients with TNBC receiving paclitaxel therapy was performed using an accessible single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) dataset to identify key EC subtypes and their immune characteristics. An integrated analysis of a tumor-bearing mouse model, immunofluorescence, and a spatial transcriptome dataset revealed the spatial relationship between ECs, especially Tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) 2+ ECs, and CD8+ T cells. RNA sequencing, CD8+ T cell proliferation assays, flow cytometry, and bioinformatic analyses were performed to explore the immunosuppressive function of TNFR2 in ECs. The downstream metabolic mechanism of TNFR2 was further investigated using RNA sequencing, cellular glycolysis assays, and western blotting. RESULTS: In this study, we identified an immunoregulatory EC subtype, characterized by enhanced TNFR2 expression in non-responders. By a mouse model of TNBC, we revealed a dynamic reduction in the proportion of the CD8+ T cell-contacting tumor vessels that could co-localize spatially with CD8+ T cells during chemotherapy and an increased expression of TNFR2 by ECs. TNFR2 suppresses glycolytic activity in ECs by activating NF-κB signaling in vitro. Tuning endothelial glycolysis enhances programmed death-ligand (PD-L) 1-dependent inhibitory capacity, thereby inducing CD8+ T cell suppression. In addition, TNFR2+ ECs showed a greater spatial affinity for exhausted CD8+ T cells than for non-exhausted CD8+ T cells. TNFR2 blockade restores impaired anti-tumor immunity in vivo, leading to the loss of PD-L1 expression by ECs and enhancement of CD8+ T cell infiltration into the tumors. CONCLUSIONS: These findings reveal the suppression of CD8+ T cells by ECs in chemoresistance and indicate the critical role of TNFR2 in driving the immunosuppressive capacity of ECs via tuning glycolysis. Targeting endothelial TNFR2 may serve as a potent strategy for treating TNBC with paclitaxel.

Electrochemical Properties of Mo4VC4Tx MXene in Aqueous Electrolytes.

M5C4Tx MXenes represent the most recently discovered and least studied subfamily of out-of-plane ordered double transition metal carbides with 11 atomic layers, probably the thickest of all 2D materials. Molybdenum (Mo) and vanadium (V) in Mo4VC4Tx offer multiple oxidation states, making this MXene potentially attractive for electrochemical energy storage applications. Herein, we evaluated the electrochemical properties of Mo4VC4Tx free-standing thin films in acidic, basic, and neutral aqueous electrolytes and observed the highest gravimetric capacitance of 219 F g-1 at 2 mV s-1 in a 3 M H2SO4. Further, we investigated the intercalation states of four different cations (H+, Li+, Na+, and K+) in MXenes through ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulation and used density functional theory (DFT) calculations to assess the charge storage mechanisms in different electrolytes. These studies show hydrated Li+, Na+, and K+ ions forming an electric double layer (EDL) at the MXene surface as the primary charge storage mechanism. This work shows the promise of Mo4VC4Tx MXene for energy storage in aqueous electrolytes.

Intrinsic Self-Healable, Corrosion-Resistant Silicone Coating Based on Quadruple Hydrogen-Bonded Supramolecular Polymer.

Corrosion-resistant coatings with self-healing capabilities are still a great challenge for metal protection. In this study, a corrosion-resistant coating with intrinsic self-healing capabilities was developed by compounding hydroxy-terminated silicone oil (HTSO) with 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidone (UPy) derivatives. The smooth surface of the coating was shown by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and good smoothness was also exhibited in the cross-section, which indicated that the coating is very homogeneous from the top to the bottom. Thermogravimetric analysis (TG) was employed to illustrate the temperature-resistant characteristics of the coating, revealing its significant chemical stability up to 360 °C. The corrosion resistance of the coating is assessed through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), the typical impedance at 0.01 Hz is 1.70 × 109 and 2.44 × 108 Ω·cm2 before and after exposure to a 3.5 wt % NaCl solution for 70 days. There was no significant change in the water contact angle of the coatings before and after immersion; however, the adhesion strength was reduced. Notably, the coating demonstrates immediate and multiple self-healing properties. The tensile stress of the associated healing sample experiences an augmentation within the temperature range of 30-120 °C, with the critical fracture strain of the healed sample reaching 235% at 120 °C. The self-healing mechanism of the coating is systematically investigated using in situ Raman spectroscopy.

M4X3 MXenes: Application in Energy Storage Devices.

MXene has garnered widespread recognition in the scientific community due to its remarkable properties, including excellent thermal stability, high conductivity, good hydrophilicity and dispersibility, easy processability, tunable surface properties, and admirable flexibility. MXenes have been categorized into different families based on the number of M and X layers in Mn+1Xn, such as M2X, M3X2, M4X3, and, recently, M5X4. Among these families, M2X and M3X2, particularly Ti3C2, have been greatly explored while limited studies have been given to M5X4 MXene synthesis. Meanwhile, studies on the M4X3 MXene family have developed recently, hence, demanding a compilation of evaluated studies. Herein, this review provides a systematic overview of the latest advancements in M4X3 MXenes, focusing on their properties and applications in energy storage devices. The objective of this review is to provide guidance to researchers on fostering M4X3 MXene-based nanomaterials, not only for energy storage devices but also for broader applications.

A retrospective clinical analysis of 11 cases of PEComa from different sites.

PURPOSE: The objective of this paper is to offer a thorough examination of the clinical presentations, etiology, and treatment strategies associated with perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas). METHODS: This retrospective study examined the comprehensive archival data of PEComa cases diagnosed at Beijing Hospital from 2015 to 2023. The pathology slides of all patients were thoroughly reassessed by two experienced pathologists. A thorough retrospective analysis was undertaken, incorporating clinicopathological data including gender, age at diagnosis, initial clinical manifestations, signs, disease onset site, tumor markers, imaging findings, therapeutic modalities, pathological features, immunohistochemical profiles, treatment responses, and prognostic indicators. Patients were evaluated for disease severity according to established pathological classification criteria and were followed up until the designated analysis cut-off date. In instances where patients were unable to be monitored on-site, they were contacted via telephone for postoperative follow-up inquiries. RESULTS: This study included 11 patients with ages ranging from 17 to 66 years old, presenting with the disease in multiple anatomical sites, including the retroperitoneum (2/11), liver (4/11), kidney (4/11), lung (1/11), and broad ligament of the uterus (1/11). Most patients presented with non-specific clinical symptoms and were subsequently diagnosed with space-occupying lesions upon physical examination. The tumor demonstrated progressive growth and enlargement, which could result in compression of neighboring organs. Preoperative imaging alone is insufficient for a definitive diagnosis of PEComa, but MRI can provide an initial evaluation of the tumor's potential malignancy. Molecular marker testing specific to PEComa, such as HMB-45 (90.0%), SMA (81.8%), Melan-A (90.9%), vimentin (90.9%), and Desmin (36.3%), was conducted on all patients. No adjuvant therapies were administered postoperatively. Upon analysis, no instances of relapse at the primary site or the development of new tumors at other sites were observed. Regular imaging reviews of three patients with malignant PEComa post-surgery showed no evidence of recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical presentation, tumor biomarkers, and imaging characteristics of PEComa lack specificity, necessitating dependence on pathology and immunohistochemistry for precise diagnosis. The mainstay of treatment consists of surgical resection, with patients typically experiencing a favorable prognosis.

Exploring future ecosystem service changes and key contributing factors from a "past-future-action" perspective: A case study of the Yellow River Basin.

Understanding the impacts of climate change and human activities on ecosystem services (ESs) and taking actions to adapt to and mitigate their negative impacts are of great benefit to sustainable regional development. In this paper, we integrate the System Dynamics Model (SD), the Future Land Use Simulation (FLUS) model, the Integrated Valuation and Trade-offs of ESs (InVEST) model, and the Structural Equation Model (SEM). We select three scenarios, SSP1-1.9, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5, from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6) to forecast future changes under these scenarios in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) by 2030. We predict future changes in water yield (WY), carbon storage (CS), soil retention (SR), and habitat quality (HQ) in the YRB. The results show that: (1) Under the SSP1-1.9 scenario, ecological land types such as forests, grasslands, and water bodies are protected and restored to a certain extent; under the SSP2-4.5 scenario, the degree of land spatial development occupies an intermediate state among the three scenarios; and under the SSP5-8.5 scenario, there is an obvious increase in the artificialization of the watershed's land use. (2) Under scenario SSP1-1.9, there is a comprehensive approach to sustainable development that significantly improves all ESs in the watershed, while the SSP5-8.5 and SSP2-4.5 scenarios demonstrate an increase in trade-offs between WY, HQ, and CS, especially in the downstream area. (3) Anthropogenic factors having more significant impacts in the SSP5-8.5 scenario. In this paper, we not only summarize the differences in trade-offs among various ESs but also provide an in-depth analysis of the key factors affecting future ESs, providing new ideas and insights for the sustainable development of ES in the future. In summary, we propose a prioritized development pathway for the future, a reduction of trade-offs between ESs, and an improved capacity to respond to challenges.

V-MXenes for Energy Storage/Conversion Applications.

MXenes, a two-dimensional (2D) material, exhibit excellent optical, electrical, chemical, mechanical, and electrochemical properties. Titanium-based MXene (Ti-MXene) has been extensively studied and serves as the foundation for 2D MXenes. However, other transition metals possess the potential to offer excellent properties in various applications. This comprehensive review aims to provide an overview of the properties, challenges, key findings, and applications of less-explored vanadium-based MXenes (V-MXenes) and their composites. The current trends in V-MXene and their composites for energy storage and conversion applications have been thoroughly summarized. Overall, this review offers valuable insights, identifies potential opportunities, and provides key suggestions for future advancements in the MXenes and energy storage/conversion applications.

Evolution of Metal Tellurides for Energy Storage/Conversion: From Synthesis to Applications.

Metal telluride (MTe)-based nanomaterials have emerged as a potential alternative for efficient, highly conductive, robust, and durable electrodes in energy storage/conversion applications. Significant progress in the material development of MTe-based electrodes is well-sought, from the synthesis of its nanostructures, integration of MTes with supporting materials, synthesis of their hybrid morphologies, and their implications in energy storage/conversion systems. Herein, an extensive exploration of the recent advancements and progress in MTes-based nanomaterials is reviewed. This review emphasizes elucidating the fundamental properties of MTes and providing a systematic compilation of its wet and dry synthesis methods. The applications of MTes are extensively summarized and discussed, particularly, in energy storage and conversion systems including batteries (Li-ion, Zn-ion, Li-S, Na-ion, K-ion), supercapacitor, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and CO2 reduction. The review also emphasizes the future prospects and urgent challenges to be addressed in the development of MTes, providing knowledge for researchers in utilizing MTes in energy storage and conversion technologies.

Tracking Regulatory Mechanism of Trace Fe on Graphene Electromagnetic Wave Absorption.

Polarization and conductance losses are the fundamental dielectric attenuation mechanisms for graphene-based absorbers, but it is not fully understood in revealing the loss mechanism of affect graphene itself. For the first time, the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) based absorbers are developed with regulatory absorption properties and the absorption mechanism of RGO is mainly originated from the carrier injection behavior of trace metal Fe nanosheets on graphene. Accordingly, the minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of Fe/RGO-2 composite reaches - 53.38 dB (2.45 mm), and the effective absorption bandwidth achieves 7.52 GHz (2.62 mm) with lower filling loading of 2 wt%. Using off-axis electron hologram testing combined with simulation calculation and carrier transport property experiments, we demonstrate here the carrier injection behavior from Fe to graphene at the interface and the induced charge accumulation and rearrangement, resulting in the increased interfacial and dipole polarization and the conductance loss. This work has confirmed that regulating the dielectric property of graphene itself by adding trace metals can not only ensure good impedance matching, but also fully exploit the dielectric loss ability of graphene at low filler content, which opens up an efficient way for designing lightweight absorbers and may be extended to other types materials.

Self-assembled dendrimer polyamide nanofilms with enhanced effective pore area for ion separation.

Membrane technology using well-defined pore structure can achieve high ion purity and recovery. However, fine-tuning the inner pore structure of the separation nanofilm to be uniform and enhance the effective pore area is still challenging. Here, we report dendrimers with different peripheral groups that preferentially self-assemble in aqueous-phase amine solution to facilitate the formation of polyamide nanofilms with a well-defined effective pore range and uniform pore structure. The high permeabilities are maintained by forming asymmetric hollow nanostripe nanofilms, and their well-designed ion effective separation pore ranges show an enhancement, rationalized by molecular simulation. The self-assembled dendrimer polyamide membrane provides Cl-/SO42- selectivity more than 17 times that of its pristine polyamide counterparts, increasing from 167.9 to 2883.0. Furthermore, the designed membranes achieve higher Li purity and Li recovery compared to current state-of-the-art membranes. Such an approach provides a scalable strategy to fine-tune subnanometre structures in ion separation nanofilms.

Mo-based MXenes: Synthesis, properties, and applications.

Ti-MXene allows a range of possibilities to tune their compositional stoichiometry due to their electronic and electrochemical properties. Other than conventionally explored Ti-MXene, there have been ample opportunities for the non-Ti-based MXenes, especially the emerging Mo-based MXenes. Mo-MXenes are established to be remarkable with optoelectronic and electrochemical properties, tuned energy, catalysis, and sensing applications. In this timely review, we systematically discuss the various organized synthesis procedures, associated experimental tunning parameters, physiochemical properties, structural evaluation, stability challenges, key findings, and a wide range of applications of emerging Mo-MXene over Ti-MXenes. We also critically examined the precise control of Mo-MXenes to cater to advanced applications by comprehensively evaluating the summary of recent studies using artificial intelligence and machine learning tools. The critical future perspectives, significant challenges, and possible outlooks for successfully developing and using Mo-MXenes for various practical applications are highlighted.

Mesomorphism Modulation of Perfluorinated Janus Triphenylenes by Inhomogeneous Chain Substitution Patterns.

Two isomeric series of compounds with "inverted" chains' substitution patterns, 7,10-dialkoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrafluoro-6,11-dimethoxytriphenylene and 6,11-dialkoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrafluoro-7,10-dimethoxytriphenylene, labelled respectively p-TPFn and m-TPFn, and two non-fluorinated homologous isomers, 3,6-dibutoxy-2,7-dimethoxytriphenylene and 2,7-dibutoxy-3,6-dimethoxytriphenylene, p-TP4 and m-TP4, respectively, were synthesized in three steps and obtained in good yields by the efficient transition-metal-free, fluoroarene nucleophilic substitution via the reaction of appropriate 2,2'-dilithium biphenylenes with either perfluorobenzene, C6 F6 , to yield p-TPFn and m-TPFn, or o-difluorobenzene, C6 H4 F2 , for p-TP4 and m-TP4, respectively. The single-crystal structures of p-TPF4, m-TPF4 and p-TP4, unequivocally confirmed that the cyclization reactions occurred at the expected positions, and that the fluorinated molecules stack up into columns with short separation, a propitious situation for the emergence of columnar mesophases. The mesomorphous properties were found to be greatly affected by both chains' length and positional isomerism: a Colhex phase is found for p-TPF4 and m-TPF4, but mesomorphism vanishes in p-TPF6, and changes for the isomeric homologs m-TPFn, with the induction for n≥6 of a lamello-columnar phase, LamColrec . As expected, both non-fluorinated compounds are deprived of mesomorphism. These compounds emit blue-violet colour in solution, independently of the chains' substitution pattern, and the absolute fluorescence quantum yields can reach up to 46 %. In thin films, fluorescence is slightly redshifted.

Systematic analysis of the codon usage patterns of African swine fever virus genome coding sequences reveals its host adaptation phenotype.

African swine fever (ASF) is a severe haemorrhagic disease caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), transmitted by ticks, resulting in high mortality among domestic pigs and wild boars. The global spread of ASFV poses significant economic threats to the swine industry. This study employs diverse analytical methods to explore ASFV's evolution and host adaptation, focusing on codon usage patterns and associated factors. Utilizing phylogenetic analysis methods including neighbour-joining and maximum-likelihood, 64 ASFV strains were categorized into four clades. Codon usage bias (CUB) is modest in ASFV coding sequences. This research identifies multiple factors - such as nucleotide composition, mutational pressures, natural selection and geographical diversity - contributing to the formation of CUB in ASFV. Analysis of relative synonymous codon usage reveals CUB variations within clades and among ASFVs and their hosts. Both Codon Adaptation Index and Similarity Index analyses confirm that ASFV strains are highly adapted to soft ticks (Ornithodoros moubata) but less so to domestic pigs, which could be a result of the long-term co-evolution of ASFV with ticks. This study sheds light on the factors influencing ASFV's codon usage and fitness dynamics, enriching our understanding of its evolution, adaptation and host interactions.