Exploring the causal relationship between body mass index and keratoconus: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Despite reports suggesting a link between obesity and keratoconus, the causal relationship is not fully understood. Methods: We used genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from public databases for a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis to investigate the causal link between body mass index (BMI) and keratoconus. The primary method was inverse variance weighted (IVW), complemented by different analytical techniques and sensitivity analyses to ensure result robustness. A meta-analysis was also performed to bolster the findings' reliability. Results: Our study identified a significant causal relationship between BMI and keratoconus. Out of 20 Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses conducted, 9 showed heterogeneity or pleiotropy. Among the 11 analyses that met all three MR assumptions, 4 demonstrated a significant causal difference between BMI and keratoconus, while the remaining 7 showed a positive trend but were not statistically significant. Meta-analysis confirmed a significant causal relationship between BMI and keratoconus. Conclusion: There is a significant causal relationship between BMI and keratoconus, suggesting that obesity may be a risk factor for keratoconus.

Unravelling sorghum functional genomics and molecular breeding: past achievements and future prospects.

Sorghum, renowned for its substantial biomass production and remarkable tolerance to various stresses, possesses extensive gene resources and phenotypic variations. A comprehensive understanding of the genetic basis underlying complex agronomic traits is essential for unlocking the potential of sorghum in addressing food and feed security and utilizing marginal lands. In this context, we provide an overview of the major trends in genomic resource studies focusing on key agronomic traits over the past decade, accompanied by a summary of functional genomic platforms. We also delve into the molecular functions and regulatory networks of impactful genes for important agricultural traits. Lastly, we discuss and synthesize the current challenges and prospects for advancing molecular design breeding by gene-editing and polymerization of the excellent alleles, with the aim of accelerating the development of desired sorghum varieties.

Argonaute 2 restored erectile function and corpus cavernosum mitochondrial function by reducing apoptosis in a mouse model of cavernous nerve injury.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the overexpression of the Argonaute RNA-induced silencing complex catalytic component 2 (Ago2) improves erectile function in mice after cavernous nerve injury (CNI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Lentiviruses containing Ago2 open reading frame (ORF) mouse clone (Ago2 O/E) were used to overexpress Ago2, and lentiviruses ORF negative control particles (NC) were used as a negative control. Three days before preparing the CNI model, we injected lentiviruses into the penises of 8-week-old male C57BL/6 mice. Animals were then divided into four groups: the sham operation control group and the CNI+phosphate-buffered saline, CNI+NC, and CNI+Ago2 O/E groups. One week later, erectile function was assessed by electrically stimulating cavernous nerves bilaterally and obtaining intracavernous pressure parameters. Penile tissue was also collected for molecular mechanism studies. RESULTS: Ago2 overexpression improved erectile function in mice after CNI-induced erectile dysfunction (ED). Immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis showed that under Ago2 overexpressing conditions, the contents of endothelial cells, pericytes, and neuronal cells increased in the penile tissues of CNI mice, and this was attributed to reduced apoptosis and ROS production. In addition, we also found that Ago2 overexpression could restore penile mitochondrial function, thereby improving erectile function in CNI-induced ED mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that Ago2 overexpression can reduce penile cell apoptosis, restore penile mitochondrial function, and improve erectile function in CNI-induced ED mice.

Multicenter Validation of lncRNA and Target mRNA Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers of Acute Ischemic Stroke From Peripheral Blood Leukocytes.

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and mRNA profiles in leukocytes have shown potential as biomarkers for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This study aimed to identify altered lncRNA and target mRNA profiles in peripheral blood leukocytes as biomarkers and to assess the diagnostic value and association with AIS prognosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) and differentially expressed target mRNAs (DEmRNAs) were screened by RNA sequencing in the discovery set, which consisted of 10 patients with AIS and 20 controls. Validation sets consisted of a multicenter (311 AIS versus 303 controls) and a nested case-control study (351 AIS versus 352 controls). The discriminative value of DElncRNAs and DEmRNAs added to the traditional risk factors was estimated with the area under the curve. NAMPT-AS, FARP1-AS1, FTH1, and NAMPT were identified in the multicenter case-control study (P<0.05). LncRNA NAMPT-AS was associated with cis-target mRNA NAMPT and trans-target mRNA FTH1 in all validation sets (P<0.001). Similarly, AIS cases exhibited upregulated lncRNA FARP-AS1 and FTH1 expression (P<0.001) in the nested case-control study (P<0.001). Furthermore, lncRNA FARP1-AS1 expression was upregulated in AIS patients at discharge with an unfavorable outcome (P<0.001). Positive correlations were found between NAMPT expression level and NIHSS scores of AIS patients (P<0.05). Adding 2 lncRNAs and 2 target mRNAs to the traditional risk factor model improved area under the curve by 22.8% and 5.2% in the multicenter and the nested case-control studies, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: lncRNA NAMPT-AS and FARP1-AS1 have potential as diagnostic biomarkers for AIS and exhibit good performance when combined with target mRNA NAMPT and FTH1.

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor improves erectile function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

BACKGROUND: Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) serves as a pro-angiogenic factor; however, there is to our knowledge currently no reported research on the relationship between HB-EGF and diabetic erectile dysfunction (ED). AIM: In this study we aimed to determine whether HB-EGF can improve the erectile function of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice and to explore the related mechanisms. METHODS: Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were used for diabetes induction. Diabetes mellitus (DM) was induced by low-dose injections of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg) for 5 consecutive days. Eight weeks after streptozotocin injections, DM was determined by measuring blood glucose and body weight. Diabetic mice were treated with two intracavernous administrations of phosphate-buffered saline (20 µL) or various doses of HB-EGF (days -3 and 0; 1, 5, and 10 µg in 20 µL of phosphate-buffered saline). The angiogenesis effect of HB-EGF was confirmed by tube formation and migration assays in mouse cavernous endothelial cells and mouse cavernous pericytes under high-glucose conditions. Erectile function was measured by electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerve, as well as histological examination and Western blot analysis for mechanism assessment. OUTCOMES: In vitro angiogenesis, cell proliferation, in vivo intracavernous pressure, neurovascular regeneration, cavernous permeability, and survival signaling were the outcomes measured. RESULTS: Expression of HB-EGF was reduced under diabetic conditions. Exogenous HB-EGF induced angiogenesis in mouse cavernous endothelial cells and mouse cavernous pericytes under high-glucose conditions. Erectile function was decreased in the DM group, whereas administration of HB-EGF resulted in a significant improvement of erectile function (91% of the age-matched control group) in association with increased neurovascular content, including cavernous endothelial cells, pericytes, and neuronal cells. Histological and Western blot analyses revealed a significant increase in the permeability of the corpus cavernosum in DM mice, which was attenuated by HB-EGF treatment. The protein expression of phospho-Akt Ser473 and phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase Ser1177 increased after HB-EGF treatment. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The use of HB-EGF may be an effective strategy to treat ED associated with DM or other neurovascular diseases. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: Similarly to other pro-angiogenic factors, HB-EGF has dual roles in vascular and neuronal development. Our study focused on broadly evaluating the role of HB-EGF in diabetic ED. In view of the properties of HB-EGF as an angiogenic factor, its dose concentration should be strictly controlled to avoid potential side effects. CONCLUSION: In the diabetic ED mouse model in this study erectile function was improved by HB-EGF, which may provide new treatment strategies for patients with ED who do not respond to phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors.

Enhancing sorption kinetics by oriented and single crystalline array-structured ZSM-5 film on monoliths.

To enhance the reaction kinetics without sacrificing activity in porous materials, one potential solution is to utilize the anisotropic distribution of pores and channels besides enriching active centers at the reactive surfaces. Herein, by designing a unique distribution of oriented pores and single crystalline array structures in the presence of abundant acid sites as demonstrated in the ZSM-5 nanorod arrays grown on monoliths, both enhanced dynamics and improved capacity are exhibited simultaneously in propene capture at low temperature within a short duration. Meanwhile, the ZSM-5 array also helps mitigate the long-chain HCs and coking formation due to the enhanced diffusion of reactants in and reaction products out of the array structures. Further integrating the ZSM-5 array with Co3O4 nanoarray enables comprehensive propene removal throughout a wider temperature range. The array structured film design could offer energy-efficient solutions to overcome both sorption and reaction kinetic restrictions in various solid porous materials for various energy and chemical transformation applications.

Does a high peritoneal cancer index lead to a worse prognosis of patients with advanced ovarian cancer?: a systematic review and meta-analysis based on the latest evidence.

Background: The newest clinical evidence that the relationship between the peritoneal cancer index (PCI) and the postoperative prognosis of advanced ovarian cancer patients remains controversial, and there are no large-sample and multicenter studies to clarify this matter. Therefore, in this paper, we used meta-analysis to systematically assess the postoperative prognostic value of PCI in subjects with advanced ovarian cancer to provide individualized treatment plans and thus improve the prognosis of patients. Methods: Literature on the correlation between PCI and the postoperative prognosis in subjects with advanced OC undergoing cytoreductive surgery (CRS) was searched in the Cochrane Library, Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science from the database inception to April 20, 2023. The search was updated on February 28, 2024. We only included late-stage (FIGO stage: III-IV) patients who did not undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) or hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Afterwards, literature screening and data extraction were conducted using Endnote20 software. The literature quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Lastly, statistical analysis was performed with STATA 15.0 software. Results: Five studies with 774 patients were included. The result indicated that patients with high PCI had a worse prognosis than those with low PCI. The combined hazard ratio was 2.79 [95%CI: (2.04, 3.82), p<0.001] for overall survival (OS) in patients with high PCI. Further subgroup analysis by the FIGO staging revealed that in stage III [HR: 2.61, 95%CI: (2.00, 3.40), p<0.001] and stage III-IV patients [HR: 2.69, 95%CI: (1.66, 4.36), p<0.001], a high PCI score was significantly associated with a worse prognosis. The PCI score had a greater impact on the OS of patients with higher stages. The combined hazard ratio was 1.89 [95%CI: (1.51, 2.36), p<0.001] for progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with high PCI. Conclusion: PCI may be used as a postoperative prognosis indicator in patients with advanced OC on primary debulking surgery. High PCI indicates a worse prognosis. However, further research is warranted to confirm these findings. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42023424010.

A literature review on signaling pathways of cervical cancer cell death-apoptosis induced by Traditional Chinese Medicine.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cervical cancer (CC) is a potentially lethal disorder that can have serious consequences for a woman's health. Because early symptoms are typically only present in the middle to late stages of the disease, clinical diagnosis and treatment can be challenging. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been shown to have unique benefits in terms of alleviating cancer clinical symptoms, lowering the risk of recurrence after surgery, and reducing toxic side effects and medication resistance after radiation therapy. It has also been shown to improve the quality of life for patients. Because of its improved anti-tumor effectiveness and biosafety, it could be considered an alternative therapy option. This study examines how TCM causes apoptosis in CC cells via signal transduction, including the active components and medicinal tonics. It also intends to provide a reliable clinical basis and protocol selection for the TCM therapy of CC. METHODS: The following search terms were employed in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, and other scientific databases to retrieve pertinent literature on "cervical cancer," "apoptosis," "signaling pathway," "traditional Chinese medicine," "herbal monomers," "herbal components," "herbal extracts," and "herbal formulas." RESULTS: It has been demonstrated that herbal medicines can induce apoptosis in cells of the cervix, a type of cancer, by influencing the signaling pathways involved. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive literature search was conducted, and 148 papers from the period between January 2017 and December 2023 were identified as eligible for inclusion. After a meticulous process of screening, elimination and summary, generalization, and analysis, it was found that TCM can regulate multiple intracellular signaling pathways and related molecular targets, such as STAT3, PI3K/AKT, Wnt/ß-catenin, MAPK, NF-κB, p53, HIF-1α, Fas/FasL and so forth. This regulatory capacity was observed to induce apoptosis in cervical cancer cells. The study of the mechanism of TCM against cervical cancer and the screening of new drug targets is of great significance for future research in this field. The results of this study will provide ideas and references for the future development of Chinese medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer.

Coordination of water use strategies and leaf economic traits in coexisting exotic and native woody species from evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forests.

The leaf economics spectrum (LES) describes the covariation of traits relevant for carbon and nutrient economy in different plant species. However, much less is known about the correlation of LES with leaf water economy, not only because some woody species do not follow the rules, but also because they are rarely tested on the widespread, non-native, fast-growing trees. We hypothesized that fast-growing exotic species that spread on the fast side of the LES coordinate their water-use strategies (WUS) to maintain rapid growth, and that the pattern of coordination differs between evergreen and deciduous forests. Using 4 exotic and 4 native species from evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forests in China, we measured 17 traits of LES and WUS and analyzed their functional roles in different species groups. Our results suggest that LES plays a more important role in the coexistence of species within a community, while WUS contributes more to the distribution of species across different regions. The multidimensional coordination of LES and WUS could better explain the growth and distribution of different plant species and shed light on the coexistence of species from different forest types, especially fast-growing woody exotics.

Broad-band-enhanced plasmonic random laser in silver nanostar arrays.

As a novel optical device, the plasmonic random laser has unique working principle and emission characteristics. However, the simultaneous enhancement of absorption and emission by plasmons is still a problem. In this paper, we propose a broad-band-enhanced plasmonic random laser. Two-dimensional silver (Ag) nanostar arrays were prepared using a bottom-up method with the assistance of self-assembled nanosphere templates. The plasmon resonance of Ag nanostars contributes to the pump light absorption and photoluminescence (PL) of RhB. Coherent random lasing was achieved in RhB@PVA film based on localized surface plasmon resonance (SPR) dual enhancement and scattering feedback of Ag nanostars. Ag nanostars prepared with different nanosphere diameters affect the laser emission wavelength. In addition, the random laser device achieves wavelength tunability on a flexible substrate under mechanical external force.

Patterns and processes underlying understory songbird communities in southern China.

Understory bird communities, especially those comprising insectivores, are highly sensitive to forest loss and fragmentation. Currently, there is little knowledge regarding the large-scale diversity patterns of understory bird communities, particularly in Eastern Asia. Consequently, we aimed to identify the distribution patterns of understory birds in southern China and the factors underlying these patterns. We analysed the diversity distribution patterns of taxonomic and functional α and ß diversity for understory Passeriformes birds in southern China utilising cluster and ordination analyses. Subsequently, we analysed the effects of geographic distance, annual mean temperature, annual temperature range, annual mean precipitation, and annual precipitation range on diversity distribution patterns. In total, 9282 individuals belonging to 11 orders, 48 families, and 297 species were captured over 98,544 net hours, with Alcippeidae being the most abundant family in southern China. The understory bird communities of the 25 sites were categorised into six sub-regions of the Oriental Realm (Indo-Malayan Realm). The pattern in the distribution of taxonomic and functional ß-diversity of understory birds in southern China was consistent with zoogeographical regionalisation. Three distinct geographical groups were identified: Group 1 was located in the Min-Guang Coast and Hainan sub-regions; Group 2 was located in the East Hilly Plain, Southwest Mountains, and Western Mountains and Plateaus sub-regions; and Group 3 was located in the Southern Yunnan Mountain subregion. The most critical factors related to the distribution patterns of ß-diversity were geographical distance, annual mean temperature, and annual temperature range. Our results showed that the understory bird communities of the Southwest Mountain, East Hilly Plain, and Western Mountains, and Plateaus sub-regions were similar, as were those of the Min-Guang Coast and Hainan sub-regions. Our results underscore the joint roles of distance, temperature, and historical evolution in understory bird communities.

Exploring the role of Chinese herbal medicine in the long-term management of postoperative ovarian endometriotic cysts: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Ovarian endometriotic cysts (OEC) represent the primary manifestation of endometriosis, constituting a hormonally dependent inflammatory disorder in gynecology. It significantly affects the quality of life and reproductive health of women. It is worth noting that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), especially Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), has been widely applied in mainland China due to its unique therapeutic system and commendable clinical efficacy, bringing new hope for preventing and managing OEC. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CHM in the management of postoperative OEC. Simultaneously, it seeks to explore the medication laws, therapeutic principles, and specific treatment mechanisms of CHM. Methods: Eight electronic databases were searched from their inception to 01 November 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the therapeutic effects and safety of CHM for postoperative OEC were included. The risk of bias for each trial was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool. The certainty of the evidence was evaluated using the GRADE profiler 3.2. Additionally, we extracted formulation from the included studies, conducting a thorough analysis. Results: (ⅰ) Twenty-two RCTs involving 1938 patients were included. In terms of the primary efficacy outcome, the CHM group demonstrated a potentially lower recurrence rate compared to both control (odds ratio (OR) = 0.25; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.10-0.64) and conventional western medicine (CWM) (OR = 0.26; 95% CI: 0.11-0.65) groups. Furthermore, the joint application of CHM and CWM resulted in a significant reduction in the recurrence rate (OR = 0.26; 95% CI: 0.17-0.40). (ⅱ) Regarding secondary efficacy outcomes, (a) Total clinical efficacy rate: CHM showcased an augmentation in clinical effectiveness compared to both the control (OR = 4.23; 95% CI: 1.12-15.99) and CWM (OR = 2.94; 95% CI: 1.34-6.43) groups. The combined administration of CHM and CWM substantially enhanced overall clinical effectiveness (OR = 3.44; 95% CI: 2.37-5.00). (b) VAS Score: CHM exhibited the capacity to diminish the VAS score in comparison to surgery alone (Mean difference (MD) = -0.86; 95% CI: -1.01 to -0.71). Nevertheless, no substantial advantage was observed compared to CWM alone (MD = -0.16; 95% CI: -0.49 to 0.17). The integration of CHM with CWM effectively ameliorated pain symptoms (MD = -0.87; 95% CI: -1.10 to -0.65). (c) Serum Level of Cancer antigen 125 (CA125): the CHM group potentially exhibited lower CA125 levels in comparison to CWM alone (MD = -11.08; 95% CI: -21.75 to -0.42). The combined intervention of CHM and CWM significantly decreased CA125 levels (MD = -5.31; 95% CI: -7.27 to -3.36). (d) Pregnancy Rate: CHM exhibited superiority in enhancing the pregnancy rate compared to surgery (OR = 3.95; 95% CI: 1.60-9.74) or CWM alone (OR = 3.31; 95% CI: 1.40-7.83). The combined utilization of CHM and CWM demonstrated the potential to enhance pregnancy rates compared to CWM (OR = 2.99; 95% CI: 1.28-6.98). Concerning safety outcome indicators, CHM effectively decreased the overall incidence of adverse events and, to a certain extent, alleviated perimenopausal symptoms as well as liver function impairment. (ⅲ) Most of CHMs were originated from classical Chinese herbal formulas. Prunus persica (L.) Batsch (Taoren), Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Danggui), Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen), Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (Chishao), and Corydalis yanhusuo W.T.Wang (Yanhusuo) were most frequently used CHM. Conclusion: CHM may be a viable choice in the long-term management of postoperative OEC, with the potential to enhance clinical efficacy while decreasing recurrence and adverse effects.

Maize auxin response factor ZmARF1 confers multiple abiotic stresses resistances in transgenic Arabidopsis.

Prolonged exposure to abiotic stresses causes oxidative stress, which affects plant development and survival. In this research, the overexpression of ZmARF1 improved tolerance to low Pi, drought and salinity stresses. The transgenic plants manifested tolerance to low Pi by their superior root phenotypic traits: root length, root tips, root surface area, and root volume, compared to wide-type (WT) plants. Moreover, the transgenic plants exhibited higher root and leaf Pi content and upregulated the high affinity Pi transporters PHT1;2 and phosphorus starvation inducing (PSI) genes PHO2 and PHR1 under low Pi conditions. Transgenic Arabidopsis displayed tolerance to drought and salt stress by maintaining higher chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence, lower water loss rates, and ion leakage, which contributed to the survival of overexpression lines compared to the WT. Transcriptome profiling identified a peroxidase gene, POX, whose transcript was upregulated by these abiotic stresses. Furthermore, we confirmed that ZmARF1 bound to the auxin response element (AuxRE) in the promoter of POX and enhanced its transcription to mediate tolerance to oxidative stress imposed by low Pi, drought and salt stress in the transgenic seedlings. These results demonstrate that ZmARF1 has significant potential for improving the tolerance of crops to multiple abiotic stresses.

Semaglutide ameliorates cardiac remodeling in male mice by optimizing energy substrate utilization through the Creb5/NR4a1 axis.

Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, is clinically used as a glucose-lowering and weight loss medication due to its effects on energy metabolism. In heart failure, energy production is impaired due to altered mitochondrial function and increased glycolysis. However, the impact of semaglutide on cardiomyocyte metabolism under pressure overload remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that semaglutide improves cardiac function and reduces hypertrophy and fibrosis in a mouse model of pressure overload-induced heart failure. Semaglutide preserves mitochondrial structure and function under chronic stress. Metabolomics reveals that semaglutide reduces mitochondrial damage, lipid accumulation, and ATP deficiency by promoting pyruvate entry into the tricarboxylic acid cycle and increasing fatty acid oxidation. Transcriptional analysis shows that semaglutide regulates myocardial energy metabolism through the Creb5/NR4a1 axis in the PI3K/AKT pathway, reducing NR4a1 expression and its translocation to mitochondria. NR4a1 knockdown ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction and abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism in the heart. These findings suggest that semaglutide may be a therapeutic agent for improving cardiac remodeling by modulating energy metabolism.

Autistic adults in China and the Netherlands: Proxy-reported community integration and life satisfaction.

LAY ABSTRACT: Even though there are about 10 million Chinese autistic individuals, we know little about autistic adults in China. This study examined how well young autistic adults in China integrate into their communities (such as having a job, living independently and having friends) and how satisfied they are with their lives as reported by their caregivers. We compared them to autistic adults with similar characteristics (such as high support needs) from the Netherlands. We included 99 autistic adults in China and 109 in the Netherlands (18-30 years). In both countries, autistic adults were reported to have a hard time fitting into their communities. They often had no work, did not live on their own and had few close friends. Also, in both countries, caregivers reported that autistic adults felt low satisfaction with their life. Chinese adults were less satisfied with their life than Dutch adults, as indicated by their caregivers. This could be because of a lack of support for autistic adults in China, higher parental stress in Chinese caregivers, or general cross-country differences in happiness. Only in the Dutch group, younger compared with older adults fitted better into their communities, and adults without additional psychiatric conditions were reported to have higher life satisfaction. Country was a significant predictor of independent living only, with Dutch participants more likely living in care facilities than Chinese participants. In conclusion, our study shows that autistic adults with high support needs generally face similar challenges in both China and the Netherlands.

Amorphous Iridium Oxide-Integrated Anode Electrodes with Ultrahigh Material Utilization for Hydrogen Production at Industrial Current Densities.

Herein, ionomer-free amorphous iridium oxide (IrOx) thin electrodes are first developed as highly active anodes for proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells (PEMECs) via low-cost, environmentally friendly, and easily scalable electrodeposition at room temperature. Combined with a Nafion 117 membrane, the IrOx-integrated electrode with an ultralow loading of 0.075 mg cm-2 delivers a high cell efficiency of about 90%, achieving more than 96% catalyst savings and 42-fold higher catalyst utilization compared to commercial catalyst-coated membrane (2 mg cm-2). Additionally, the IrOx electrode demonstrates superior performance, higher catalyst utilization and significantly simplified fabrication with easy scalability compared with the most previously reported anodes. Notably, the remarkable performance could be mainly due to the amorphous phase property, sufficient Ir3+ content, and rich surface hydroxide groups in catalysts. Overall, due to the high activity, high cell efficiency, an economical, greatly simplified and easily scalable fabrication process, and ultrahigh material utilization, the IrOx electrode shows great potential to be applied in industry and accelerates the commercialization of PEMECs and renewable energy evolution.

Association between severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and major adverse cardiovascular events in patients assessed by coronary computed tomography angiography.

BACKGROUND: The effect of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) can be influenced by the degree of coronary artery stenosis. However, the association between the severity of NAFLD and MACEs in patients who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is unclear. METHODS: A total of 341 NAFLD patients who underwent CCTA were enrolled. The severity of NAFLD was divided into mild NAFLD and moderate-severe NAFLD by abdominal CT results. The degree of coronary artery stenosis was evaluated by using Coronary Artery Disease Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS) category. Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to assess poor prognosis. RESULTS: During the follow-up period, 45 of 341 NAFLD patients (13.20%) who underwent CCTA occurred MACEs. The severity of NAFLD (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.95[1.54-5.66]; p = 0.001) and CAD-RADS categories 3-5 (HR = 16.31[6.34-41.92]; p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for MACEs. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that moderate to severe NAFLD patients had a worsen prognosis than mild NAFLD patients (log-rank p < 0.001). Moreover, the combined receiver operating characteristic curve of the severity of NAFLD and CAD-RADS category showed a good predicting performance for the risk of MACEs, with an area under the curve of 0.849 (95% CI = 0.786-0.911). CONCLUSION: The severity of NAFLD was independent risk factor for MACEs in patients with obstructive CAD, having CAD-RADS 3-5 categories on CCTA.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum surface-displayed VP6 (PoRV) protein can prevent PoRV infection in piglets.

Porcine rotavirus (PoRV) poses a threat to the development of animal husbandry and human health, leading to substantial economic losses. VP6 protein is the most abundant component in virus particles and also the core structural protein of the virus. Firstly, this study developed an antibiotic-resistance-free, environmentally friendly expression vector, named asd-araC-PBAD-alr (AAPA). Then Recombinant Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) strains induced by arabinose to express VP6 and VP6-pFc fusion proteins was constructed. Subsequently, This paper discovered that NC8/Δalr-pCXa-VP6-S and NC8/Δalr-pCXa-VP6-pFc-S could enhance host immunity and prevent rotavirus infection in neonatal mice and piglets. The novel recombinant L. plantarum strains constructed in this study can serve as oral vaccines to boost host immunity, offering a new strategy to prevent PoRV infection.

Your blush gives you away: detecting hidden mental states with remote photoplethysmography and thermal imaging.

Multimodal emotion recognition techniques are increasingly essential for assessing mental states. Image-based methods, however, tend to focus predominantly on overt visual cues and often overlook subtler mental state changes. Psychophysiological research has demonstrated that heart rate (HR) and skin temperature are effective in detecting autonomic nervous system (ANS) activities, thereby revealing these subtle changes. However, traditional HR tools are generally more costly and less portable, while skin temperature analysis usually necessitates extensive manual processing. Advances in remote photoplethysmography (r-PPG) and automatic thermal region of interest (ROI) detection algorithms have been developed to address these issues, yet their accuracy in practical applications remains limited. This study aims to bridge this gap by integrating r-PPG with thermal imaging to enhance prediction performance. Ninety participants completed a 20-min questionnaire to induce cognitive stress, followed by watching a film aimed at eliciting moral elevation. The results demonstrate that the combination of r-PPG and thermal imaging effectively detects emotional shifts. Using r-PPG alone, the prediction accuracy was 77% for cognitive stress and 61% for moral elevation, as determined by a support vector machine (SVM). Thermal imaging alone achieved 79% accuracy for cognitive stress and 78% for moral elevation, utilizing a random forest (RF) algorithm. An early fusion strategy of these modalities significantly improved accuracies, achieving 87% for cognitive stress and 83% for moral elevation using RF. Further analysis, which utilized statistical metrics and explainable machine learning methods including SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), highlighted key features and clarified the relationship between cardiac responses and facial temperature variations. Notably, it was observed that cardiovascular features derived from r-PPG models had a more pronounced influence in data fusion, despite thermal imaging's higher predictive accuracy in unimodal analysis.