Upregulation of TCPTP in Macrophages Is Involved in IL-35 Mediated Attenuation of Experimental Colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic intestinal inflammatory disease with complex etiology. Interleukin-35 (IL-35), as a cytokine with immunomodulatory function, has been shown to have therapeutic effects on UC, but its mechanism is not yet clear. Therefore, we constructed Pichia pastoris stably expressing IL-35 which enables the cytokines to reach the diseased mucosa, and explored whether upregulation of T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TCPTP) in macrophages is involved in the mechanisms of IL-35-mediated attenuation of UC. After the successful construction of engineered bacteria expressing IL-35, a colitis model was successfully induced by giving BALB/c mice a solution containing 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Mice were treated with Pichia/IL-35, empty plasmid-transformed Pichia (Pichia/0), or PBS by gavage, respectively. The expression of TCPTP in macrophages (RAW264.7, BMDMs) and intestinal tissues after IL-35 treatment was detected. After administration of Pichia/IL-35, the mice showed significant improvement in weight loss, bloody stools, and shortened colon. Colon pathology also showed that the inflammatory condition of mice in the Pichia/IL-35 treatment group was alleviated. Notably, Pichia/IL-35 treatment not only increases local M2 macrophages but also decreases the expression of inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in the colon. With Pichia/IL-35 treatment, the proportion of M1 macrophages, Th17, and Th1 cells in mouse MLNs were markedly decreased, while Tregs were significantly increased. In vitro experiments, IL-35 significantly promoted the expression of TCPTP in macrophages stimulated with LPS. Similarly, the mice in the Pichia/IL-35 group also expressed more TCPTP than that of the untreated group and the Pichia/0 group.

Infants' cortisol reactivity and infant-mother cortisol synchrony in urban Chinese families: The role of maternal control strategy.

Maternal control strategy refers to a mother's practices used to impel, inhibit, guide, or shape their children's behaviors during mother-child interaction. The present study examined control strategies used by Chinese urban mothers and how they associated with infants' cortisol trajectory and infant-mother cortisol synchrony during a separation task. Participants were 115 infant-mother dyads. Maternal control strategy was assessed during mother-infant free-play when the infants were 6 months (T1) and 1 year (T2) old. Salivary cortisol samples were collected from both infants and mothers during a stress-inducing task at T2. The results indicated that mothers most frequently adopted the moderate power control strategy, at both T1 and T2. T1 maternal low control strategy significantly predicted infants' cortisol response curve, namely infants of mothers who predominantly adopted a low power control strategy had a more dynamic reactivity and recovery in their cortisol response to the separation task. Positive cortisol synchrony was observed between mothers and infants during the separation stress condition. In addition, T2 maternal high power control strategy accounted for inter-individual variations in infant-mother cortisol synchrony, such that mothers who predominantly adopted a high power control strategy exhibited a heightened level of cortisol synchrony with their infants. Our findings suggest that targeted training in maternal control strategies could help mothers calibrate their infants' adrenocortical regulation.

A pharmacovigilance study of chronic kidney disease in diabetes mellitus patients with statin treatment by using the US Food and Drug Administration adverse event reporting system.

Background: Statins were regarded as a main medication for managing hypercholesterolemia. Administration of statin therapy could reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease in individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), which was recognized by multipal clinical guidelines. But previous studies had conflicting results on whether the long-term use of statins could benefit the renal function in diabetic patients. Aim: To evaluate the association between statin treatment and Chronic Kidney Disease in DM patients. Methods: This is a retrospective disproportionality analysis and cohort study based on real-world data. All DM cases reported in US Food and Drug Administration adverse event reporting system (FAERS) between the first quarter of 2004 and the fourth quarter of 2022 were included. Disproportionality analyses were conducted by estimating the reporting odds ratio (ROR) and the information component (IC). We further compared the CKD odds ratio (OR) between the statins group and the other primary suspected drug group among the included diabetes mellitus cases. Results: We finally included 593647 DM cases from FAERS, 5113 (5.31%) CKD cases in the statins group and 8810 (1.77%) CKD cases in the control group. Data analysis showed that the statins group showed a significant CKD signal (ROR: 3.11, 95% CI: 3.00-3.22; IC: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.07-1.29). In case group with two or more statins treatment history, the CKD signal was even stronger (ROR: 19.56, 95% CI: 18.10-21.13; IC: 3.70, 95% CI:3.44-3.93) compared with cases with one statin treatment history. Conclusion: The impact of statin therapy on the progression of renal disease in individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) remains inconclusive. After data mining on the current FAERS dataset, we discovered significant signals between statin treatment and CKD in diabetic patients. Furthermore, the incidence rate of CKD was higher among DM patients who used statins compared to those who did not.

Cu2(OH)3NO3/γ-Al2O3 catalyzes Fenton-like oxidation for the advanced treatment of effluent organic matter (EfOM) in fermentation pharmaceutical wastewater: The synergy of Cu2(OH)3NO3 and γ-Al2O3.

The secondary effluent of fermentation pharmaceutical wastewater exhibits high chromaticity, elevated salinity, and abundant refractory effluent organic matter (EfOM), presenting significant treatment challenges and environmental threats. Herein, Cu2(OH)3NO3/γ-Al2O3 was fabricated through ultrasound-assisted impregnation and calcination to catalyze the Fenton-like oxidation for degrading organic pollutants in this secondary effluent. Under neutral conditions, with 400.00 mg/L H2O2, 8 g/L catalyst, and at 30 ℃, the EfOM and CODCr removal efficiencies can reach 96.90 % and 51.56 %, respectively. The Cu2(OH)3NO3/γ-Al2O3 catalyst possesses ideal reusability, maintaining CODCr, chromaticity, and EfOM removal efficiencies at 44.44 %-64.59 %, 85.45 %-93.45 %, and 61.00 %-95.00 % over 220 h in a continuous-flow catalytic oxidation system operated at room temperatures (15-25 ℃). Electron paramagnetic resonance results and density functional theory calculations indicate that •OOH may be the predominant reactive oxygen species, facilitated by the easier elongation of the OH bond in H2O2 compared to the OO bond. The adjusted electronic structure endows Cu2(OH)3NO3/γ-Al2O3 composite sites with superior catalytic selectivity for H2O2 activation compared to Cu2(OH)3NO3 single crystal sites, with γ-Al2O3 additionally facilitating H2O2 activation through electron donation. This research highlights the efficacy of Cu2(OH)3NO3/γ-Al2O3 in the advanced treatment of complex industrial wastewater, elucidating its catalytic mechanisms and potential applications.

Glucose metabolism disorder related to follicular fluid exosomal miR-122-5p in cumulus cells of endometriosis patients.

MiR-122-5p, high expression in follicular fluid exosomes of patients with endometriosis, impairs the glucose metabolism function of cumulus cells and may further impair oocyte quality. Endometriosis (EMs) affects fertility in women of childbearing age in many ways. However, the mechanisms are complex, including the decrease in oocyte quality, which still needs to be studied. Exosomes, small vesicles responsible for intercellular information exchange, have been found to be involved in many biological events, such as follicle development and oocyte meiosis recovery. From the perspective of follicular fluid exosomes, this study aims to elucidate the mechanism of EMs-related oocyte quality decline. Follicular fluid was collected from three groups of women: the untreated EMs group (EMs_UT), the satisfactorily treated EMs group (EMs_ST) and the control group (Ctrl). Mouse cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were cocultured with exosomes extracted from follicular fluid during in vitro maturation. Oocyte quality and cumulus cell function were assessed. High-throughput sequencing of miRNA in exosomes was conducted. The function of differentially expressed miRNAs was studied by using SVOG cells (human ovarian granulosa cell line) transfected with miRNA mimic and inhibitor. Our date suggest that follicular fluid exosomes from patients with untreated EMs reduce the maturation rate and damage the quality of mouse oocytes. MiR-122-5p, overexpressed in untreated EMs, inhibits the translation of key aldolase enzymes related to glucose metabolism and partially impairs cumulus cells of endometriosis patients.

An Immunochromatographic Test Strip for Rapid Quantitative Control of Monoclonal Antibodies against Programmed Cell Death Protein 1.

Cancer is one of the major public health challenges in the world, which is characterized by rapid progression and high mortality. Immunotherapy, represented by PD-1 monoclonal antibody, has significantly improved the efficacy of malignant tumors and has become one of the most popular immunotherapy methods at present. Therefore, there is an increasing demand for novel detection methods for PD-1 monoclonal antibodies. The aim of this work was to establish a rapid, simple, and sensitive immunochromatographic test strip (ICTS) based on the AuNPs enlargement for both visual and instrumental detection of the PD-1 monoclonal antibody concentration. The mixed solution of NH2OH·HCl and HAuCl4 was used as an enhancement solution to lower the detection limit and achieve higher sensitivity. A test strip reader was used to construct a visualized quantitative detection standard curve for the PD-1 monoclonal antibody concentration. The LOD was 1.58 ng/mL through a triple signal-to-noise ratio. The detection time was within 10 min. The constructed test strips can rapidly, accurately, and efficiently detect the concentration of PD-1 monoclonal antibody in real samples.

Microbial community succession and responses to internal environmental drivers throughout the operation of constructed wetlands.

Constructed wetlands (CWs) have been widely used to ensure effective domestic wastewater treatment. Microorganisms-derived CWs have received extensive attention as they play a crucial role. However, research on the succession patterns of microbial communities and the influencing mechanisms of internal environmental factors throughout entire CW operations remains limited. In this context, three parallel-operated CWs were established in this study to assess the microbial communities and their influencing environmental factors at different substrate depths throughout the operation process using 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing and metagenomic sequencing. The results showed gradual reproduction and accumulation of the microbial communities throughout the CW operation. Although gradual increases in the richness and diversity of the microbial communities were found, there were decreases in the functional expression of the dominant microbial species. The excessive accumulation of microorganisms will decrease the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) within CWs and attenuate their influence on effluent. Dissolved oxygen (DO) was the major factor influencing the microbial community succession over the CW operation. The main identified functional bacterial genera responsible for the ammonium oxidation, nitrification, and denitrification processes in the CWs were Nitrosospira, Nitrobacter, Nitrospira, Rhodanobacter, and Nakamurella. The narG gene was identified as a key functional gene linking various components of nitrogen cycling, while pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and ORP were the major environmental factors affecting the metabolism characteristics of nitrogen functional microorganisms. This study provides a theoretical basis for the effective regulation of related microbial communities to achieve long-term, efficient, and stable CW operations.

Cultivation of novel Atribacterota from oil well provides new insight into their diversity, ecology, and evolution in anoxic, carbon-rich environments.

BACKGROUND: The Atribacterota are widely distributed in the subsurface biosphere. Recently, the first Atribacterota isolate was described and the number of Atribacterota genome sequences retrieved from environmental samples has increased significantly; however, their diversity, physiology, ecology, and evolution remain poorly understood. RESULTS: We report the isolation of the second member of Atribacterota, Thermatribacter velox gen. nov., sp. nov., within a new family Thermatribacteraceae fam. nov., and the short-term laboratory cultivation of a member of the JS1 lineage, Phoenicimicrobium oleiphilum HX-OS.bin.34TS, both from a terrestrial oil reservoir. Physiological and metatranscriptomics analyses showed that Thermatribacter velox B11T and Phoenicimicrobium oleiphilum HX-OS.bin.34TS ferment sugars and n-alkanes, respectively, producing H2, CO2, and acetate as common products. Comparative genomics showed that all members of the Atribacterota lack a complete Wood-Ljungdahl Pathway (WLP), but that the Reductive Glycine Pathway (RGP) is widespread, indicating that the RGP, rather than WLP, is a central hub in Atribacterota metabolism. Ancestral character state reconstructions and phylogenetic analyses showed that key genes encoding the RGP (fdhA, fhs, folD, glyA, gcvT, gcvPAB, pdhD) and other central functions were gained independently in the two classes, Atribacteria (OP9) and Phoenicimicrobiia (JS1), after which they were inherited vertically; these genes included fumarate-adding enzymes (faeA; Phoenicimicrobiia only), the CODH/ACS complex (acsABCDE), and diverse hydrogenases (NiFe group 3b, 4b and FeFe group A3, C). Finally, we present genome-resolved community metabolic models showing the central roles of Atribacteria (OP9) and Phoenicimicrobiia (JS1) in acetate- and hydrocarbon-rich environments. CONCLUSION: Our findings expand the knowledge of the diversity, physiology, ecology, and evolution of the phylum Atribacterota. This study is a starting point for promoting more incisive studies of their syntrophic biology and may guide the rational design of strategies to cultivate them in the laboratory. Video Abstract.

Enrollment of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and female participants in the US diabetes trials spanning 2000 to 2020: A chronological survey.

AIMS: Little is known about the enrollment practice of both Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and females in the US diabetes trials. We aimed to perform a chronological survey to evaluate the enrollment of BIPOC and female participants in the US diabetes randomized controlled trials (RCTs) over the past two decades. METHODS: We searched databases to systematically include the US diabetes RCTs from 2000 January 1st to 2020 December 31st. Primary outcome was the adequate enrollment of both BIPOC and females, defined by the participation to prevalence ratio (PPR) > 0.8. We tested the temporal trend in adequate enrollment over time and used logistic regression analysis to explore the relationship between adequate enrollment and trial characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 69 US diabetes trials were included for analyses, with a median BIPOC and female enrollment percentage of 29.0 % and 45.4 % respectively. There were 22 (31.9 %) trials with adequate enrollment of both BIPOC and females. No significant trend of adequate enrollment percentage of BIPOC and females over time was observed (P = 0.16). Of trial types, those with medication interventions were significantly related to decreased odds of adequate enrollment, when compared to trials with non-drug interventions (odds ratio = 0.29, 95 % confidence interval: 0.11-0.84). CONCLUSIONS: Less than one third of the US diabetes trials adequately enrolled both BIPOC and females over the past two decades, and no temporal improvement in BIPOC and female participant enrollment was observed. These results highlight the need for more endeavors to mitigate inadequate representation regarding BIPOC and female enrollment in diabetes trials.

Electrochemical oxidative selective halogenation of pyrazolones for the synthesis of 4-halopyrazolones.

An efficient and environmentally friendly electrochemical oxidative selective halogenation of pyrazolones has been developed under conditions free of metals, external oxidants, and external supporting electrolytes. The reaction demonstrates good functional group tolerance and maintains high efficiency in large-scale synthesis, yielding moderate to excellent yields of the desired 4-halopyrazolones. This method provides a green and convenient route for the direct installation of a halogen moiety into bioactive pyrazolone derivatives, which can be utilized in a myriad of applications.

A pilot randomized controlled trial of major ozone autohemotherapy for patients with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.

This prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial assessed the therapeutic effects of major ozone autohemotherapy (O3-MAH) in patients with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). Seventy-three eligible participants were randomly assigned to an O3-MAH plus conventional therapy group (n = 35) or a conventional therapy alone group (n = 38). Symptom score, pulmonary function, 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), and hematological, biochemical, and immunological parameters were evaluated before and after the interventions. Both groups demonstrated improvements in various parameters post-intervention, but efficacy was greater in the O3-MAH group than the conventional treatment group; with intervention effectiveness defined as a ≥ 50 % reduction in symptom score, 25 of 35 patients (71 %) responded to O3-MAH, while 17/38 patients (45 %) responded to conventional treatment alone (P = 0.0325). Significant improvements in symptom scores (P = 0.0478), tidal volume (P = 0.0374), predicted 6MWD (P = 0.0032), and coagulation and inflammatory indicators were noted in the O3-MAH group compared with the conventional treatment group. O3-MAH was more likely to be effective in patients with elevated CRP levels. Furthermore, O3-MAH markedly improved cellular immunity, and this improvement became more pronounced with extended treatment duration. In summary, combining O3-MAH with conventional treatment was more effective than conventional therapy alone in improving symptoms, pulmonary function, inflammation, coagulation, and cellular immunity in patients with PASC. Further research is now warranted to validate these findings and individualize the regimen.

Natural Attenuation of 2,4-Dichlorophenol in Fe-Rich Soil during Redox Oscillations: Anoxic-Oxic Coupling Mechanism.

Natural attenuation of organic contaminants can occur under anoxic or oxic conditions. However, the effect of the coupling anoxic-oxic process, which often happens in subsurface soil, on contaminant transformation remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) transformation in Fe-rich soil under anoxic-oxic alternation. The anoxic and oxic periods in the alternating system showed faster 2,4-DCP transformation than the corresponding control single anoxic and oxic systems; therefore, a higher transformation rate (63.4%) was obtained in the alternating system relative to control systems (27.9-42.4%). Compared to stable pH in the alternating system, the control systems presented clear OH- accumulation, caused by more Fe(II) regeneration in the control anoxic system and longer oxygenation in the control oxic system. Since 2,4-DCP was transformed by ion exchangeable Fe(II) in soil via direct reduction in the anoxic process and induced ·OH oxidation in the oxic process, OH- accumulation was unbeneficial because it competed for proton with direct reduction and inhibited •OH generation via complexing with Fe(II). However, the alternating system exhibited OH--buffering capacity via anoxic-oxic coupling processes because the subsequent oxic periods intercepted Fe(II) regeneration in anoxic periods, while shorter exposure to O2 in oxic periods avoided excessive OH- generation. These findings highlight the significant role of anoxic-oxic alternation in contaminant attenuation persistently.

Extracellular vesicles from apoptotic BMSCs ameliorate osteoporosis via transporting regenerative signals.

Rationale: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are considered a promising resource for cell therapy, exhibiting efficacy in ameliorating diverse bone diseases. However, most MSCs undergo apoptosis shortly after transplantation and produce apoptotic extracellular vesicles (ApoEVs). This study aims to clarify the potential role of ApoEVs from apoptotic MSCs in ameliorating osteoporosis and molecular mechanism. Methods: In this study, Dio-labeled bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were injected into mice to track BMSCs apoptosis and ApoEVs production. ApoEVs were isolated from BMSCs after inducing apoptosis, the morphology, size distribution, marker proteins expression of ApoEVs were characterized. Protein mass spectrometry analysis revealed functional differences in proteins between ApoEVs and BMSCs. BMSCs were adopted to test the cellular response to ApoEVs. Ovariectomy mice were used to further compare the ability of ApoEVs in promoting bone formation. SiRNA and lentivirus were used for gain and loss-of-function assay. Results: The results showed that BMSCs underwent apoptosis within 2 days after being injected into mice and produce a substantial quantity of ApoEVs. Proteomic analysis revealed that ApoEVs carried a diverse functional array of proteins, and easily traversed the circulation to reach the bone. After being phagocytized by endogenous BMSCs, ApoEVs efficiently promoted the proliferation, migration, and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. In an osteoporosis mouse model, treatment of ApoEVs alleviated bone loss and promoted bone formation. Mechanistically, ApoEVs carried Ras protein and activated the Ras/Raf1/Mek/Erk pathway to promote osteogenesis and bone formation in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: Given that BMSC-derived ApoEVs are high-yield and easily obtained, our data underscore the substantive role of ApoEVs from dying BMSCs to treat bone loss, presenting broad implications for cell-free therapeutic modalities.

Suppression of frequency-mixing effect for pm-level heterodyne interferometers based on "zero coupling" optical path length control.

Optical path length (OPL) noise resulting from stray light significantly constrains interferometry displacement measurements in the low-frequency band. This paper presents an analytical model considering the presence of stray light in heterodyne laser interferometers. Due to the cyclic nonlinear coupling effect, there will be some special OPLs of stray light, minimizing the frequency-mixing impact to zero. Consequently, we propose a noise suppression scheme that locks the OPL of stray light at the zero coupling point. Therefore, we significantly enhanced the interference displacement measurement noise within the low-frequency band. Experimental results show that the interferometer achieves a displacement noise level lower than 6 pm/Hz1/2 covering 1 mHz.

Study on TPD Phasemeter to Suppress Low-Frequency Amplitude Fluctuation and Improve Fast-Acquiring Range for GW Detection.

A phasemeter as a readout system for the inter-satellite laser interferometer in a space-borne gravitational wave detector requires not only high accuracy but also insensitivity to amplitude fluctuations and a large fast-acquiring range. The traditional sinusoidal characteristic phase detector (SPD) phasemeter has the advantages of a simple structure and easy realization. However, the output of an SPD is coupled to the amplitude of the input signal and has only a limited phase-detection range due to the boundedness of the sinusoidal function. This leads to the performance deterioration of amplitude noise suppression, fast-acquiring range, and loop stability. To overcome the above shortcomings, we propose a phasemeter based on a tangent phase detector (TPD). The characteristics of the SPD and TPD phasemeters are theoretically analyzed, and a fixed-point simulation is further carried out for verification. The simulation results show that the TPD phasemeter tracks the phase information well and, at the same time, suppresses the amplitude fluctuation to the noise floor of 1 µrad/Hz1/2, which meets the requirements of GW detection. In addition, the maximum lockable step frequency of the TPD phasemeter is almost three times larger than the SPD phasemeter, indicating a greater fast-acquiring range.

Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Composite Coating as Barrier to Reduce Hydrogen Permeation into Steel.

Hydrogen atoms can enter into metallic materials through penetration and diffusion, leading to the degradation of the mechanical properties of the materials, and the application of hydrogen barrier coatings is an effective means to alleviate this problem. Zirconia coatings (ZrO2) have been widely studied as a common hydrogen barrier coating, but zirconia undergoes a crystalline transition with temperature change, which can lead to volumetric changes in the coating and thus cause problems such as cracking and peeling of the coating. In this work, ZrO2 coating was prepared on a Q235 matrix using a sol-gel method, while yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coatings with different contents of rare earth elements were prepared in order to alleviate a series of problems caused by the crystal form transformation of ZrO2. The coating performances were evaluated by the electrochemical hydrogen penetration test, pencil hardness test, scratch test, and high-temperature oxidation test. The results show that yttrium can improve the stability of the high-temperature phase of ZrO2, alleviating the cracking problem of the coating due to the volume change triggered by the crystalline transition; improve the consistency of the coating; and refine the grain size of the oxide. The performance of YSZ coating was strongly influenced by the yttria doping mass, and the coating with 10 wt% yttria doping had the best hydrogen barrier performance, the best antioxidant performance, and the largest adhesion. Compared with the matrix, the steady-state hydrogen current density of the YSZ coating decreased by 72.3%, the antioxidant performance was improved by 65.8%, and the ZrO2 coating hardness and adhesion levels were B and 4B, respectively, while YSZ coating hardness and adhesion were upgraded to 2H and 5B. With the further increase in yttrium doping mass, the hardness of the coating continued to improve, but the defects of the coating increased, resulting in a decrease in the hydrogen barrier performance, antioxidant performance, and adhesion. In this work, the various performances of ZrO2 coating were significantly improved by doping with the rare earth element, which provides a reference for further development and application of oxide coatings.

Impact of virtual monochromatic images of different low-energy levels in dual-energy CT on radiomics models for predicting muscle invasion in bladder cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of different low-energy virtual monochromatic images (VMIs) in dual-energy CT on the performance of radiomics models for predicting muscle invasive status in bladder cancer (BCa). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 127 patients with pathologically proven muscle-invasive BCa (n = 49) and non-muscle-invasive BCa (n = 78) were randomly allocated into the training and test cohorts at a ratio of 7:3. Feature extraction was performed on the venous phase images reconstructed at 40, 50, 60 and 70-keV (single-energy analysis) or in combination (multi-energy analysis). Recursive feature elimination (RFE) and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) were employed to select the most relevant features associated with BCa. Models were built using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier. Diagnostic performance was assessed through receiver operating characteristic curves, evaluating sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, precision, and the area-under-the curve (AUC) values. RESULTS: In the test cohort, the multi-energy model achieved the best diagnostic performance with AUC, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and precision of 0.917, 0.800, 0.833, 0.821, and 0.750, respectively. Conversely, the single-energy model exhibited lower AUC and sensitivity in predicting the muscle invasion status. CONCLUSIONS: By combining information from VMIs of various energies, the multi-energy model displays superior performance in preoperatively predicting the muscle invasion status of bladder cancer.

Combination of acute intermittent hypoxia and intermittent transcutaneous electrical stimulation in obstructive sleep apnea: a randomized controlled crossover trial.

Intermittent hypoxia (IH) and intermittent transcutaneous electrical stimulation (ITES) might benefit patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, the therapeutic value of combined IH and ITES in OSA is unknown. In this prospective, randomized, controlled crossover study, normoxia (air exposure for 50 min before sleep and sham stimulation for 6 h during sleep), IH (5 repeats of 5 min 10-12 % O2 alternating with 5 min air for 50 min, and sham stimulation for 6 h), ITES (air exposure for 50 min and 6 repeats of 30 min transcutaneous electrical stimulation alternating with 30 min of sham stimulation for 6 h), and IH&ITES (10-12 % O2 alternating with air for 50 min and transcutaneous electrical stimulation alternating with sham stimulation for 6 h) were administered to patients with OSA over four single-night sessions. The primary endpoint was difference in OSA severity between the interventions according to apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI). The efficacy was response to IH, ITES, IH&ITES defined as a ≥50 % reduction in AHI compared with normoxia. Twenty participants (17 male, 3 female) completed the trial. The median (IQR) AHI decreased from 14.5 (10.8, 17.5) events/h with normoxia to 6.9 (3.9, 14.8) events/h with IH (p=0.020), 5.7 (3.4, 9.1) events/h with ITES (p=0.001), and 3.5 (1.8, 6.4) events/h with IH&ITES (p=0.001). AHI was significantly different between IH and IH&ITES (p=0.042) but not between ITES and IH&ITES (p=0.850). For mild-moderate OSA (n=17), IH, ITES, and IH&ITES had a significant effect on AHI (p=0.013, p=0.001, p=0.001, respectively) compared with normoxia, but there were no differences in post hoc pairwise comparisons between intervention groups. No serious adverse events were observed. In conclusion, IH, ITES, and IH&ITES significantly reduced OSA severity. IH&ITES showed better efficacy in mild-moderate OSA than IH and was comparable to ITES. Our data do not support recommending IH&ITES over ITES for OSA.

Practice effects of a breathing technique on pilots' cognitive and stress associated heart rate variability during flight operations.

Commercial pilots endure multiple stressors in their daily and occupational lives which are detrimental to psychological well-being and cognitive functioning. The Quick coherence technique (QCT) is an effective intervention tool to improve stress resilience and psychophysiological balance based on a five-minute paced breathing exercise with heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback. The current research reports on the application of QCT training within an international airline to improve commercial pilots' psychological health and support cognitive functions. Forty-four commercial pilots volunteered in a one-month training programme to practise self-regulated QCT in day-to-day life and flight operations. Pilots' stress index, HRV time-domain and frequency-domain parameters were collected to examine the influence of QCT practice on the stress resilience process. The results demonstrated that the QCT improved psychophysiological indicators associated with stress resilience and cognitive functions, in both day-to-day life and flight operation settings. HRV fluctuations, as measured through changes in RMSSD and LF/HF, revealed that the resilience processes were primarily controlled by the sympathetic nervous system activities that are important in promoting pilots' energy mobilization and cognitive functions, thus QCT has huge potential in facilitating flight performance and aviation safety. These findings provide scientific evidence for implementing QCT as an effective mental support programme and controlled rest strategy to improve pilots' psychological health, stress management, and operational performance.

Detection of Reactive Oxygen Species in Plant Root Immunity.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is a key early defense mechanism in plants when exposed to biotic stress. Upon recognition of conserved microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) from pathogens by plant receptors, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases in the plasma membrane are activated to produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This, in turn, regulates multiple signaling pathways to trigger immunity and suppress pathogen infection. Monitoring the ROS burst in plant leaves can be done within minutes of MAMPs treatment. However, there is limited research on the quantification of ROS production in plant root tissues during the activation of plant immunity. In this study, we introduce a rapid, accessible, and straightforward technique for measuring MAMPs-triggered ROS bursts in the roots of the model legume Medicago truncatula. This method will facilitate the investigation of plant root responses to biotic and abiotic stresses.