Sorbitol Destroyed Intestinal Microfold Cells (M Cells) Development through Inhibition of PDE4-Mediated RANKL Expression.

Objective: Microfold cells (M cells) are specific intestinal epithelial cells for monitoring and transcytosis of antigens, microorganisms, and pathogens in the intestine. However, the mechanism for M-cell development remained elusive. Materials and Methods: Real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunofluorescence, and western blotting were performed to analyze the effect of sorbitol-regulated M-cell differentiation in vivo and in vitro, and luciferase and chromatin Immunoprecipitation were used to reveal the mechanism through which sorbitol-modulated M-cell differentiation. Results: Herein, in comparison to the mannitol group (control group), we found that intestinal M-cell development was inhibited in response to sorbitol treatment as evidenced by impaired enteroids accompanying with decreased early differentiation marker Annexin 5, Marcksl1, Spib, sox8, and mature M-cell marker glycoprotein 2 expression, which was attributed to downregulation of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-В ligand (RANKL) expression in vivo and in vitro. Mechanically, in the M-cell model, sorbitol stimulation caused a significant upregulation of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) phosphorylation, leading to decreased protein kinase A (PKA)/cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) activation, which further resulted in CREB retention in cytosolic and attenuated CREB binds to RANKL promoter to inhibit RANKL expression. Interestingly, endogenous PKA interacted with CREB, and this interaction was destroyed by sorbitol stimulation. Most importantly, inhibition of PDE4 by dipyridamole could rescue the inhibitory effect of sorbitol on intestinal enteroids and M-cell differentiation and mature in vivo and in vitro. Conclusion: These findings suggested that sorbitol suppressed intestinal enteroids and M-cell differentiation and matured through PDE4-mediated RANKL expression; targeting to inhibit PDE4 was sufficient to induce M-cell development.

Clinical manifestations, prognostic factors, and outcomes of adenovirus pneumonia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Severe pneumonia is one of the most important causes of mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Adenovirus (ADV) is a significant cause of severe viral pneumonia after allo-HSCT, and we aimed to identify the clinical manifestations, prognostic factors, and outcomes of ADV pneumonia after allo-HSCT. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients who underwent allo-HSCT at the Peking University Institute of Hematology and who experienced ADV pneumonia after allo-HSCT were enrolled in this study. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the probability of overall survival (OS). Potential prognostic factors for 100-day OS after ADV pneumonia were evaluated through univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: The incidence rate of ADV pneumonia after allo-HSCT was approximately 0.71%. The median time from allo-HSCT to the occurrence of ADV pneumonia was 99 days (range 17-609 days). The most common clinical manifestations were fever (86.2%), cough (34.5%) and dyspnea (31.0%). The 100-day probabilities of ADV-related mortality and OS were 40.4% (95% CI 21.1%-59.7%) and 40.5% (95% CI 25.2%-64.9%), respectively. Patients with low-level ADV DNAemia had lower ADV-related mortality and better OS than did those with high-level (≥ 106 copies/ml in plasma) ADV DNAemia. According to the multivariate analysis, high-level ADV DNAemia was the only risk factor for intensive care unit admission, invasive mechanical ventilation, ADV-related mortality, and OS after ADV pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: We first reported the prognostic factors and confirmed the poor outcomes of patients with ADV pneumonia after allo-HSCT. Patients with high-level ADV DNAemia should receive immediate and intensive therapy.

Oral anticoagulants and cognitive impairment in patients with atrial fibrillation: A systematic review with meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review assesses the likelihood of developing dementia and cognitive impairment in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) receiving non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) as opposed to vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). METHODS: We performed a systematic review with meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA), which encompassed both randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies. The objective was to assess the impact of NOACs and VKAs on the incidence of dementia in individuals diagnosed with AF. RESULTS: Out of 1914 studies that were screened, 31 studies were included in the final analysis, which consisted of nine RCTs or their subsequent post-hoc analyses, in addition to 22 observational studies. The meta-analysis shows that NOACs were associated with a decreased probability of developing dementia of any cause [Rate Ratio (RR): 0.88; 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI): 0.82-0.94], especially in patients below the age of 75 (RR: 0.78; 95 % CI: 0.73-0.84). Consistent patterns were observed across all forms of dementia and cognitive function decline. The overall evidence indicates notable variability in the outcome with a moderate-to-low degree of certainty. The TSA suggests that the total sample size of the included trials (155,647 patients) was significantly smaller than the required information size of 784,692 patients to discern the true effect of NOAC versus VKA in terms of reducing dementia risk. CONCLUSION: NOACs may reduce the likelihood of developing dementia in patients with AF, particularly in those under the age of 75. This review highlights the urgent necessity for thorough research to determine the efficacy of NOACs in safeguarding cognitive health.

Mecp2 fine-tunes quiescence exit by targeting nuclear receptors.

Quiescence (G0) maintenance and exit are crucial for tissue homeostasis and regeneration in mammals. Here, we show that methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (Mecp2) expression is cell cycle-dependent and negatively regulates quiescence exit in cultured cells and in an injury-induced liver regeneration mouse model. Specifically, acute reduction of Mecp2 is required for efficient quiescence exit as deletion of Mecp2 accelerates, while overexpression of Mecp2 delays quiescence exit, and forced expression of Mecp2 after Mecp2 conditional knockout rescues cell cycle reentry. The E3 ligase Nedd4 mediates the ubiquitination and degradation of Mecp2, and thus facilitates quiescence exit. A genome-wide study uncovered the dual role of Mecp2 in preventing quiescence exit by transcriptionally activating metabolic genes while repressing proliferation-associated genes. Particularly disruption of two nuclear receptors, Rara or Nr1h3, accelerates quiescence exit, mimicking the Mecp2 depletion phenotype. Our studies unravel a previously unrecognized role for Mecp2 as an essential regulator of quiescence exit and tissue regeneration.

Isolation and characterization of pure cultures for metabolizing 1,4-dioxane in oligotrophic environments.

1,4-Dioxane concentration in most contaminated water is much less than 1 mg/L, which cannot sustain the growth of most reported 1,4-dioxane-metabolizing pure cultures. These pure cultures were isolated following enrichment of mixed cultures at high concentrations (20 to 1,000 mg/L). This study is based on a different strategy: 1,4-dioxane-metabolizing mixed cultures were enriched by periodically spiking 1,4-dioxane at low concentrations (≤1 mg/L). Five 1,4-dioxane-metabolizing pure strains LCD6B, LCD6D, WC10G, WCD6H, and WD4H were isolated and characterized. The partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that the five bacterial strains were related to Dokdonella sp. (98.3%), Acinetobacter sp. (99.0%), Afipia sp. (99.2%), Nitrobacter sp. (97.9%), and Pseudonocardia sp. (99.4%), respectively. Nitrobacter sp. WCD6H is the first reported 1,4-dioxane-metabolizing bacterium in the genus of Nitrobacter. The net specific growth rates of these five cultures are consistently higher than those reported in the literature at 1,4-dioxane concentrations <0.5 mg/L. Compared to the literature, our newly discovered strains have lower half-maximum-rate concentrations (1.8 to 8.2 mg-dioxane/L), lower maximum specific 1,4-dioxane utilization rates (0.24 to 0.47 mg-dioxane/(mg-protein ⋅ d)), higher biomass yields (0.29 to 0.38 mg-protein/mg-dioxane), and lower decay coefficients (0.01 to 0.02 d-1). These are characteristics of microorganisms living in oligotrophic environments.

Production and characterization of bacterial cellulose by Rhizobium sp. isolated from bean root.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a natural polymer renowned for its unique physicochemical and mechanical attributes, including notable water-holding capacity, crystallinity, and a pristine fiber network structure. While BC has broad applications spanning agriculture, industry, and medicine, its industrial utilization is hindered by production costs and yield limitations. In this study, Rhizobium sp. was isolated from bean roots and systematically assessed for BC synthesis under optimal conditions, with a comparative analysis against BC produced by Komagataeibacter hansenii. The study revealed that Rhizobium sp. exhibited optimal BC synthesis when supplied with a 1.5% glucose carbon source and a 0.15% yeast extract nitrogen source. Under static conditions at 30 °C and pH 6.5, the most favorable conditions for growth and BC production (2.5 g/L) were identified. Modifications were introduced using nisin to enhance BC properties, and the resulting BC-nisin composites were comprehensively characterized through various techniques, including FE-SEM, FTIR, porosity, swelling, filtration, and antibacterial activity assessments. The results demonstrated that BC produced by Rhizobium sp. displayed properties comparable to K. hansenii-produced BC. Furthermore, the BC-nisin composites exhibited remarkable inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This study contributes valuable insights into BC's production, modification, and characterization utilizing Rhizobium sp., highlighting the exceptional properties that render it efficacious across diverse applications.

Primary bone solitary B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma aberrant expression Fli-1 and ERG: A case report.

ABSTRACT: Primary non-Hodgkin bone lymphoma is a rare disease, and within this category, B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (B-LBL) is an even rare clinical entity that has only been reported in small case series or individual case reports. B-LBL can mimic Ewing's sarcoma both clinically and histologically, leading to misdiagnosis. We present a case of primary B-LBL of the bone in a 7-year-old girl. The tumor cells are uniform and small with a diffuse and infiltrative growth pattern similar to EWS. Immunohistochemical results are positive for CD99, Fli-1, ERG, TDT, PAX5, and CD79α, but negative for leukocyte common antigen, CD3, CD20, and NKX2.2. No other lesions are found on positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging. Finally, primary solitary bone B-LBL of the right tibia was diagnosed.

Neutrophil and macrophage crosstalk might be a potential target for liver regeneration.

The regenerative capability of the liver is remarkable, but further research is required to understand the role that neutrophils play in this process. In the present study, we reanalyzed single-cell RNA sequencing data from a mouse partial hepatectomy (PH) model to track the transcriptional changes in hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells. Notably, we unraveled the regenerative capacity of hepatocytes at diverse temporal points after PH, unveiling the contributions of three distinct zones in the liver regeneration process. In addition, we observed that the depletion of neutrophils reduced the survival and liver volume after PH, confirming the important role of neutrophils in liver regeneration. CellChat analysis revealed an intricate crosstalk between neutrophils and macrophages promoting liver regeneration and, using weighted gene correlation network analysis, we identified the most significant genetic module associated with liver regeneration. Our study found that hepatocytes in the periportal zone of the liver are more active than in other zones, suggesting that the crosstalk between neutrophils and macrophages might be a potential target for liver regeneration treatment.

Interfacial Second-Harmonic Generation via Superposition of Symmetries in a Double-Resonance-Enhanced Plasmonic Nanocavity.

Second-harmonic generation (SHG) has rapidly advanced with the miniaturization of on-chip devices and has found many applications, including optical frequency conversion, nonlinear imaging, and quantum technology. However, owing to the obvious phase-matching constraints involved in nonlinear optical interactions in bulk crystals and the decrease in the length and strength of nonlinear interactions in nanophotonic and surface/interface systems, improving the SHG efficiency and manipulating its optical properties at the nanoscale are challenging tasks. Herein, a monocrystalline silver microplate and nanocube-coupled nanocavity with double-resonance plasmonic modes and an ultrasmall gap were constructed, resulting in efficiently enhanced SHG. In particular, the SHG from the silver microplate (111) is polarization-dependent, and the anisotropy of the SHG in the plasmonic nanocavity can be further controlled via the superposition of symmetries at the interface and plasmonic waveguide-cavity modes. The interfacial SHG provides technology for developing lattice surface atomic arrangement and nanostructure rapid characterization, nonlinear light sources, and on-chip nonlinear nanophotonic devices.

Dual Regulation of Nicotine on NLRP3 Inflammasome in Macrophages with the Involvement of Lysosomal Destabilization, ROS and α7nAChR.

Nicotine, the primary alkaloid in tobacco products, has been shown to have immunoregulatory function in at least 20 diseases. The biological mechanism of action of nicotine immunoregulation is complex, resulting in an improvement of some disease states and exacerbation of others. Given the central role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages among multiple inflammatory diseases, this study examined how nicotine alters NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages. NLRP3 inflammasome activation was examined mechanistically in the context of different nicotine dosages. We show NLRP3 inflammasome activation, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) expression, caspase-1 activity and subsequent IL-1ß secretion were positively correlated with nicotine in a dose-dependent relationship, and destabilization of lysosomes and ROS production were also involved. At high concentrations of nicotine surpassing 0.25 mM, NLRP3 inflammasome activity declined, along with increased expression of the anti-inflammatory Alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) and the inhibition of TLR4/NF-κB signaling. Consequently, high doses of nicotine also reduced ASC expression, caspase-1 activity and IL-1ß secretion in macrophages. Collectively, these results suggest a dual regulatory function of nicotine on NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages, that is involved with the pro-inflammatory effects of lysosomal destabilization and ROS production. We also show nicotine mediates anti-inflammatory effects by activating α7nAChR at high doses.

PAK1 inhibition increases TRIM21-induced PD-L1 degradation and enhances responses to anti-PD-1 therapy in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a common malignancy with a 5-year survival <10 %. Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical role in the progression of PDA. In recent years, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)/programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) blockade has emerged as a potent anti-tumor immunotherapy, while is yet to achieve significant clinical benefits for PDA patients. P21-Activated kinase 1 (PAK1) is highly upregulated in PDA and has been reported to be involved in the regulation of anti-tumor immunity. This study aims to investigate the combined effect of PAK1 inhibition and anti-PD-1 therapy on PDA and the underlying mechanisms. We have shown that PAK1 expression positively correlated with PD-L1 in PDA patients, and that inhibition of PAK1 downregulated PD-L1 expression of PDA cells. More importantly, we have demonstrated that PAK1 competed with PD-L1 in binding to tripartite motif-containing protein 21 (TRIM21), a ubiquitin E3 ligase, resulting in less ubiquitination and degradation of PD-L1. Moreover, PAK1 inhibition promoted CD8+ T cells activation and infiltration. In a murine PDA model, the combination of PAK1 inhibition and anti-PD-1 therapy showed significant anti-tumor effects compared with the control or monotherapy. Our results indicated that the combination of PAK1 inhibition and anti-PD-1 therapy would be a more effective treatment for PDA patients.

UHPLC-MS/MS combined with microdialysis for simultaneous determination of nicotine and neurotransmitter metabolites in the rat hippocampal brain region: application to pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study.

Nicotine crosses the blood-brain barrier and interacts with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, initiating a cascade of neurotransmitter effects with potential therapeutic implications for neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The hippocampus, pivotal for cognitive processes, plays a crucial role in nicotine-mediated cognitive enhancement due to its abundant expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, particularly the α7 subtype, which is heavily implicated in hippocampus-related behavioral functions and dysfunctions. However, the intricate process of nicotine metabolism within the hippocampus remains poorly understood, impeding our comprehension of how nicotine and its metabolites modulate neurotransmitter dynamics. To address this gap, we have developed and validated a novel methodology combining microdialysis with UHPLC-MS/MS, enabling simultaneous detection of 12 neurotransmitters, nicotine, and its seven metabolites within the rat hippocampus. The linearity range of the targeted compounds is satisfactory (R2 > 0.9970), with intra-day and inter-day precision not exceeding 12.7%, and accuracy ranging from -12.4% to 13.7%. Our findings reveal differential pharmacokinetics of nicotine and its metabolites in the α7KO group compared to the control group, characterized by heightened nicotine absorption and slower elimination and distribution in the former. Notably, the pharmacokinetic parameters of cotinine exhibit similarity across both groups. Studies investigating the impact of nicotine on monoamine neurotransmitters have elucidated its capacity to augment the release of dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, glutamate, and acetylcholine in the rat hippocampus. This integrated approach facilitates a comprehensive analysis of neurotransmitter alterations within the hippocampal region following nicotine administration, thereby providing robust technical support and scientific rationale for understanding the neurochemical effects of nicotine and its metabolites. Further exploration into the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of nicotine holds promise for uncovering novel therapeutic avenues in the management of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Comparison of bacterial species and clinical outcomes in patients with diabetic hand infection in tropical and nontropical regions.

Hand infection is a rare complication in patients with diabetes. Its clinical outcomes depend on the severity of hand infection caused by bacteria, but the difference in bacterial species in the regional disparity is unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of tropical and nontropical regions on bacterial species and clinical outcomes for diabetic hand. A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Moreover, the bacterial species and clinical outcomes were analyzed with respect to multicenter wound care in China (nontropical regions). Both mixed bacteria (31.2% vs. 16.6%, p = 0.014) and fungi (7.5% vs. 0.8%, p = 0.017) in the nontropical region were significantly more prevalent than those in the tropical region. Staphylococcus and Streptococcus spp. were dominant in gram-positive bacteria, and Klebsiella, Escherichia coli, Proteus and Pseudomonas in gram-negative bacteria occupied the next majority in the two regions. The rate of surgical treatment in the patients was 31.2% in the nontropical region, which was significantly higher than the 11.4% in the tropical region (p = 0.001). Although the overall mortality was not significantly different, there was a tendency to be increased in tropical regions (6.3%) compared with nontropical regions (0.9%). However, amputation (32.9% vs. 31.3%, p = 0.762) and disability (6.3% vs. 12.2%, p = 0.138) were not significantly different between the two regions. Similar numbers of cases were reported, and the most common bacteria were similar in tropical and nontropical regions in patients with diabetic hand. There were more species of bacteria in the nontropical region, and their distribution was basically similar, except for fungi, which had differences between the two regions. The present study also showed that surgical treatment and mortality were inversely correlated because delays in debridement and surgery can deteriorate deep infections, eventually leading to amputation and even death.

Coupling hyperspectral imaging with machine learning algorithms for detecting polyethylene (PE) and polyamide (PA) in soils.

Soil, particularly in agricultural regions, has been recognized as one of the significant reservoirs for the emerging contaminant of MPs. Therefore, developing a rapid and efficient method is critical for their identification in soil. Here, we coupled HSI systems [i.e., VNIR (400-1000 nm), InGaAs (800-1600 nm), and MCT (1000-2500 nm)] with machine learning algorithms to distinguish soils spiked with white PE and PA (average size of 50 and 300 µm, respectively). The soil-normalized SWIR spectra unveiled significant spectral differences not only between control soil and pure MPs (i.e., PE 100% and PA 100%) but also among five soil-MPs mixtures (i.e., PE 1.6%, PE 6.9%, PA 5.0%, and PA 11.3%). This was primarily attributable to the 1st-3rd overtones and combination bands of C-H groups in MPs. Feature reductions visually demonstrated the separability of seven sample types by SWIR and the inseparability of five soil-MPs mixtures by VNIR. The detection models achieved higher accuracies using InGaAs (92-100%) and MCT (97-100%) compared to VNIR (44-87%), classifying 7 sample types. Our study indicated the feasibility of InGaAs and MCT HSI systems in detecting PE (as low as 1.6%) and PA (as low as 5.0%) in soil. SYNOPSIS: One of two SWIR HSI systems (i.e., InGaAs and MCT) with a sample imaging surface area of 3.6 mm² per grid cell was sufficient for detecting PE (as low as 1.6%) and PA (as low as 5.0%) in soils without the digestion and separation procedures.

The timing of minimally invasive surgery for prenatally diagnosed choledochal cysts.

OBJECTIVE: There are no clear evidence-based recommendations concerning when patients with prenatally diagnosed choledochal cysts (CCs) should undergo surgery. This study was primarily designed to explore the proper timing of minimally invasive surgery for prenatally diagnosed CC patients. METHODS: Seventy-three patients with prenatally diagnosed CC were enrolled in this study and divided into 4 subgroups according to age at surgery (15 patients in the < 1 month group, 27 in the 1-2 months group, 14 in the 2-3 months group and 17 in the > 3 months group). Eighty-five healthy infants were recruited and divided into 4 age groups (29 in the < 1 month group, 20 in the 1-2 month group, 19 in the 2-3 month group and 17 in the > 3 month group). Preoperative data were collected and compared between CC patients and healthy controls in 4 age groups. Additionally, 73 patients were divided into laparoscopic and open groups to compare postoperative recovery indices and the occurrence of complications to determine the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic CC application in neonates and young infants. RESULTS: Twenty-one of 73 (28.8%) patients who were prenatally diagnosed with CCs experienced various clinical symptoms, and 15 of 21 (71.4%) patients experienced clinical symptoms less than 2 months after birth. No differences were found in alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) or aspartate transaminase (APRI) levels between CC patients and controls at ≤ 1 month or 1-2 months of age (all p > 0.05), while higher levels were found in CC patients at 2-3 months or > 3 months of age (all p < 0.05). ALT, AST and DBIL levels 1 week after surgery were significantly lower than those before surgery in CC patients who underwent laparoscopic CC excision at > 2 months of age, while DBIL levels 1 week after surgery were also significantly lower than those before surgery in patients who underwent CC excision at ≤ 2 months of age. The initial oral feeding time in the laparoscopic surgery group was significantly earlier than that in the open surgery group for both CC patients who underwent CC excision at ≤ 2 months of age and those > 2 months of age (all p < 0.05). No differences were found in the rates of anastomotic leakage or stricture formation between the laparoscopic and open surgery groups at ≤ 2 months or > 2 months of age. CONCLUSION: Most clinical symptoms attributed to CC occur less than 2 months after birth, while liver function and liver fibrosis may deteriorate after 2 months of age in patients with prenatally diagnosed CC. Laparoscopic surgery for CC in newborns and young infants (either less than or more than 2 months old) is safe and feasible and can shorten the initial oral feeding time without increasing complications such as postoperative anastomotic leakage or stricture. Thus, performing laparoscopic CC excisions within 2 months after birth in patients with prenatally diagnosed CC may be appropriate.

Housing debt and depressive symptoms: evidence from the China family panel studies.

BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence on the association between housing debt and depressive symptoms in China. This study aimed to examine the impact of housing debt on depressive symptoms and explore the heterogeneous impacts arising from two sources of housing debt and two types of housing demands. METHODS: Using data from the 2016 and 2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study included 25,232 Chinese individuals. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the eight-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D8). Housing debt was measured by dummy variables, indicating whether an individual had housing debt, and continuous variables, which were the logarithm of the total amount of housing debt. The two-way fixed effects model was used to examine the relationship. RESULTS: Housing debt had a significant positive impact on depressive symptoms in China. Individuals with housing debt had a 0.176-point higher depressive symptom score than those without housing debt. A 10% increase in the total amount of housing debt led to a 0.16-point increase in depressive symptoms. Non-bank housing loans significantly increased the level of depressive symptoms with a larger coefficient (coef = 0.289), while the impact of bank housing loans was small and not statistically significant. In terms of the types of housing demands, a positive impact was observed only among individuals who had only one property meeting their housing consumption demands. CONCLUSIONS: This study found a significant positive impact of housing debt on depressive symptoms, primarily driven by non-bank housing loans. Furthermore, housing debt increased the depressive symptoms among individuals with consumption demands, while those with investment demands did not show a significant impact. Government interventions should prioritize easing formal financial constraints and providing support for individuals with housing consumption demands.

Evaluations of Weathering of Polar and Nonpolar Petroleum Components in a Simulated Freshwater-Oil Spill by Orbitrap and Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry.

The comprehensive chemical characterization of crude oil is important for the evaluation of the transformation and fate of components in the environment. Molecular-level speciation of naphthenic acid fraction compounds (NAFCs) was investigated in a mesoscale spill tank using both negative-ion electrospray ionization (ESI) Orbitrap mass spectrometry (MS) and positive-ion atmospheric pressure photoionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (APPI-FT-ICR-MS). Both ionization techniques are coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometric detectors (ESI: Orbitrap MS; APPI: FT-ICR-MS at 9.4 T), enabling insight into the behavior and fate of petrogenic compounds during a simulated freshwater crude oil spill. Negative-ion ESI Orbitrap-MS reveals that oxygen-containing (Ox) classes are detected early in the spill, whereby species with more oxygen per molecule evolve later in the simulated spill. The O2-containing species gradually decreased in relative abundance, while O3 and O4 species increased in relative abundance throughout the simulated spill, which could correspond to a relative degree of oxygen incorporation. Nonpolar speciation by positive-ion APPI 9.4 T FT-ICR-MS allowed for the identification of water-soluble nonpolar and less polar acidic species. Molecular-level graphical representation of elemental compositions derived from simulated spill water-soluble and oil-soluble species suggest that biological activity is the primary degradation mechanism and that biodegradation was the dominant mechanism based on the negative-ion ESI Orbitrap-MS results.

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy-based diagnosis support system for distinguishing between mild and severe depression using machine learning approaches.

Significance: Early diagnosis of depression is crucial for effective treatment. Our study utilizes functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and machine learning to accurately classify mild and severe depression, providing an objective auxiliary diagnostic tool for mental health workers. Aim: Develop prediction models to distinguish between severe and mild depression using fNIRS data. Approach: We collected the fNIRS data from 140 subjects and applied a complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with an adaptive noise-wavelet threshold combined denoising method (CEEMDAN-WPT) to remove noise during the verbal fluency task. The temporal features (TF) and correlation features (CF) from 18 prefrontal lobe channels of subjects were extracted as predictors. Using recursive feature elimination with cross-validation, we identified optimal TF or CF and examined their role in distinguishing between severe and mild depression. Machine learning algorithms were used for classification. Results: The combination of TF and CF as inputs for the prediction model yielded higher classification accuracy than using either TF or CF alone. Among the prediction models, the SVM-based model demonstrates excellent performance in nested cross-validation, achieving an accuracy rate of 92.8%. Conclusions: The proposed model can effectively distinguish mild depression from severe depression.

The impact of ankle-foot orthoses on mobility of dual-task walking in stroke patients? A cross-sectional two-factor factorial design clinical trial.

ABSTRACTTo assess the impact of ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) on mobility and gait during dual-task walking in post-stroke survivors. In this cross-sectional, factorial design trial, stroke survivors performed four randomized tasks: (1) dual-task walking with AFOs, (2) single-task walking with AFOs, (3) dual-task walking without AFOs, and (4) single-task walking without AFOs. Primary outcome was the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, with secondary outcomes including gait metrics, Tinetti scores, and auditory N-back tests. In the results, 48 subjects (38 males and 10 females; 19-65 years) completed the trial. Patients had a greater TUG score with AFOs compared with non-AFOs conditions (95% CI: 7.22-14.41, P < 0.001) in single-task and dual-task conditions. Secondary outcomes showed marked enhancement with AFOs during dual-task walking, with significant interaction effects in gait metrics, balance, and cognitive function (P < 0.05). Although not statistically significant, dual-task effects of TUG and walking speed were more pronounced during dual-task walking. In conclusion, AFOs enhance mobility and gait during both single and dual-task walking in post-stroke survivors.