Gp85 protein encapsulated by alginate-chitosan composite microspheres induced strong immunogenicity against avian leukosis virus in chicken.

Introduction: Avian leukosis, a viral disease affecting birds such as chickens, presents significant challenges in poultry farming due to tumor formation, decreased egg production, and increased mortality. Despite the absence of a commercial vaccine, avian leukosis virus (ALV) infections have been extensively documented, resulting in substantial economic losses in the poultry industry. This study aimed to develop alginate-chitosan composite microspheres loaded with ALV-J Gp85 protein (referred to as aCHP-gp85) as a potential vaccine candidate. Methods: Sodium alginate and chitosan were utilized as encapsulating materials, with the ALV-J Gp85 protein serving as the active ingredient. The study involved 45 specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens to evaluate the immunological effectiveness of aCHP-gp85 compared to a traditional Freund adjuvant-gp85 vaccine (Freund-gp85). Two rounds of vaccination were administered, and antibody levels, mRNA expression of immune markers, splenic lymphocyte proliferation, and immune response were assessed. An animal challenge experiment was conducted to evaluate the vaccine's efficacy in reducing ALV-J virus presence and improving clinical conditions. Results: The results demonstrated that aCHP-gp85 induced a significant and sustained increase in antibody levels compared to Freund-gp85, with the elevated response lasting for 84 days. Furthermore, aCHP-gp85 significantly upregulated mRNA expression levels of key immune markers, notably TNF-α and IFN-γ. The application of ALV-J Gp85 protein within the aCHP-gp85 group led to a significant increase in splenic lymphocyte proliferation and immune response. In the animal challenge experiment, aCHP-gp85 effectively reduced ALV-J virus presence and improved clinical conditions compared to other groups, with no significant pathological changes observed. Discussion: The findings suggest that aCHP-gp85 elicits a strong and prolonged immune response compared to Freund-gp85, indicating its potential as an innovative ALV-J vaccine candidate. These results provide valuable insights for addressing avian leukosis in the poultry industry, both academically and practically.

Control of Multi-Fluorination Number and Position in D-π-A Type Polymers and Their Impact on High-Voltage Organic Photovoltaics.

Exploring the structure-performance relationship of high-voltage organic solar cells (OSCs) is significant for pushing material design and promoting photovoltaic performance. Herein, we chose a D-π-A type polymer composed of 4,8-bis(thiophene-2-yl)-benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (BDT-T) and benzotriazole (BTA) units as the benchmark to investigate the effect of the fluorination number and position of the polymers on the device performance of the high-voltage OSCs, with a benzotriazole-based small molecule (BTA3) as the acceptor. F00, F20, and F40 are the polymers with progressively increasing F atoms on the D units, while F02, F22, and F42 are the polymers with further attachment of F atoms to the BTA units based on the above three polymers. Fluorination positively affects the molecular planarity, dipole moment, and molecular aggregations. Our results show that VOC increases with the number of fluorine atoms, and fluorination on the D units has a greater effect on VOC than on the A unit. F42 with six fluorine atom substitutions achieves the highest VOC (1.23 V). When four F atoms are located on the D units, the short-circuit current (JSC) and fill factor (FF) plummet, and before that, they remain almost constant. The drop in JSC and FF in F40- and F42-based devices may be attributed to inefficient charge transfer and severe charge recombination. The F22:BTA3 system achieves the highest power conversion efficiency of 9.5% with a VOC of 1.20 V due to the excellent balance between the photovoltaic parameters. Our study provides insights for the future application of fluorination strategies in molecular design for high-voltage organic photovoltaics.

Risk factors of non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy and central retinal artery occlusion.

AIM: To investigate the difference in risk factors between non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) and central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) and develop a predictive diagnostic nomogram. METHODS: The study included 37 patients with monocular NAION, 20 with monocular CRAO, and 24 with hypertension. Gender, age, and systemic diseases were recorded. Blood routine, lipids, hemorheology, carotid and brachial artery doppler ultrasound, and echocardiography were collected. The optic disc area, cup area, and cup-to-disc ratio (C/D) of the unaffected eye in the NAION and CRAO group and the right eye in the hypertension group were measured. RESULTS: The carotid artery intimal medial thickness (C-IMT) of the affected side of the CRAO group was thicker (P=0.039) and its flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was lower (P=0.049) than the NAION group. Compared with hypertension patients, NAION patients had higher whole blood reduced viscosity low-shear (WBRV-L) and erythrocyte aggregation index (EAI; P=0.045, 0.037), and CRAO patients had higher index of rigidity of erythrocyte (IR) and erythrocyte deformation index (EDI; P=0.004, 0.001). The optic cup and the C/D of the NAION group were smaller than the other two groups (P<0.0001). The diagnostic prediction model showed high diagnostic specificity (83.7%) and sensitivity (85.6%), which was highly related to hypertension, the C-IMT of the affected side, FMD, platelet (PLT), EAI, and C/D. CONCLUSION: CRAO patients show thicker C-IMT and worse endothelial function than NAION. NAION and CRAO may be related to abnormal hemorheology. A small cup and small C/D may be involved in NAION. The diagnostic nomogram can be used to preliminarily identify NAION and CRAO.

Effect of nutrition impact symptoms on oral nutritional supplements energy intake and use days in patients with head and neck cancer: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the effect of nutritional impact symptoms (NIS) on oral nutritional supplements (ONS) energy intake and use days among head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among HNC patients in a hospital in western China between January 2019 and June 2020. The NIS was from the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) scale. Mann-Whitney test was used to examine the differences between different kinds of NIS and ONS use days. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the effect of NIS on ONS energy intake. RESULTS: The most prevalent four NIS were no appetite (35.3%), dysphagia (29.4%), vomiting (13.2%) and oral pain (12.5%), respectively. All patients in the study were malnutrition. Patients with xerostomia or oral pain had less ONS use days than those without these symptoms. Patients with vomiting (OR 0.09, 95% CI 0.02-0.50) or pain (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.02-0.89) were less likely to have ONS energy intake ≥400 kcal/day than those without these symptoms after adjusting the confounding factors. In addition, one-point increase in total NIS score was associated with a lower proportion of ONS energy intake ≥400 kcal/day (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.59-0.99). CONCLUSION: Xerostomia, oral pain, vomiting and pain should be strengthened and intervened to improve ONS use and nutritional status among HNC patients with malnutrition.

Evaluating the Quality of Cancer-Related WeChat Public Accounts: Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: WeChat (Tencent) is one of the most important information sources for Chinese people. Relevantly, various health-related data are constantly transmitted among WeChat users. WeChat public accounts (WPAs) for health are rapidly emerging. Health-related WeChat public accounts have a significant impact on public health. Because of the rise in web-based health-seeking behavior, the general public has grown accustomed to obtaining cancer information from WPAs. Although WPAs make it easy for people to obtain health information, the quality of the information is questionable. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the quality and suitability of cancer-related WeChat public accounts (CWPAs). METHODS: The survey was conducted from February 1 to 28, 2023. Based on the WPA monthly list provided by Qingbo Big Data, 28 CWPAs in the WeChat communication index were selected as the survey sample. Quality assessment of the included CWPAs was performed using the HONcode instrument. Furthermore, suitability was measured by using the Suitability Assessment of Materials. A total of 2 researchers conducted the evaluations independently. RESULTS: Of the 28 CWPAs, 12 (43%) were academic and 16 (57%) were commercial. No statistical difference was found regarding the HONcode scores between the 2 groups (P=.96). The quality of the academic and commercial CWPAs evaluated using the HONcode instrument demonstrated mean scores of 5.58 (SD 2.02) and 5.63 (SD 2.16), respectively, corresponding to a moderate class. All CWPAs' compliance with the HONcode principles was unsatisfactory. A statistically significant difference between the 2 groups was observed in the Suitability Assessment of Materials scores (P=.04). The commercial WPAs reached an overall 55.1% (SD 5.5%) score versus the 50.2% (SD 6.4%) score reached by academic WPAs. The suitability of academic and commercial CWPAs was considered adequate. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that CWPAs are not sufficiently credible. WPA owners must endeavor to create reliable health websites using approved tools such as the HONcode criteria. However, it is necessary to educate the public about the evaluation tools of health websites to assess their credibility before using the provided content. In addition, improving readability will allow the public to read and understand the content.

A rapid, equipment-free method for detecting avirulence genes of Pyricularia oryzae using a lateral flow strip-based RPA assay.

Rice blast, caused by Pyricularia oryzae, is one of the most destructive rice diseases worldwide. Using resistant rice varieties is the most cost-effective way to control rice blast. Consequently, it is critical to monitor the distribution frequency of avirulence genes in rice planting field to facilitate the breedings of resistant rice varieties. In this study, we established a rapid RPA-LFD detection system for the identification of AvrPik, Avr-Piz-t and Avr-Pi9. The optimized reaction temperature and duration were 37°C and 20 min, indicating that the reaction system could be initiated by body temperature without relying on any precision instruments. Specificity analysis showed that the primer and probe combinations targeting three Avr genes exhibited a remarkable specificity for at genus-level detection. Under the optimized condition, the lower detected thresholds of AvrPik, Avr-Piz-t and Avr-Pi9 were 10 fg/µl, 100 fg/µl and 10 pg/µl, respectively. Notably, the detection sensitivity of three Avr genes was much higher than that of PCR. In addition, we also successfully detected the presence of AvrPik, Avr-Piz-t and Avr-Pi9 in the leaf and panicle blast lesions with the RPA-LFD detection system. In particular, the genomic DNA was extracted using the simpler PEG-NaOH rapid extraction method. In summary, we developed the RPA detection system for AvrPik, Avr-Pi9 and Avr-Piz-t, combined with the PEG-NaOH rapid DNA extraction method. The innovative approach achieved rapid, real-time and accurate detection of three Avr genes in the field, which is helpful to understand the distribution frequency of the three Avr genes in the field and provide theoretical reference for the scientific layout of rice resistant varieties.

Development and validation of a point-of-care nursing mobile tool to guide the diagnosis of malnutrition in hospitalized adult patients: a multicenter, prospective cohort study.

Malnutrition is a prevalent and severe issue in hospitalized patients with chronic diseases. However, malnutrition screening is often overlooked or inaccurate due to lack of awareness and experience among health care providers. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel digital smartphone-based self-administered tool that uses facial features, especially the ocular area, as indicators of malnutrition in inpatient patients with chronic diseases. Facial photographs and malnutrition screening scales were collected from 619 patients in four different hospitals. A machine learning model based on back propagation neural network was trained, validated, and tested using these data. The model showed a significant correlation (p < 0.05) and a high accuracy (area under the curve 0.834-0.927) in different patient groups. The point-of-care mobile tool can be used to screen malnutrition with good accuracy and accessibility, showing its potential for screening malnutrition in patients with chronic diseases.

Screening and performance optimization of fungi for heavy metal adsorption in electrolytes.

The resource recovery and reuse of precious metal-laden wastewater is widely recognized as crucial for sustainable development. Superalloy electrolytes, produced through the electrolysis of superalloy scrap, contain significant quantities of precious metal ions, thereby possessing substantial potential for recovery value. This study first explores the feasibility of utilizing fungi to treat Superalloy electrolytes. Five fungi resistant to high concentrations of heavy metals in electrolytes (mainly containing Co, Cr, Mo, Re, and Ni) were screened from the soil of a mining area to evaluate their adsorption characteristics. All five fungi were identified by ITS sequencing, and among them, Paecilomyces lilacinus showed the best adsorption performance for the five heavy metals; therefore, we conducted further research on its adsorption characteristics. The best adsorption effect of Co, Cr, Mo, Re, and Ni was 37.09, 64.41, 47.87, 41.59, and 25.38%, respectively, under the conditions of pH 5, time 1 h, dosage 26.67 g/L, temperature 25-30°C, and an initial metal concentration that was diluted fivefold in the electrolyte. The biosorption of Co, Mo, Re, and Ni was better matched by the Langmuir model than by the Freundlich model, while Cr displayed the opposite pattern, showing that the adsorption process of P. lilacinus for the five heavy metals is not a single adsorption mechanism, but may involve a multi-step adsorption process. The kinetics study showed that the quasi-second-order model fitted better than the quasi-first-order model, indicating that chemical adsorption was the main adsorption process of the five heavy metals in P. lilacinus. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the relevant active groups, i.e., hydroxyl (-OH), amino (-NH2), amide (- CONH2), carbonyl (-C = O), carboxyl (-COOH), and phosphate (PO43-), participated in the adsorption process. This study emphasized the potential application of P. lilacinus in the treatment of industrial wastewater with extremely complex background values.

Effects of temperature anomaly on sperm quality: A multi-center study of 33,234 men.

Backgrounds: Global fertility rates continue to decline and sperm quality is a prime factor affecting male fertility. Both extreme cold and heat have been demonstrated to be associated with decreased sperm quality, but no epidemiological studies have considered human adaptation to long-term temperature. Our aim was to conduct a multi-center retrospective cohort study to investigate exposure-response relationship between temperature anomaly (TA) that deviate from long-term climate patterns and sperm quality. Methods: A total of 78,952 semen samples measured in 33,234 donors from 6 provincial human sperm banks in China were collected. This study considered heat and cold acclimatization to prolonged exposure in humans and explored the exposure-response relationship between TAs and sperm quality parameters (sperm concentrations, sperm count, progressive motility, progressive sperm count, total motility and total motile sperm count) during the hot and cold seasons, respectively. Linear mixed models and generalized linear models were built separately for specific centers to pool in a meta-analysis to obtain the pooled effect of TA on sperm quality, considering repeated measurements data structure and spatial heterogeneity. Results: We identified an inverted U-shaped exposure-response relationship between TA and sperm quality during the hot season. Significant negative effect of anomalous cold on sperm quality during the hot season was found after additional adjustment for Body mass index, marital status and childbearing history. The heat-related TA in hot season was significantly negatively associated with sperm concentration, progressive sperm count and total motile sperm count (all P-values<0.05). After adjusting the relative humidity, the cold-related TA in cold season was negatively associated with the sperm total motility (P-values<0.05). Conclusions: Our results suggest both heat-related and cold-related TAs are associated with decreased sperm quality. The findings highlight the importance of reducing exposure to anomalous temperatures to protect male fertility.

Room Temperature Ionic Liquid Capping Layer for High Efficiency FAPbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells with Long-Term Stability.

Ionic liquid salts (ILs) are generally recognized as additives in perovskite precursor solutions to enhance the efficiency and stability of solar cells. However, the success of ILs incorporation as additives is highly dependent on the precursor formulation and perovskite crystallization process, posing challenges for industrial-scale implementation. In this study, a room-temperature spin-coated IL, n-butylamine acetate (BAAc), is identified as an ideal passivation agent for formamidinium lead iodide (FAPbI3) films. Compared with other passivation methods, the room-temperature BAAc capping layer (BAAc RT) demonstrates more uniform and thorough passivation of surface defects in the FAPbI3 perovskite. Additionally, it provides better energy level alignment for hole extraction. As a result, the champion n-i-p perovskite solar cell with a BAAc capping layer exhibits a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.76%, with an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.19 V, and a Voc loss of ≈330 mV. The PCE of the perovskite mini-module with BAAc RT reaches 20.47%, showcasing the effectiveness and viability of this method for manufacturing large-area perovskite solar cells. Moreover, the BAAc passivation layer also improves the long-term stability of unencapsulated FAPbI3 perovskite solar cells, enabling a T80 lifetime of  3500 h when stored at 35% relative humidity at room temperature in an air atmosphere.

Optimizing Molecular Crystallinity and Suppressing Electron-Phonon Coupling in Completely Non-Fused Ring Electron Acceptors for Organic Solar Cells.

High open-circuit voltage (Voc) organic solar cells (OSCs) have received increasing attention because of their promising application in tandem devices and indoor photovoltaics. However, the lack of a precise correlation between molecular structure and stacking behaviors of wide band gap electron acceptors has greatly limited its development. Here, we adopted an asymmetric halogenation strategy (AHS) and synthesized two completely non-fused ring electron acceptors (NFREAs), HF-BTA33 and HCl-BTA33. The results show that AHS significantly enhances the molecular dipoles and suppresses electron-phonon coupling, resulting in enhanced intramolecular/intermolecular interactions and decreased nonradiative decay. As a result, PTQ10 : HF-BTA33 realizes a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.42 % with a Voc of 1.232 V, higher than that of symmetric analogue F-BTA33 (PCE=10.02 %, Voc=1.197 V). Notably, PTQ10 : HCl-BTA33 achieves the highest PCE of 12.54 % with a Voc of 1.201 V due to the long-range ordered π-π packing and enhanced surface electrostatic interactions thereby facilitating exciton dissociation and charge transport. This work not only proves that asymmetric halogenation of completely NFREAs is a simple and effective strategy for achieving both high PCE and Voc, but also provides deeper insights for the precise molecular design of low cost completely NFREAs.

Dithienoquinoxalineimide-Based Polymer Donor Enables All-Polymer Solar Cells Over 19 % Efficiency.

All-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) have been regarded as one of the most promising candidates for commercial applications owing to their outstanding advantages such as mechanical flexibility, light weight and stable film morphology. However, compared to large amount of new-emerging excellent polymer acceptors, the development of high-performance polymer donor lags behind. Herein, a new D-π-A type polymer donor, namely QQ1, was developed based on dithienoquinoxalineimide (DTQI) as the A unit, benzodithiophene with thiophene-conjugated side chains (BDTT) as the D unit, and alkyl-thiophene as the π-bridge, respectively. QQ1 not only possesses a strong dipole moment, but also shows a wide band gap of 1.80 eV and a deep HOMO energy level of -5.47 eV, even without halogen substituents that are commonly indispensable for high-performance polymer donors. When blended with a classic polymer acceptor PY-IT, the QQ1-based all-PSC delivers an outstanding PCE of 18.81 %. After the introduction of F-BTA3 as the third component, a record PCE of 19.20 % was obtained, the highest value reported so far for all-PSCs. The impressive photovoltaic performance originates from broad absorption range, reduced energy loss, and compact π-π stacking. These results provide new insight in the rational design of novel nonhalogenated polymer donors for further development of all-PSCs.

PTOV1-AS1 desensitizes colorectal cancer cells to 5-FU through depressing miR-149-5p to activate the positive feedback loop with Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

5-Fluorouracil is a commonly used chemotherapy drug for colorectal cancer. Resistance to 5-Fluorouracil remains a challenge. This research aimed to explore the mechanism of 5-Fluorouracil resistance in colorectal cancer. RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to determine the RNA and protein expression in both cells and exosome. Assays in vitro and in vivo were performed to measure the role of miR-149-5p in colorectal cancer cells. RIP, luciferase activity report, and RNA pulldown assay were applied to detect the association of PTOV1-AS1, SUV39H1, miR-149-5p, and FOXM1. MiR-149-5p was down-expressed in 5-Fluorouracil-resistant cells. MiR-149-5p enhanced the effectiveness of 5-Fluorouracil both in vitro and in vivo. Sensitive colorectal cancer cells released exosomal miR-149-5p to sensitize resistant cells to chemotherapy. Mechanistically, miR-149-5p targeted the FOXM1 to inactivate Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, and PTOV1-AS1 recruited SUV39H1 to suppress miR-149-5p transcription, in turn activating Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, and forming a positive feedback loop with FOXM1. PTOV1-AS1 inhibits miR-149-5p by a positive feedback loop with FOXM1-mediated Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, which provides insights into a potential novel target for enhancing the effectiveness of chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients.

Stromal Vascular Fraction Gel (SVF-Gel) Combined with Nanofat for Tear Trough Deformity.

BACKGROUND: Tear trough deformity makes patients appear tired. Patients with less severe tear trough deformity prefer a less invasive method to correct the deformity. The infraorbital area is a multilayered tissue, and the aging of various components leads to tear trough deformity. To this end, we utilized the different characteristics of different fat derivatives to correct tear trough deformity. METHODS: Thirty-two patients with Barton Grade I/II tear trough deformity were enrolled in this study between September 2020 and March 2021. We injected Stromal Vascular Fraction Gel (SVF-Gel) into the suborbicularis oculi fat layer and Nanofat into the subcutaneous. After 12 months of follow-up, we evaluated the changes using standardized clinical photogrammetric techniques, volume, global aesthetic improvement scale, and patient self-evaluation. RESULTS: There were no major complications in any of the 32 patients. The measured data points demonstrated improvements in all aesthetic parameters. The width of the tear trough and the distance from the pupil to the tear trough improved. The Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) showed a high score (2.45±0.64 points), with patient self-assessment showing satisfactory results. CONCLUSION: SVF-Gel combined with Nanofat injection can effectively correct tear trough deformities. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Development and Validation of a Patient Discharge Readiness Scale for Daytime Cataract Surgery (DRS-CAT).

PURPOSE: To ensure the safety of patients discharged from the hospital, a nurse-assessed scale for outpatient cataract surgery patients was constructed to provide a special tool for cataract patients' discharge readiness evaluation. DESIGN: This is a methodological study. METHODS: The development of the tool was completed between 2021 and 2022. Based on the literature review and qualitative interviews, the initial entry pool of the discharge readiness scale was established. After consultation with Delphi experts, the preliminary scale was tested by 312 participants to screen items and test reliability and validity. The analysis included internal consistency, content validity, and construct validity. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observation studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist was used as the reporting guideline for this study. FINDINGS: The final Discharge Readiness Scale for Cataract surgery consists of 21 items in five dimensions: cognition of discharge readiness, personal status, mastery of health education knowledge, coping capacity, and social support. Five common factors were extracted from the exploratory factor analysis, and they explained 70.12% of the total variance. All of the indexes of the confirmatory factor analysis were within the theoretical allowable range. The Cronbach's α of the total scale was 0.903, and the scale-level content validity index/average variance extracted was 0.99. CONCLUSIONS: The Discharge Readiness Scale for Cataract surgery, evaluated by nurses, has good reliability and validity and can be used to determine the discharge readiness of cataract patients undergoing day surgery.

Prediction of molecular mechanism of processed ginseng in the treatment of heart failure based on network pharmacology and molecular docking technology.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is the most common cardiovascular disease in clinics. Processed Panax ginseng C.A. Mey. Products have significant therapeutic effects on HF. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore the mechanism of action of Processed Panax ginseng C.A. Mey. Products in the treatment of HF. METHODS: The saponin-like constituents of 3 different ginseng preparations were characterized by UPLC/QE-MS and the identified saponin constituents were subjected to network pharmacological analysis. Protein-protein interaction analyses of the targets of different ginseng preparations for the treatment of heart failure (HF) were performed using the STRING database, Gene Ontology enrichment analyses and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the DAVID database, and the results of the network pharmacological analyses were validated using the Autodock software. Finally, the relative quantitative content of 5 major ginsenosides in 3 processed ginseng products was evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 40 saponin compounds were identified based on mass spectrometry data. Network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses were used to predict the major targets of these sapions compounds and the key pathways mediating their anti-HF effects. After conducting a thorough screening, the study identified 5 primary ingredients of ginseng products ginsenoside Rh4, ginsenoside Rk3, ginsenoside Rk1, ginsenoside Rg5, and ginsenoside CK that can potentially target 22 essential proteins: EGFR, AKT1, ERBB2, STAT3, TNF, ESR1, MTOR, HRAS, MMP9, and PIK3CA, etc. Additionally, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed that ginseng products can be beneficial in treating HF by interacting with pathways such as the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, the TNF signaling pathway, the mTOR signaling pathway, and others. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that the treatment of HF with different processed ginseng products may be related to the regulation of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, apoptosis pathway, mTOR signaling pathway, etc, and that the key active ingredients may be concentrated in black ginseng, which provides a theoretical basis and direction for the further study of the mechanism of action of ginseng. This provides a theoretical basis and research direction for further in-depth study of its mechanism of action.

The Spectrum of Low-pTJ/ψ in Heavy-Ion Collisions in a Statistical Two-Body Fractal Model.

We establish a statistical two-body fractal (STF) model to study the spectrum of J/ψ. J/ψ serves as a reliable probe in heavy-ion collisions. The distribution of J/ψ in hadron gas is influenced by flow, quantum and strong interaction effects. Previous models have predominantly focused on one or two of these effects while neglecting the others, resulting in the inclusion of unconsidered effects in the fitted parameters. Here, we study the issue from a new point of view by analyzing the fact that all three effects induce a self-similarity structure, involving a J/ψ-π two-meson state and a J/ψ, π two-quark state, respectively. We introduce modification factor qTBS and q2 into the probability and entropy of charmonium. qTBS denotes the modification of self-similarity on J/ψ, q2 denotes that of self-similarity and strong interaction between c and c¯ on quarks. By solving the probability and entropy equations, we derive the values of qTBS and q2 at various collision energies and centralities. Substituting the value of qTBS into distribution function, we successfully obtain the transverse momentum spectrum of low-pT J/ψ, which demonstrates good agreement with experimental data. The STF model can be employed to investigate other mesons and resonance states.

LncRNAs in non-small cell lung cancer: novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the main causes of cancer-related death worldwide, with a serious impact on human health and life. The identification of NSCLC at an early stage is a formidable task that frequently culminates in a belated diagnosis. LncRNA is a kind of noncoding RNA with limited protein-coding capacity, and its expression is out of balance in many cancers, especially NSCLC. A large number of studies have reported that lncRNA acts a vital role in regulating angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis, and the proliferation and apoptosis of tumor cells, affecting the occurrence and development of NSCLC. Abundant evidence demonstrates that lncRNAs may serve as potential biomarkers for NSCLC diagnosis and prognosis. In this review, we summarize the latest progress in characterizing the functional mechanism of lncRNAs involved in the development of NSCLC and further discuss the role of lncRNAs in NSCLC therapy and chemotherapy resistance. We also discuss the advantages, limitations, and challenges of using lncRNAs as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers in the management of NSCLC.

A2 -A1 -D-A1 -A2 -Type Nonfullerene Acceptors.

The A2 -A1 -D-A1 -A2 -type molecules consist of one electron-donating (D) core flanked by two electron-accepting units (A1 and A2 ) and have emerged as an essential branch of nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs). These molecules generally possess higher molecular energy levels and wider optical bandgaps compared with those of the classic A-D-A- and A-DA'D-A-type NFAs, owing to the attenuated intramolecular charge transfer effect. These characteristics make them compelling choices for the fabrication of high-voltage organic photovoltaics (OPVs), ternary OPVs, and indoor OPVs. Herein, the recent progress in the A2 -A1 -D-A1 -A2 -type NFAs are reviewed, including the molecular engineering, structure-property relationships, voltage loss (Vloss ), device stability, and photovoltaic performance of binary, ternary, and indoor OPVs. Finally, the challenges and provided prospects are discussed for the further development of this type of NFAs.