Chronic Neuropathic Pain and Comorbid Depression Syndrome: From Neural Circuit Mechanisms to Treatment.

Chronic neuropathic pain and comorbid depression syndrome (CDS) is a major worldwide health problem that affects the quality of life of patients and imposes a tremendous socioeconomic burden. More than half of patients with chronic neuropathic pain also suffer from moderate or severe depression. Due to the complex pathogenesis of CDS, there are no effective therapeutic drugs available. The lack of research on the neural circuit mechanisms of CDS limits the development of treatments. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the various circuits involved in CDS. Notably, activating some neural circuits can alleviate pain and/or depression, while activating other circuits can exacerbate these conditions. Moreover, we discuss current and emerging pharmacotherapies for CDS, such as ketamine. Understanding the circuit mechanisms of CDS may provide clues for the development of novel drug treatments for improved CDS management.

Polyoxometalate Clusters Confined in Reduced Graphene Oxide Membranes for Effective Ion Sieving and Desalination.

Efficient 2D membranes play a critical role in water purification and desalination. However, most 2D membranes, such as graphene oxide (GO) membranes, tend to swell or disintegrate in liquid, making precise ionic sieving a tough challenge. Herein, the fabrication of the polyoxometalate clusters (PW12) intercalated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) membrane (rGO-PW12) is reported through a polyoxometalate-assisted in situ photoreduction strategy. The intercalated PW12 result in the interlayer spacing in the sub-nanometer scale and induce a nanoconfinement effect to repel the ions in various salt solutions. The permeation rate of rGO-PW12 membranes are about two orders of magnitude lower than those through the GO membrane. The confinement of nanochannels also generate the excellent non-swelling stability of rGO-PW12 membranes in aqueous solutions up to 400 h. Moreover, when applied in forward osmosis, the rGO-PW12 membranes with a thickness of 90 nm not only exhibit a high-water permeance of up to 0.11790 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 and high NaCl rejection (98.3%), but also reveal an ultrahigh water/salt selectivity of 4740. Such significantly improved ion-exclusion ability and high-water flux benefit from the multi-interactions and nanoconfinement effect between PW12 and rGO nanosheets, which afford a well-interlinked lamellar structure via hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions.

SOD3 suppresses early cellular immune responses to parasite infection.

Host immune responses are tightly controlled by various immune factors during infection, and protozoan parasites also manipulate the immune system to evade surveillance, leading to an evolutionary arms race in host‒pathogen interactions; however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We observed that the level of superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3) was significantly elevated in both Plasmodium falciparum malaria patients and mice infected with four parasite species. SOD3-deficient mice had a substantially longer survival time and lower parasitemia than control mice after infection, whereas SOD3-overexpressing mice were much more vulnerable to parasite infection. We revealed that SOD3, secreted from activated neutrophils, bound to T cells, suppressed the interleukin-2 expression and concomitant interferon-gamma responses crucial for parasite clearance. Overall, our findings expose active fronts in the arms race between the parasites and host immune system and provide insights into the roles of SOD3 in shaping host innate immune responses to parasite infection.

Successful Treatment of Severe Steroid-Resistant Engraftment Syndrome Following Haploidentical Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Emapalumab: A Case Report.

Engraftment syndrome (ES) is an early complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) characterized by fever and additional clinical manifestations including rash, diarrhea, lung infiltrates, weight gain, and neurological symptoms. Steroid-resistant ES following HSCT significantly affects the efficacy of transplantation and may even result in patient mortality. As ES essentially represents a cytokine storm induced by engrafted donor cells with interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) playing a central role, we hypothesized that emapalumab (an anti-IFN-γ monoclonal antibody) may be an effective approach to treat steroid-resistant ES. Here, we present a case report of a 14-year-old female patient who received a second haploidentical HSCT due to a relapse of acute myeloid leukemia. Nine days after the transplantation, the patient developed a fever and exhibited a poor response to antimicrobials (ceftazidime/avibactam). A few days later, the patient presented with a new-onset rash, weight gain, and impaired liver function, leading to a diagnosis of ES. Initial immunosuppressive (tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil) treatment failed to control the disease. On day 16 post-transplantation, the patient received two infusions of 50 mg of emapalumab. Following the initiation of emapalumab treatment, the patient's fever returned to normal and ES was effectively controlled. This case report demonstrated that emapalumab had a possible efficacy for steroid-resistant ES and provided a novel therapeutic strategy to treat this clinical complication.

Current knowledge about immunotherapy resistance for melanoma and potential predictive and prognostic biomarkers.

Melanoma still reaches thousands of new diagnoses per year, and its aggressiveness makes recovery challenging, especially for those with stage III/IV unresectable melanoma. Immunotherapy, emerging as a beacon of hope, stands at the forefront of treatments for advanced melanoma. This review delves into the various immunotherapeutic strategies, prominently featuring cytokine immunotherapy, adoptive cell therapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and vaccinations. Among these, immune checkpoint inhibitors, notably anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) antibodies, emerge as the leading strategy. However, a significant subset of melanoma patients remains unresponsive to these inhibitors, underscoring the need for potent biomarkers. Efficient biomarkers have the potential to revolutionize the therapeutic landscape by facilitating the design of personalized treatments for patients with melanoma. This comprehensive review highlights the latest advancements in melanoma immunotherapy and potential biomarkers at the epicenter of recent research endeavors.

The physicochemical interacting mechanisms and real-time spectral induced polarization monitoring of lead remediation by an aeolian soil.

Compared to traditional lead-remediating materials, natural-occurring paleosol is ubiquitous and could be a promising alternative due to its rich content in calcite, a substance known for its lead-removal ability via carbonate dissolution-PbCO3 precipitation process. Yet, the capability of paleosol to remediate aqueous solutions polluted with heavy metals, lead included, has rarely been assessed. To fill this gap, a series of column permeation experiments with influent Pb2+ concentrations of 2000, 200, and 20 mg/L were conducted and monitored by the spectral induced polarization technique. Meanwhile, the SEM-EDS, XRD, XPS, FTIR and MIP tests were carried out to unveil the underlying remediation mechanisms. The Pb-retention capacity of paleosol was 1.03 mmol/g. The increasing abundance of Pb in the newly-formed crystals was confirmed to be PbCO3 by XRD, SEM-EDS and XPS. Concurrently, after Pb2+ permeation, the decreasing calcite content in paleosol sample from XRD test, and the appearance of Ca2+ in the effluent confirmed that the dissolution of CaCO3 followed by the precipitation of PbCO3 was the major mechanism. The accumulated Pb (i.e., the diminished Ca) in paleosol was inversely proportional (R2 >0.82) to the normalized chargeability (mn), an SIP parameter denoting the quantity of polarizable units (primarily calcite).

Asymmetric and Chemoselective Iridium Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Conjugated Unsaturated Oxime Ethers.

Research on the chemoselective metal-catalyzed hydrogenation of conjugated π-systems has mostly been focussed on enones. Herein, we communicate the understudied asymmetric hydrogenation of enimines catalyzed by N,P-iridium complexes and chemoselective toward the alkene. A number of enoxime ethers underwent hydrogenation smoothly to yield the desired products in high yield and stereopurity (up to 99 % yield, up to 99 % ee). No hydrogenation of the C=N π-bond was observed under the applied reaction conditions (20 bar H2, rt, DCM). It was demonstrated that the chiral oxime ether could be hydrolyzed into the ketone with complete preservation of the installed stereogenity at the α-carbon. At last, a binding mode of the substrate to the active iridium catalyst and the consequence for the stereoselective outcome was proposed.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Interaction within the Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Modified Montmorillonite Lamellae at Aggressive CuCl2 Concentrations.

To elucidate the degradation mechanism of the CMC-modified MMT composite at aggressive Cu2+ concentrations, large scale molecular dynamics simulation was conducted for CuCl2 concentrations ranging from 0 to 800 mM. Both CMC and MMT followed the Langmuir isotherm for Cu2+ adsorption, and the adsorption capacity of CMC (8.75 mmol/g) was much higher than that of MMT (0.83 mmol/g). Despite the CMC mass ratio being only 4.1%, it adsorbed up to 34.3% of the total adsorbed Cu2+. The Cu2+ attraction ability hierarchy of oxygen-containing functional groups in the CMC is as follows: carboxylic oxygens > alcoholic oxygens > carbinolic oxygens > bridging oxygens > glucose oxygens. Carboxyls were the most effective in chelating and complexing with Cu2+, and they could be intentionally added in artificially synthesized polymer-MMT composites for Cu2+ containment. Formation of the Cu2+ cation bridge between CMC and MMT at aggressive CuCl2 concentrations contributed to the transition of CMC density distribution from unimodality to bimodality and enhanced resistance of polymer elution. As the CuCl2 concentration increased, the stoichiometric ratio between the chelated Cu2+ and carboxylic oxygens increased from 1:2 to 1:1, suggesting the evolution of the Cu2+ chelation mechanism.

Urban development pattern's influence on extreme rainfall occurrences.

Growing urban population and the distinct strategies to accommodate them lead to diverse urban development patterns worldwide. While local evidence suggests the presence of urban signatures in rainfall anomalies, there is limited understanding of how rainfall responds to divergent urban development patterns worldwide. Here we unveil a divergence in the exposure to extreme rainfall for 1790 inland cities globally, attributable to their respective urban development patterns. Cities that experience compact development tend to witness larger increases in extreme rainfall frequency over downtown than their rural surroundings, while the anomalies in extreme rainfall frequency diminish for cities with dispersed development. Convection-permitting simulations further suggest compact urban footprints lead to more pronounced urban-rural thermal contrasts and aerodynamic disturbances. This is directly responsible for the divergent rainfall responses to urban development patterns. Our analyses offer significant insights pertaining to the priorities and potential of city-level efforts to mitigate the emerging climate-related hazards, particularly for countries experiencing rapid urbanization.

A comprehensive review of advances in hepatocyte microencapsulation: selecting materials and preserving cell viability.

Liver failure represents a critical medical condition with a traditionally grim prognosis, where treatment options have been notably limited. Historically, liver transplantation has stood as the sole definitive cure, yet the stark disparity between the limited availability of liver donations and the high demand for such organs has significantly hampered its feasibility. This discrepancy has necessitated the exploration of hepatocyte transplantation as a temporary, supportive intervention. In light of this, our review delves into the burgeoning field of hepatocyte transplantation, with a focus on the latest advancements in maintaining hepatocyte function, co-microencapsulation techniques, xenogeneic hepatocyte transplantation, and the selection of materials for microencapsulation. Our examination of hepatocyte microencapsulation research highlights that, to date, most studies have been conducted in vitro or using liver failure mouse models, with a notable paucity of experiments on larger mammals. The functionality of microencapsulated hepatocytes is primarily inferred through indirect measures such as urea and albumin production and the rate of ammonia clearance. Furthermore, research on the mechanisms underlying hepatocyte co-microencapsulation remains limited, and the practicality of xenogeneic hepatocyte transplantation requires further validation. The potential of hepatocyte microencapsulation extends beyond the current scope of application, suggesting a promising horizon for liver failure treatment modalities. Innovations in encapsulation materials and techniques aim to enhance cell viability and function, indicating a need for comprehensive studies that bridge the gap between small-scale laboratory success and clinical applicability. Moreover, the integration of bioengineering and regenerative medicine offers novel pathways to refine hepatocyte transplantation, potentially overcoming the challenges of immune rejection and ensuring the long-term functionality of transplanted cells. In conclusion, while hepatocyte microencapsulation and transplantation herald a new era in liver failure therapy, significant strides must be made to translate these experimental approaches into viable clinical solutions. Future research should aim to expand the experimental models to include larger mammals, thereby providing a clearer understanding of the clinical potential of these therapies. Additionally, a deeper exploration into the mechanisms of cell survival and function within microcapsules, alongside the development of innovative encapsulation materials, will be critical in advancing the field and offering new hope to patients with liver failure.

Genome characterisation and comparative analysis of Schaalia dentiphila sp. nov. and its subspecies, S. dentiphila subsp. denticola subsp. nov., from the human oral cavity.

BACKGROUND: Schaalia species are primarily found among the oral microbiota of humans and other animals. They have been associated with various infections through their involvement in biofilm formation, modulation of host responses, and interaction with other microorganisms. In this study, two strains previously indicated as Actinomyces spp. were found to be novel members of the genus Schaalia based on their whole genome sequences. RESULTS: Whole-genome sequencing revealed both strains with a genome size of 2.3 Mbp and GC contents of 65.5%. Phylogenetics analysis for taxonomic placement revealed strains NCTC 9931 and C24 as distinct species within the genus Schaalia. Overall genome-relatedness indices including digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH), and average nucleotide/amino acid identity (ANI/AAI) confirmed both strains as distinct species, with values below the species boundary thresholds (dDDH < 70%, and ANI and AAI < 95%) when compared to nearest type strain Schaalia odontolytica NCTC 9935 T. Pangenome and orthologous analyses highlighted their differences in gene properties and biological functions compared to existing type strains. Additionally, the identification of genomic islands (GIs) and virulence-associated factors indicated their genetic diversity and potential adaptive capabilities, as well as potential implications for human health. Notably, CRISPR-Cas systems in strain NCTC 9931 underscore its adaptive immune mechanisms compared to strain C24. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, strain NCTC 9931T (= ATCC 17982T = DSM 43331T = CIP 104728T = CCUG 18309T = NCTC 14978T = CGMCC 1.90328T) represents a novel species, for which the name Schaalia dentiphila subsp. dentiphila sp. nov. subsp. nov. is proposed, while strain C24T (= NCTC 14980T = CGMCC 1.90329T) represents a distinct novel subspecies, for which the name Schaalia dentiphila subsp. denticola. subsp. nov. is proposed. This study enriches our understanding of the genomic diversity of Schaalia species and paves the way for further investigations into their roles in oral health. SIGNIFICANCE: This research reveals two Schaalia strains, NCTC 9931 T and C24T, as novel entities with distinct genomic features. Expanding the taxonomic framework of the genus Schaalia, this study offers a critical resource for probing the metabolic intricacies and resistance patterns of these bacteria. This work stands as a cornerstone for microbial taxonomy, paving the way for significant advances in clinical diagnostics.

Advancing kidney xenotransplantation with anesthesia and surgery - bridging preclinical and clinical frontiers challenges and prospects.

Xenotransplantation is emerging as a vital solution to the critical shortage of organs available for transplantation, significantly propelled by advancements in genetic engineering and the development of sophisticated immunosuppressive treatments. Specifically, the transplantation of kidneys from genetically engineered pigs into human patients has made significant progress, offering a potential clinical solution to the shortage of human kidney supply. Recent trials involving the transplantation of these modified porcine kidneys into deceased human bodies have underscored the practicality of this approach, advancing the field towards potential clinical applications. However, numerous challenges remain, especially in the domains of identifying suitable donor-recipient matches and formulating effective immunosuppressive protocols crucial for transplant success. Critical to advancing xenotransplantation into clinical settings are the nuanced considerations of anesthesia and surgical practices required for these complex procedures. The precise genetic modification of porcine kidneys marks a significant leap in addressing the biological and immunological hurdles that have traditionally challenged xenotransplantation. Yet, the success of these transplants hinges on the process of meticulously matching these organs with human recipients, which demands thorough understanding of immunological compatibility, the risk of organ rejection, and the prevention of zoonotic disease transmission. In parallel, the development and optimization of immunosuppressive protocols are imperative to mitigate rejection risks while minimizing side effects, necessitating innovative approaches in both pharmacology and clinical practices. Furthermore, the post-operative care of recipients, encompassing vigilant monitoring for signs of organ rejection, infectious disease surveillance, and psychological support, is crucial for ensuring post-transplant life quality. This comprehensive care highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach involving transplant surgeons, anesthesiologists, immunologists, infectiologists and psychiatrists. The integration of anesthesia and surgical expertise is particularly vital, ensuring the best possible outcomes of those patients undergoing these novel transplants, through safe procedural practices. As xenotransplantation moving closer to clinical reality, establishing consensus guidelines on various aspects, including donor-recipient selection, immunosuppression, as well as surgical and anesthetic management of these transplants, is essential. Addressing these challenges through rigorous research and collective collaboration will be the key, not only to navigate the ethical, medical, and logistical complexities of introducing kidney xenotransplantation into mainstream clinical practice, but also itself marks a new era in organ transplantation.

Correlation of SARS-CoV-2 in Wastewater and Individual Testing Results in a Jail, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Institution-level wastewater-based surveillance was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, including in carceral facilities. We examined the relationship between COVID-19 diagnostic test results of residents in a jail in Atlanta, Georgia, USA (average population ≈2,700), and quantitative reverse transcription PCR signal for SARS-CoV-2 in weekly wastewater samples collected during October 2021‒May 2022. The jail offered residents rapid antigen testing at entry and periodic mass screenings by reverse transcription PCR of self-collected nasal swab specimens. We aggregated individual test data, calculated the Spearman correlation coefficient, and performed logistic regression to examine the relationship between strength of SARS-CoV-2 PCR signal (cycle threshold value) in wastewater and percentage of jail population that tested positive for COVID-19. Of 13,745 nasal specimens collected, 3.9% were COVID-positive (range 0%-29.5% per week). We observed a strong inverse correlation between diagnostic test positivity and cycle threshold value (r = -0.67; p<0.01). Wastewater-based surveillance represents an effective strategy for jailwide surveillance of COVID-19.

Integrating intra- and interpersonal perspectives on chronic low back pain: the role of emotion regulation and attachment insecurity.

Objective: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is burdensome and interferes with psychological and physical functioning of those affected. Past research has examined interpersonal (e.g., attachment insecurity) or intrapersonal factors (e.g., emotion regulation [ER]) involved in chronic pain. However, to enhance our understanding of CLBP's biopsychosocial underpinnings, more empirical integration of both intra- and interpersonal factors involved in CLBP is needed. Thus, our study examined the independent and joint associations of insecure attachment dimensions and ER strategies with CLBP severity and interference. Methods: We recruited 242 US adults with CLBP through Prolific Academic, an online participant pool. Participants from Prolific Academic were eligible for the study if they were at least 18 years of age, resided in the US, reported CLBP at least half the days over the past 6 months (>3 months), and used prescribed pain medication for their CLBP. Data collection was between November 2021 and February 2022. Eligible participants filled out a Qualtrics survey which consisted of measures assessing insecure attachment dimensions, ER strategies, as well as demographical information. Outcome variables in the present study were CLBP severity and interference. We ran multiple linear regression models to examine the associations between ER strategies and insecure attachment dimensions as predictors, and CLBP severity or interference as predicted variables, after controlling for sex as a covariate; we also conducted moderation analyses to investigate the interactions between ER strategies and insecure attachment dimensions when testing associations with CLBP severity or interference. Results: Our results indicated that, after controlling for ER strategies, anxious attachment was positively associated with CLBP interference but not pain severity (CI: 0.101 to 0.569; CI: -0.149 to 0.186); avoidant attachment was not associated with CLBP interference or severity (CI: -0.047 to 0.511; CI: -0.143 to 0.256). After adjusting for anxious and avoidant attachment, emotional expression and expressive suppression were positively associated with CLBP severity (CI: 0.037 to 0.328; CI: 0.028 to 0.421) but not interference (CI: -0.003 to 0.403; CI: -0.406 to 0.143). Furthermore, emotional expression was associated with CLBP severity and interference at low and medium levels of avoidant attachment (CI: 0.165 to 0.682; CI: 0.098 to 0.455); expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal did not interact with attachment dimensions when examining CLBP severity or interference (CIs: LLs ≤ -0.291 to ULs ≥ 0.030). Conclusion: Our study shows that anxious attachment may be an interpersonal risk factor related to CLBP, above and beyond intrapersonal ERs, as anxious attachment was associated with higher levels of pain interference. Furthermore, emotional expression was associated with increased CLBP severity and interference, particularly among individuals at low and medium levels of avoidant attachment. Existing studies on chronic pain have mostly focused on examining intrapersonal or interpersonal correlates in isolation. The present study extends our understanding of CLBP by considering the role of interpersonal factors (i.e., insecure attachment dimensions), in combination with intrapersonal ER strategies. Given the correlational nature of the present study, longitudinal studies are needed to establish causality between psychosocial correlates and CLBP symptoms. Ultimately, we hope our integrated approach will facilitate the development of treatments and interventions tailored to address patients' attachment-related needs, enhancing the management and maintenance of CLBP among patients.

Phenanthroline-functionalized donor-acceptor covalent organic frameworks as photo-responsive nanozymes for visual colorimetric detection of isoniazid.

Development of metal-free nanozymes has raised concern for their extensive applications in photocatalysis and sensing fields. As novel metal-free nanomaterials, covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have engendered intense interest in the construction of nanozymes due to their structural controllability and molecular functionality. The formation of the molecular arrangement by embedding orderly donor-acceptors (D-A) linked in the framework topology to modulate material properties for highly efficient enzyme mimicking activity is of importance but challenging. Here, a strong D-A type of COF was designed and synthesized by integrating electron donor units (pyrene) and electron acceptor units (phenanthroline), named Py-PD COF. Using experiments and theoretical calculations, the introduction of a phenanthroline ring endowed the Py-PD COF with a narrowed band gap, and efficient charge transfer and separation. Further, the Py-PD COF exhibited a superior light-responsive oxidase-mimicking characteristic under visible light irradiation, which could catalyze the oxidation of 3,3',5,5-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and give the corresponding evolution of color. The nanoenzymatic activity of the Py-PD COF was light-regulated, which offers a fascinating advantage because of its high efficiency and spatial controllability. Based on previously mentioned characteristics, an "on-off" sensing platform for the colorimetric analysis of isoniazid (INH) could be constructed with a good linear relationship (2-100 µM) and a low limit of detection (1.26 µM). This research shows that not only is Py-PD COF an environmentally friendly compound for the colorimetric detection of INH, but it is also capable of providing the interesting D-A type COF-based material for designing an excellent nanozyme.

Robust speed estimation for a moving harmonic acoustic source with a single stationary sensor.

A noise-insensitive cost function was developed for estimating the speed of harmonic acoustic sources in uniform linear motion. This function weighs and integrates the energy distribution of received tones in the time-frequency plane to enhance the robustness of parameter estimation under low signal-to-noise ratio conditions, where weight values are intentionally combined with the law of observed instantaneous frequency. As the cost function is differentiable, the procedure of parameter estimations also has high computing efficiency. Processing data of SWellEx-96 experiments with real ocean noise confirmed the anti-noise capabilities of this cost function to conventional processing methods.

Detection and treatment of mono and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollutants in aqueous environments based on electrochemical technology: recent advances.

Mono and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are widely distributed and severely pollute the aqueous environment due to natural and human activities, particularly human activity. It is crucial to identify and address them in order to reduce the dangers and threats they pose to biological processes and ecosystems. In the fields of sensor detection and water treatment, electrochemistry plays a crucial role as a trustworthy and environmentally friendly technology. In order to accomplish trace detection while enhancing detection accuracy and precision, researchers have created and studied sensors using a range of materials based on electrochemical processes, and their results have demonstrated good performance. One cannot overlook the challenges associated with treating aromatic pollutants, including mono and polycyclic. Much work has been done and good progress has been achieved in order to address these challenges. This study discusses the mono and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon sensor detection and electrochemical treatment technologies for contaminants in the aqueous environment. Additionally mentioned are the sources, distribution, risks, hazards, and problems in the removal of pollutants. The obstacles to be overcome and the future development plans of the field are then suggested by summarizing and assessing the research findings of the researchers.

Monitoring of copper adsorption on biochar using spectral induced polarization method.

Copper contaminant generated from mining and industrial smelting poses potential risks to human health. Biochar, as a low-energy and cost-effective biomaterial, holds value in Cu remediation. Spectral Induced Polarization (SIP) technique is employed in this study to monitor the Cu remediation processes of by biochar in column experiments. Cation exchange at low Cu2+ concentrations and surface complexation at high Cu2+ concentrations are identified as the major mechanisms for copper retention on biochar. The normalized chargeability (mn) from SIP signals linearly decreased (R2 = 0.776) with copper retention under 60 mg/L Cu influent; while mn linearly increases (R2 = 0.907, 0.852) under high 300 and 700 mg/L Cu influents. The characteristic polarizing unit sizes (primarily the pores adsorbing Cu2+) calculated from Schwartz equation match well with experimental results by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). It is revealed that Cu2+ was driven to small pores (∼3 µm) given high concentration gradient (influent Cu2+ concentration of 700 mg/L). Comparing to activated carbon, biochar is identified as an ideal adsorbent for Cu remediation, given its high adsorption capacity, cost-effectiveness, carbon-sink ability, and high sensitivity to SIP responses - the latter facilitates its performance assessment.

Peanut origin traceability: A hybrid neural network combining an electronic nose system and a hyperspectral system.

Peanuts, sourced from various regions, exhibit noticeable differences in quality owing to the impact of their natural environments. This study proposes a fast and nondestructive detection method to identify peanut quality by combining an electronic nose system with a hyperspectral system. First, the electronic nose and hyperspectral systems are used to gather gas and spectral information from peanuts. Second, a module for extracting gas and spectral information is designed, combining the lightweight multi-head transposed attention mechanism (LMTA) and convolutional computation. The fusion of gas and spectral information is achieved through matrix combination and lightweight convolution. A hybrid neural network, named UnitFormer, is designed based on the information extraction and fusion processes. UnitFormer demonstrates an accuracy of 99.06 %, a precision of 99.12 %, and a recall of 99.05 %. In conclusion, UnitFormer effectively distinguishes quality differences among peanuts from various regions, offering an effective technological solution for quality supervision in the food market.

Comparison of rabbit ATLG and ATG for GVHD prophylaxis in hematological malignancies with haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Rabbit anti-human T lymphocyte globulin (ATLG) and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) are commonly used for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Yet, their efficacy and safety have seldom been compared in hematological malignancies with haploidentical HSCT. A retrospective analysis with 28 ATLG (total dosage, 20-30 mg/kg) and 18 ATG (total dosage, 8-10 mg/kg) patients were performed. The cumulative incidences of chronic GVHD and relapse were comparable between both groups. ATLG showed a trend towards a lower acute GVHD incidence (28.6% vs. 44.4%, P = 0.242) and 3-year non-relapse mortality (10.7% vs. 27.8%, P = 0.160), and had a significantly higher 3-year overall survival (OS, 64.3% vs. 33.3%, P = 0.033) and GVHD-free and relapse-free survival (GRFS, 32.1% vs. 11.1%, P = 0.045) compared with ATG. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated ATLG was independently associated with a favorable OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.37, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16-0.86, P = 0.020) and GRFS (HR = 0.51, 95%CI: 0.26-1.00, P = 0.051). Furthermore, ATLG had a lower risk of fever (25.0% vs. 61.1%, P = 0.014) and hemorrhage cystitis (7.1% vs. 38.9%, P = 0.008) than ATG-T. In conclusion, ATLG confers more survival benefit and a better safety profile than ATG and can be used in hematological malignancies with haploidentical HSCT. Prospective designed trials with a larger sample size are warranted to confirm the results in the future.