Distribution patterns of reef-building corals in the Northwest Pacific and their environmental drivers.

Understanding species distribution and the related driving processes is a fundamental issue in ecology. However, incomplete data on reef-building corals in the ecoregions of the South China Sea have hindered a comprehensive understanding of coral distribution patterns and their ecological drivers in the Northwest Pacific (NWP). This study investigated the coral species diversity and distribution patterns in the NWP by collecting species presence/absence data from the South China Sea and compiling an extensive species distribution database for the region, and explored their major environmental drivers. Our NWP coral database included 612 recorded coral species across 15 ecoregions. Of these, 536 coral species were recorded in the South China Sea Oceanic Islands after compilation, confirming the extraordinary coral species diversity in this ecoregion. Coral alpha diversity was found to decrease with increasing latitude in the whole NWP, while the influence of the Kuroshio Current on environmental conditions in its path results in a slower decline in species richness with latitude compared to regions within the South China Sea. Beta-diversity decomposition revealed that nestedness patterns mainly occurred between low and high latitude ecoregions, while communities within similar latitudes exhibited a turnover component, particularly pronounced at high latitudes. The impact of environmental factors on coral assemblage structure outweighed the effects of spatial distance. Temperature, especially winter temperature, and light intensity strongly influenced alpha diversity and beta diversity's nestedness component. Additionally, turbidity and winter temperature variations at high latitudes contributed to the turnover pattern observed among communities in the NWP. These findings elucidate the assembly processes and major environmental drivers shaping different coral communities in the NWP, highlighting the significant role of specific environmental filtering in coral distribution patterns and providing valuable insights for coral species conservation efforts.

Structural characteristics and gelling properties of citrus pectins after chemical and enzymatic modifications: Conformation plays a vital role in Ca2+-induced gelation.

Due to the excellent health benefits of rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I)-enriched pectin, there has been increasing research interest in its gelling properties. To elucidate its structure-gelation relationship, chemical modifications were used to obtain RG-I-enriched pectin (P11). Then, enzymatic modification was performed to obtain debranched pectins GP11 and AP11, respectively. The effects of RG-I side chains on structural characteristics (especially spatial conformation) and gelling properties were investigated. Among the low-methoxylated pectins (LMPs), AP11, with a loose conformation (Dmax 52 nm) showed the poorest gelling, followed by GP11. In addition to primary structure, spatial conformation (Dmax and Rg) also showed strong correlations (r2 > 0.8) with gelation. We speculate that compact conformation may shorten distance between pectin chains and reduces steric hindrance, contributing to formation of strong gel network. This is particularly important in LMPs with abundant side chains. The results provide novel insights into relationship between spatial conformation and gelling properties of RG-I-enriched pectin.

Local adaptation of trophic strategy determined the tolerance of coral Galaxea fascicularis to environmental fluctuations.

The escalation of global change has resulted in heightened frequencies and intensities of environmental fluctuations within coral reef ecosystems. Corals originating from marginal reefs have potentially enhanced their adaptive capabilities in response to these environmental variations through processes of local adaptation. However, the intricate mechanisms driving this phenomenon remain a subject of limited investigation. This study aimed to investigate how corals in Luhuitou reef, a representative relatively high-latitude reef in China, adapt to seasonal fluctuations in seawater temperature and light availability. We conducted a 190-day plantation experiment with the widespread species, Galaxea fascicularis, in Luhuitou local, and from Meiji reef, a typical offshore tropical reef, to Luhuitou as comparison. Drawing upon insights from physiological adaptations, we focused on fatty acid (FA) profiles to unravel the trophic strategies of G. fascicularis to cope with environmental fluctuations from two origins. Our main findings are threefold: 1) Native corals exhibited a stronger physiological resilience compared to those transplanted from Meiji. 2) Corals from both origins consumed large quantities of energy reserves in winter, during which FA profiles of local corals altered, while the change of FA profiles of corals from Meiji was probably due to the excessive consumption of saturated fatty acid (SFA). 3) The better resilience of native corals is related to high levels of functional polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), while insufficient nutrient reserves, possibly due to weak heterotrophic ability, result in the obstruction of the synthesis pathway of PUFA for corals from Meiji, leading to their intolerance to environmental changes. Consequently, we suggest that the tolerance of G. fascicularis to environmental fluctuations is determined by their local adapted trophic strategies. Furthermore, our findings underscore the notion that the rapid adaptation of relatively high-latitude corals to seasonal environmental fluctuations might not be readily attainable for their tropical counterparts within a brief timeframe.

Improving Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries with Alkali Metal Ions.

Aqueous zinc (Zn) ion batteries have received broad attention recently. However, their practical application is limited by severe Zn dendrite growth and the hydrogen evolution reaction. In this study, three alkali metal ions (Li+, Na+, and K+) are added in ZnSO4 electrolytes, which are subjected to electrochemical measurements and molecular dynamics simulations. The studies show that since K+ has the highest mobility and self-diffusion coefficient among the four ions (Li+, Na+, K+, and Zn2+), it enables K+ to preferentially approach a zinc dendrite at an earlier time, driven by a negative electric field during a cathodic process. The electric double layer, with K+ around the negatively charged Zn dendrite, inhibits dendrite growth and mitigates the hydrogen evolution reaction on the Zn anode. Under this kinetic effect, the Zn-Zn symmetric cell with K+ exhibits a long cycling stability of 1000 h at 1 mA·cm-2 of 1 mAh·cm-2 and 190 h at 30 mA·cm-2 of 2 mAh·cm-2. Such a kinetic effect is also observed with additives Na+ and Li+, though less profound than that of K+.

Intraoperative Glucose and Kidney Injury After On-Pump Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after on-pump cardiac surgery, and previous studies have suggested that blood glucose is associated with postoperative AKI. However, limited evidence is available regarding intraoperative glycemic thresholds in cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to explore the association between peak intraoperative blood glucose and postoperative AKI, and determine the cut-off values for intraoperative glucose concentration associated with an increased risk of AKI. METHODS: The study was retrospective and single-centered. Adult patients in West China Hospital of Sichuan University who underwent on-pump cardiac surgery (n = 3375) were included. The primary outcome was the incidence of AKI. Multivariable logistic analysis using restricted cubic spline was performed to explore the association between intraoperative blood glucose and postoperative AKI. RESULTS: The incidence of AKI in the study population was 18.0% (607 of 3375). Patients who developed AKI had a significantly higher peak intraoperative glucose during the surgery compared to those without AKI. After adjustment for confounders, the incidence of AKI increased with peak intraoperative blood glucose (adjusted odds ratio, 1.08, 95% confidence interval 1.03, 1.12). Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the possibility of AKI was relatively flat till 127.8 mg/dL (7.1 mmol/L) glucose levels which started to rapidly increase afterward. CONCLUSIONS: Increased intraoperative blood glucose was associated with an increased risk of AKI. Among patients undergoing on-pump cardiac surgery, avoiding a high glucose peak (i.e., below 127.8 mg/dL [7.1 mmol/L]) may reduce the risk of postoperative AKI.

The bioenergetics response of the coral Pocillopora damicornis to temperature changes during its reproduction stage.

Sexual reproduction of reef-building corals is vital for coral reef ecosystem recovery. Corals allocate limited energy to growth and reproduction, when being under environmental disturbance, which ultimately shapes the community population dynamics. In the present study, energetic and physiological parameters of both parental colonies and larvae of the coral Pocillopora damicornis were measured during their reproduction stage under four temperatures; 28 °C (low-temperature acclimation, LA), 29 °C (control temperature, CT), 31 °C (high-temperature acclimation, HA), and 32 °C (heat stress, HS). The results showed temperature changes altered the larvae release timing and fecundity in P. damicornis. Parental colonies exposed to the LA treatment exhibited reduced investment in reproduction and released fewer larvae, while retaining more energy for their development. However, each larva acquired higher energy and symbiont densities enabling survival through longer planktonic periods before settlement. In contrast, parental colonies exposed to the HA treatment had increased investment for reproduction and larvae output, while per larva gained less energy to mitigate the threat of higher temperature. Furthermore, the energy allocation processes restructured fatty acids concentration and composition in both parental colonies and larvae as indicated by shifts in membrane fluidity under adaptable temperature changes. Notably, parental colonies from the HS treatment expended more energy in response to heat stress, resulting in adverse effects, especially after larval release. Our study expands the current knowledge on the energy allocation strategies of P. damicornis and how it is impacted by temperature. Parental colonies employed different energy allocation strategies under distinct temperature regimes to optimize their development and offspring success, but under heat stress, both were compromised. Lipid metabolism is essential for the success of coral reproduction and further understanding their response to heat stress can improve intervention strategies for coral reef conservation in warmer future oceans.

Monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and the risk of erectile dysfunction: a study from NHANES 2001-2004.

Background: The monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) has become a novel inflammation marker with a possible association with erectile dysfunction (ED); however, there are fewer studies exploring the association between MHR and ED. Aim: This study sought to explore the association between MHR and ED. Methods: This study population was drawn from participants in two 2-year cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001-2002 and 2003-2004). MHR was calculated as the ratio of monocyte count (103 cells/µL) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dL). The relationship between MHR and ED was explored using survey-weighted logistic regression models with MHR as a continuous variable and divided into tertiles (tertile 1 [T1]: <0.01; T2: 0.01-0.014; T3: >0.014). We also used a smooth curve fit (penalized spline method) to characterize the dose-response relationship between MHR and ED. In addition, subgroup analyses based on age, body mass index, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease were performed to further analyze the data. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted to further assess the stability of the results. Outcomes: The main outcome measure was the difference in ED prevalence between MHR levels. Results: A total of 1361 participants were enrolled, with 513 (T1), 438 (T2), and 410 (T3) participants in the 3 MHR groups. After adjusting for all potential covariates, survey-weighted logistic regression analyses showed a significant association between MHR and ED (odds ratio [OR], 1.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-3.05). When MHR was used as a categorical variable, the adjusted OR for ED prevalence increased significantly with increasing MHR after adjusting for all potential covariates (T3 vs T1: OR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.29-3.55). The dose-response curves showed that the prevalence of ED increased with increasing MHR. Clinical Implications: Easy to access and low cost, MHR is a convenient clinical tool that helps clinicians in the prevention and treatment of ED. Strengths and Limitations: The present study is the first to examine the association between MHR and ED nationally representative data. However, the study population was derived from a U.S. database, so the findings are limited to the U.S. population. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that MHR levels were independently associated with ED and that ED patients had higher MHR levels, suggesting that MHR may be a valuable predictor for identifying people at higher risk for ED.

Genome-wide variants and optimal allelic combinations for citric acid in tomato.

Citric acid (CA) plays a crucial role as a fruit flavor enhancer and serves as a mediator in multiple metabolic pathways in tomato fruit development. Understanding factors influencing CA metabolism is essential for enhancing fruit flavor and CA-mediated biological processes. The accumulation of CA, however, is influenced by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors, leading to challenges in accurately predicting and regulating its levels. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on CA, employing six landmark models based on genome-wide variations including structural variants, insertions and deletions, and single nucleotide polymorphisms. The identification of 11 high-confidence candidate genes was further facilitated by leveraging linkage disequilibrium and causal variants associated with CA. The transcriptome data from candidate genes were examined, revealing higher correlations between the expression of certain candidate genes and changes in CA metabolism. Three CA-associated genes exerted a positive regulatory effect on CA accumulation, while the remaining genes exhibited negative impacts based on gene cluster and correlation analyses. The CA content of tomatoes is primarily influenced by improvement sweeps with minimal influence from domestication sweeps in the long-term breeding history, as evidenced by population differentiation and variants distribution. The presence of various causal variants within candidate genes is implicated in the heterogeneity of CA content observed among the tomato accessions. This observation suggests a potential correlation between the number of alternative alleles and CA content. This study offers significant function-based markers that can be utilized in marker-assisted breeding, thereby enhancing their value and applicability.

Prognostic significance and value of further classification of lymphovascular invasion in invasive breast cancer: a retrospective observational study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the prognostic significance of lymphovascular invasion in invasive breast cancer and the value of using specific vascular endothelial markers to further classify lymphovascular invasion. METHODS: We collected 2124 patients with invasive breast cancer who were hospitalized at the First Hospital of Dalian Medical University from 2012 to 2020. Statistical methods were used to investigate the relationship between lymphovascular invasion and clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer, and the correlation between lymphovascular invasion on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of various categories of breast cancers. Immunohistochemical staining of breast cancer samples containing lymphovascular invasion using specific vascular endothelial markers D2-40 and CD34 was used to classify lymphovascular invasion and to investigate the relationship between lymphovascular invasion and breast cancer progression. RESULTS: There was a high correlation between lymphovascular invasion and T stage, N stage and nerve invasion. Survival analyses showed that patients with lymphovascular invasion, especially luminal B, triple-negative, and Her-2 overexpression breast cancer patients, had poorer OS and DFS prognosis, and that lymphovascular invasion was an independent prognostic factor affecting OS and DFS in breast cancer. The immunohistochemical staining results showed that positive D2-40 staining of lymphovascular invasion was linked to the N stage and localized recurrence of breast cancer. CONCLUSION: Lymphovascular invasion is associated with aggressive clinicopathological features and is an independent poor prognostic factor in invasive breast cancer. Breast cancer localized recurrence rate and lymph node metastases are influenced by lymphatic vessel invasion. Immunohistochemical techniques should be added to the routine diagnosis of lymphovascular invasion.

Follicular fluid exosome-derived miR-339-5p enhances in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes via targeting SFPQ, a regulator of the ERK1/2 pathway.

In this study, we aimed to investigate cytoplasmic maturation and miRNA expression of mature oocytes cultured in porcine follicular fluid exosomes. We also examined the effect of miR-339-5p on oocyte maturation. Twenty eight differentially expressed miRNAs were detected using miRNA-seq. We then transfected cumulus oocyte complexes with miR-339-5p mimics and inhibitor during culture. The results showed that exosomes increased endoplasmic reticulum levels and the amount of lipid droplets, and decreased ROS levels, lipid droplet size, and percentage of oocytes with abnormal cortical granule distribution. Overexpressing miR-339-5p significantly decreased cumulus expansion genes, oocyte maturation-related genes, target gene proline/glutamine-rich splicing factor (SFPQ), ERK1/2 phosphorylation levels, oocyte maturation rate, blastocyst rate, and lipid droplet number, but increased lipid droplet size and the ratio of oocytes with abnormal cortical granule distribution. Inhibiting miR-339-5p reversed the decrease observed during overexpression. Mitochondrial membrane potential and ROS levels did not differ significantly between groups. In summary, exosomes promote oocyte cytoplasmic maturation and miR-339-5p regulating ERK1/2 activity through SFPQ expression, thereby elevating oocyte maturation and blastocyst formation rate in vitro.

Dysregulation of peripheral and intratumoral KLRG1+ CD8+T cells is associated with immune evasion in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Killer cell lectin like receptor G1 (KLRG1) is identified as a co-inhibitory receptor for NK cells and antigen-experienced T cells. The role of KLRG1 in immune regulation in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains poorly understood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We measured the proportion and immune function of KLRG1+CD8+T cells derived from peripheral blood in patients with NSCLC by flow cytometry. Besides, using data from the gene expression profiles and single-cell sequencing, we explored the expression and immune role of KLRG1 in tumor tissues of patients with NSCLC. We further determined the prognostic value of KLRG1 in terms of overall survival (OS) in NSCLC patients. RESULTS: We found that the proportion of KLRG1+CD8+T cells in peripheral blood significantly increased in patients with NSCLC as compared to those with benign pulmonary nodules and healthy donors. Peripheral KLRG1+CD8+T cell proportion was increased in elder subjects compared to that in younger ones, implying an immunosenescence phenotype. Moreover, the KLRG1+CD8+T cell levels were positively correlated with tumor size and TNM stage in the NSCLC cohort. In vitro stimulation experiments demonstrated that the KLRG1+CD8+T cells from peripheral blood expressed higher levels of Granzyme B and perforin than the KLRG1-CD8+ T cells. However, single-cell RNA sequencing data revealed that the KLRG1+CD8+ T cells were less infiltrated in tumor microenvironment and exhibited impaired cytotoxicity. The KLRG1 gene expression levels were significantly lower in tumor tissues than that in normal lung tissues, and were inversely correlated with CDH1 expression levels. Moreover, higher expression of CDH1 in tumor tissues predicted worse overall survival only in patients with KLRG1-high expression, but not in the KLRG1-low subset. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that KLRG1+CD8+T cells were associated with tumor immune evasion in NSCLC and suggests KLRG1 as a potential immunotherapy target.

Effect of γ-tACS on prefrontal hemodynamics in bipolar disorder: A functional near-infrared study.

OBJECTIVES: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a potential therapeutic psychiatric tool that has been shown to modulate clinical symptoms and brain function by inducing brain oscillations. However, direct evidence on the effects of gamma-tACS (γ-tACS) on Bipolar I Disorder (BD-I) is limited. In the present study we used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to explore prefrontal hemodynamic changes in BD-I patients receiving combined γ-tACS intervention in addition to pharmacological treatment. METHODS: Only 39 male patients with BD-I in the acute manic phase were included, and they were randomly divided into an intervention group (n = 18) and a control group (n = 21). The intervention group received γ-tACS treatment on a weekday for a total of 10 sessions in the right prefrontal cortex and left prefrontal cortex. All participants were pretested (baseline) and posttested (2 weeks after) with questionnaires to assess clinical symptoms and cognitive abilities, and with functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess spontaneous cortical hemodynamic activities. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the intervention group had greater increases in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores, and greater decreases in Bech-Rafaelsen Mania Rating Scale (BRMS) scores. In the intervention group, functional connectivity (FC) was significantly greater in the left hemisphere. γ-tACS treatment resulted in a left hemispheric lateralization effect of resting state FC in BD-I patients, increasing the hemodynamic activity of the patient's left prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS: γ-tACS can improve cognitive impairment and mood symptoms with BD-I patients in an acute manic episode by enhancing FC in the patients' left prefrontal cortex.

Chasing the heat: Unraveling urban hyperlocal air temperature mapping with mobile sensing and machine learning.

Many cities face unprecedented high temperatures with increasing extreme events. Heatwaves pose significant health risks, including cardiovascular diseases, heatstroke, and dehydration. Mapping urban near-surface air temperature (Tair) is crucial for understanding thermal exposure and addressing climate change. Previous studies relied on satellite-derived land surface temperature (LST) and stationary monitoring, but high spaio-temporal Tair mapping is still a challenge. This study optimized a mobile sensing scheme using an electric bicycle platform with environmental and image sensors, and deep learning captured local-scale urban factors. A spatio-temporal data fusion model that consisted of three parts, temporal trend extraction, locality analysis, and neighborhood effect analysis, generated hyperlocal Tair maps. The Results from Beijing demonstrated the effectiveness of the framework, achieving the lowest MAE of 0.02 °C. Optimized data collection and the new model achieved accurate temperature predictions and thermal exposure assessment. Efficiency enhanced sensing strategy was also proposed. The study highlights local-scale factors and spatio-temporal dependencies in addressing heatwaves and climate change impacts in urban areas.

Exciton polariton condensation from bound states in the continuum at room temperature.

Exciton-polaritons (polaritons) resulting from the strong exciton-photon interaction stimulates the development of novel low-threshold coherent light sources to circumvent the ever-increasing energy demands of optical communications1-3. Polaritons from bound states in the continuum (BICs) are promising for Bose-Einstein condensation owing to their theoretically infinite quality factors, which provide prolonged lifetimes and benefit the polariton accumulations4-7. However, BIC polariton condensation remains limited to cryogenic temperatures ascribed to the small exciton binding energies of conventional material platforms. Herein, we demonstrated room-temperature BIC polariton condensation in perovskite photonic crystal lattices. BIC polariton condensation was demonstrated at the vicinity of the saddle point of polariton dispersion that generates directional vortex beam emission with long-range coherence. We also explore the peculiar switching effect among the miniaturized BIC polariton modes through effective polariton-polariton scattering. Our work paves the way for the practical implementation of BIC polariton condensates for integrated photonic and topological circuits.

The diversity of inhibitory receptor co-expression patterns of exhausted CD8+ T cells in oropharyngeal carcinoma.

Exhausted CD8+ T cells (Texs) are characterized by the expression of various inhibitory receptors (IRs), whereas the functional attributes of these co-expressed IRs remain limited. Here, we systematically characterized the diversity of IR co-expression patterns in Texs from both human oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) tissues and syngeneic OPSCC model. Nearly 60% of the Texs population co-expressed two or more IRs, and the number of co-expressed IRs was positively associated with superior exhaustion and cytotoxicity phenotypes. In OPSCC patients, programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) blockade significantly enhanced PDCD1-based co-expression with other IR genes, whereas dual blockades of PD-1 and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) significantly upregulated CTLA4-based co-expression with other IR genes. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that highly diverse IR co-expression is a leading feature of Texs and represents their functional states, which might provide essential clues for the rational selection of immune checkpoint inhibitors in treating OPSCC.

A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study of Gut Microbiota and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease.

BACKGROUND: The causal nature of gut microbiota and cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is still obscure regardless of evidence supporting their observational correlations. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this research is to investigate the potentially pathogenic or protective causal impacts of specific gut microbiota on various neuroimaging subtypes of CSVD. METHODS: We obtained the latest summary-level genome-wide databases for gut microbiota and 9 CSVD traits. The univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) studies were conducted to examine the possible causal link between exposure and outcome. Meanwhile, we conducted sensitivity analyses sequentially, containing the heterogeneity, pleiotropy, and leave-one-out analysis. Additionally, to clarify the potential bidirectional causality, the causality from CSVD traits to the identified gut microbiota was implemented through reverse MR analysis. RESULTS: The univariable MR analysis identified 22 genetically predicted bacterial abundances that were correlated with CSVD traits. Although conditioning on macronutrient dietary compositions, 2 suggestive relationships were retained using the multivariable MR analysis. Specifically, the class Negativicutes and order Selenomonadales exhibited a negative causal association with strictly lobar cerebral microbleeds, one neuroimaging trait of CSVD. There is insufficient evidence indicating the presence of heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. Furthermore, the identified causal relationship was not driven by any single nucleotide polymorphism. The results of the reverse MR analysis did not reveal any statistically significant causality from CSVD traits to the identified gut microbiota. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicated several suggestive causal effects from gut microbiota to different neuroimaging subtypes of CSVD. These findings provided a latent understanding of the pathogenesis of CSVD from the perspective of the gut-brain axis.

Association between overactive bladder and depression in American adults: A cross-sectional study from NHANES 2005-2018.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Overactive bladder (OAB) and depression are both common disorders and there is research suggesting an association between the two, but there is a lack of studies with large samples. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between OAB and depressive symptoms. METHODS: We used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database for the period 2005 to 2018. OAB was characterized by the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS, score > 3) and depression was diagnosed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9, score ≥ 10). There were three models employed in our analysis: (1) Crude model was unadjusted; (2) Model 1 was adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, educational level, and marital status; (3) Model 2 was adjusted for factors in Model 1 plus the remained potential covariates. We used survey-weighted logistic regression models to assess the association between OAB and depression. Subsequently, subgroup analyses and smoothed curve analyses were used to evaluate the reliability of the findings. RESULTS: Finally, a total of 6612 participants were included in our study, consisting of 1005 participants with diagnosis of OAB and 5607 participants without diagnosis of OAB. After adjusting for all covariates, there was a significant positive association between OAB and depression (OR: 2.89, 95 % CI: 1.91, 4.37). The severity of OAB was also positively associated with depression. Compared to participants without OAB, the fully adjusted ORs for depression were 2.76 (95 % CI: 1.64, 4.65) for those with mild OAB, 3.79 (95 % CI: 1.68, 8.55) for those with moderate OAB, and 5.21 (95 % CI: 1.39, 19.53) for those with severe OAB. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed a strong association between OAB and depression and a progressive increase in the risk of depression as the severity of OAB (mild, moderate, and severe) increased. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to recognize the assessment of OAB symptoms in patients who are at risk for or have developed depressive symptoms, as well as the mental health of patients with OAB.

The Role of Solution Aggregation Property toward High-Efficiency Non-Fullerene Organic Photovoltaic Cells.

In organic photovoltaic cells, the solution-aggregation effect (SAE) is long considered a critical factor in achieving high power-conversion efficiencies for polymer donor (PD)/non-fullerene acceptor (NFA) blend systems. However, the underlying mechanism has yet to be fully understood. Herein, based on an extensive study of blends consisting of the representative 2D-benzodithiophene-based PDs and acceptor-donor-acceptor-type NFAs, it is demonstrated that SAE shows a strong correlation with the aggregation kinetics during solidification, and the aggregation competition between PD and NFA determines the phase separation of blend film and thus the photovoltaic performance. PDs with strong SAEs enable earlier aggregation evolutions than NFAs, resulting in well-known polymer-templated fibrillar network structures and superior PCEs. With the weakening of PDs' aggregation effects, NFAs, showing stronger tendencies to aggregate, tend to form oversized domains, leading to significantly reduced external quantum efficiencies and fill factors. These trends reveal the importance of matching SAE between PD and NFA. The aggregation abilities of various materials are further evaluated and the aggregation ability/photovoltaic parameter diagrams of 64 PD/NFA combinations are provided. This work proposes a guiding criteria and facile approach to match efficient PD/NFA systems.

Application of Laser-Induced Acoustic Desorption for Molecular Rotational Resonance Spectroscopy.

Molecular Rotational Resonance (MRR) spectroscopy is a uniquely precise tool for the determination of molecular structures of volatile compounds in mixtures, as the characteristic rotational transition frequencies of a molecule are extremely sensitive to its 3D structure through the moments of inertia in a three-dimensional coordinate system. This enables identification of the compounds based on just a few parameters that can be calculated, as opposed to, for example, mass spectrometric data, which often require expert analysis of 10-20 different signals and the use of many standards/model compounds. This paper introduces a new sampling technique for MRR, laser-induced acoustic desorption (LIAD), to allow the vaporization of nonvolatile and thermally labile analytes without the need for excessive heating or derivatization. In this proof-of-concept study, LIAD was successfully coupled to an MRR instrument to conduct measurements on seven compounds with differing polarities, molecular weights, and melting and boiling points. Identification of three isomers in a mixture was also successfully performed using LIAD/MRR. Based on these results, LIAD/MRR is demonstrated to provide a powerful approach for the identification of nonvolatile and/or thermally labile analytes with molecular weights up to 600 Da in simple mixtures, which does not require the use of reference compounds. In the future, applications to more complex mixtures, such as those relevant to pharmaceutical research, and quantitative aspects of LIAD/MRR will be reported.

Reversal of the Regioselectivity of Iron-Promoted Hydrogenation and Hydrohalogenation of gem-Difluoroalkenes.

The reaction regioselectivity of gem-difluoroalkenes is dependent on the intrinsic polarity. Thus, the reversal of the regioselectivity of the addition reaction of gem-difluoroalkenes remains a formidable challenge. Herein, we described an unprecedented reversal of regioselectivity of hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) to gem-difluoroalkenes triggered by Fe-H species for the formation of difluoroalkyl radicals. Hydrogenation of the in situ generated radicals gave difluoromethylated products. Mechanism experiments and theoretical studies revealed that the kinetic effect of the irreversible HAT process resulted in the reversal of the regioselectivity of this scenario, leading to the formation of a less stable α-difluoroalkyl radical regioisomer. On basis of this new reaction of gem-difluoroalkene, the iron-promoted hydrohalogenation of gem-difluoroalkenes for the efficient synthesis of aliphatic chlorodifluoromethyl-, bromodifluoromethyl- and iododifluoromethyl-containing compounds was developed. Particularly, this novel hydrohalogenation of gem-difluoroalkenes provided an effect and large-scale access to various iododifluoromethylated compounds of high value for synthetic application.