A density correction method for radioactive waste drum based on SRGS technology.

The segmented ringed gamma scanning (SRGS) technique represents an advancement in segmented gamma scanning (SGS) technology used for detecting the density of radioactive waste drums, offering enhanced measurement accuracy. However, significant occur errors in the reconstruction of matrix densities due to the non-uniform distribution of density in radioactive waste and the conical beam emitted from the transmission source collimator. This paper proposes a density correction method based on dichotomy to address this issue. The efficacy of this method was verified through both simulations and experiments on a sample containing five different materials, utilizing 137Cs and 60Co for transmission and emission measurements, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate that the errors in the corrected matrix densities are reduced, falling within a margin of 16.8%. Additionally, the corrected reconstruction error of the activity is approximately 25% of the uncorrected results.

Analysis of functional connectivity changes in attention networks and default mode networks in patients with depression and insomnia.

PURPOSE: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Insomnia Disorder (ID) are prevalent psychiatric conditions often occurring concurrently, leading to substantial impairment in daily functioning. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders and their comorbidity is crucial for developing effective interventions. This study aims to analyze changes in functional connectivity within attention networks and default mode networks in patients with depression and insomnia. METHODS: The functional connectivity alterations in individuals with MDD, ID, comorbid MDD and insomnia (iMDD), and healthy controls (HC) were assessed from a cohort of 174 participants. They underwent rs-fMRI scans, demographic assessments, and scale evaluations for depression and sleep quality. Functional connectivity analysis was conducted using region-of-interest (ROI) and whole-brain methods. RESULTS: The MDD and iMDD groups exhibited higher Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) scores compared to HC and ID groups (P < 0.001). Both ID and MDD groups displayed enhanced connectivity between the left and right orbital frontal cortex compared to HC (P < 0.05), while the iMDD group showed reduced connectivity compared to HC and ID groups (P < 0.05). In the left insula, reduced connectivity with the right medial superior frontal gyrus was observed across patient groups compared to HC (P < 0.05), with the iMDD group showing increased connectivity compared to MDD (P < 0.05). Moreover, alterations in functional connectivity between the left thalamus and left temporal pole were found in iMDD compared to HC and MDD (P < 0.05). Correlation analyses revealed associations between abnormal connectivity and symptom severity in MDD and ID groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate distinct patterns of altered functional connectivity in individuals with MDD, ID, and iMDD compared to healthy controls. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of depression and insomnia, which could be used as a reference for the diagnosis and treatments of these patients.

A microporous bismuth-based MOF for efficient separation of acetylene from carbon dioxide.

The separation of acetylene from carbon dioxide is challenging due to their almost identical molecular sizes and volatilities. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in general are strong candidates for the separation of gas mixtures owing to the presence of functional pore surfaces that can selectively capture specific target molecules. Herein, we report a stable and easily synthesized bismuth-based MOF, Bi-BTC, which can achieve the separation of acetylene and carbon dioxide. We performed a detailed analysis of the sorption properties of the Bi-MOF. Bi-BTC shows good adsorption capacities for C2H2 with a capacity of 53.8 cm3 g-1 at 298 K and 1.0 bar, and C2H2/CO2 selectivity of 5.14/7.69 at 298 K and 1.0/0.1 bar. IAST selectivity calculations indicate that Bi-BTC possesses good separation capacity, and dynamic breakthrough experiments were performed to prove the separation of C2H2 and CO2. Bi-MOFs as a group of relatively less studied types of MOFs have interesting adsorption characteristics, and this study on Bi-based MOF will enrich three-dimensional Bi-MOF adsorbents for gas adsorption and separation applications.

Mechanism of improving anaerobic fermentation performance of kitchen waste pretreated by ionizing irradiation-part 1: rice.

Ionizing irradiation, as a new pretreatment method for the anaerobic fermentation of organic pollutants, is featured with fast reaction speed, good treatment effect, no need to add any chemical reagents, and no secondary pollution. This study explores the mechanism of improving anaerobic fermentation performance of rice samples pretreated by cobalt-60 gamma irradiation through the influence on fermentation substrate, acidogenic phase and methanogenic phase. The results reveal that the soluble chemical oxygen demand of the irradiated rice sample at an absorbed dose of 9.6 kGy increases by 12.4 times due to the dissolution of small molecules of fat-soluble organic matter. The yield of biogas in the acidogenic phase increases by 22.2% with a slight increase in hydrogen gas content. The yield of biogas and methane gas content in the methanogenic phase increases by 27.3% and 15%, respectively. Microbial genome analysis, performed with MiSeq high-throughput sequencing and metagenomic methods, suggests the microbial abundance and metabolic functions in the anaerobic fermentation process change significantly as a result of the pretreatment by gamma irradiation.

[A multi-center epidemiological study on pneumococcal meningitis in children from 2019 to 2020]. / 2019­2020å¹´160ä¾‹å„¿ç«¥è‚ºç‚Žé“¾çƒèŒè„‘è†œç‚Žä¸´åºŠæµè¡Œç— å­¦å¤šä¸­å¿ƒç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis (PM), and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) isolates in Chinese children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information, laboratory data, and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country. RESULTS: Among the 160 children with PM, there were 103 males and 57 females. The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years, with 109 cases (68.1%) aged 3 months to under 3 years. SP strains were isolated from 95 cases (59.4%) in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases (35.6%) in blood cultures. The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87) and 27% (21/78), respectively. Fifty-five cases (34.4%) had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis, 113 cases (70.6%) had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci, and 18 cases (11.3%) had underlying diseases. The most common clinical symptoms were fever (147 cases, 91.9%), followed by lethargy (98 cases, 61.3%) and vomiting (61 cases, 38.1%). Sixty-nine cases (43.1%) experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization, with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication [43 cases (26.9%)], followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases (15.0%), brain abscess in 23 cases (14.4%), and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases (5.0%). Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old, with rates of 91% (39/43) and 83% (20/24), respectively. SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin (100%, 75/75), linezolid (100%, 56/56), and meropenem (100%, 6/6). High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin (81%, 22/27), moxifloxacin (82%, 14/17), rifampicin (96%, 25/26), and chloramphenicol (91%, 21/23). However, low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin (16%, 11/68) and clindamycin (6%, 1/17), and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin (100%, 31/31). The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160) and 66.2% (106/160), respectively, while 18 cases (11.3%) had adverse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years. Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old. Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM, and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications. Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates. Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases. SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin, linezolid, meropenem, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, rifampicin, and chloramphenicol.

Genetic engineering of drought and salt tolerant tomato via S-nitrosylated Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase.

Drought and soil salinization substantially impact agriculture. While proline's role in enhancing stress tolerance is known, the exact molecular mechanism by which plants process stress signals and control proline synthesis under stress is still not fully understood. In tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), drought and salt stress stimulate nitric oxide (NO) production, which boosts proline synthesis by activating Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (SlP5CS) and Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (SlP5CR) genes and the P5CR enzyme. The crucial factor is stress-triggered NO production, which regulates the S-nitrosylation of SlP5CR at Cys-5, thereby increasing its NAD(P)H affinity and enzymatic activity. S-nitrosylation of SlP5CR enables tomato plants to better adapt to changing NAD(P)H levels, boosting both SlP5CR activity and proline synthesis during stress. By comparing tomato lines genetically modified to express different forms of SlP5CR, including a variant mimicking S-nitrosylation (SlP5CRC5W), we found that SlP5CRC5W plants show superior growth and stress tolerance. This is attributed to better P5CR activity, proline production, water use efficiency, reactive oxygen species scavenging, and sodium excretion. Overall, this study demonstrates that tomato engineered to mimic S-nitrosylated SlP5CR exhibits enhanced growth and yield in drought and salt stress conditions, highlighting a promising approach for stress-tolerant tomato cultivation.

Taurine Regulates the Expression of Interleukin -17/10 and Intestinal Flora and Protects the Liver and Intestinal Mucosa in a Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Rat Model.

Purpose: To investigate the intestinal inflammatory response and the abundance of intestinal bacteria in rats with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and assess the intervention effects of taurine (TAU). Methods: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: group I, normal diet and normal saline gavage; group II, normal diet and TAU gavage; group III, HFD and normal saline gavage; group IV, HFD and TAU gavage (from the 1st week); group V, HFD and TAU gavage (from the 10th week). At the end of the 16th week, all the animals were sacrificed. Body weight, liver weight, liver function, and serum lipid levels were measured. The histopathologies of the liver and ileum were observed. The mRNA and protein expression levels of interleukin 17 (IL-17) and IL-10 in the ileum were detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry. Three types of bacteria were detected in intestinal feces using the 16S rDNA qPCR method. Results: The ileal IL-17 level in group III was significantly higher than those in the other four groups (P < 0.01). The ileal IL-10 mRNA levels in group IV was significantly higher than those in groups III and V (P < 0.05), and IL-10 protein MOD levels in group III was significantly lower than those in the other four groups (P < 0.01). The numbers of Lactobacillus in group III were significantly lower than those in the other four groups (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). The numbers of Bifidobacteria in groups IV and V were significantly increased compared with that in group III (P < 0.05). Conclusion: TAU may down-regulate the expression of IL-17, up-regulate the expression of IL-10 and regulate the intestinal flora, and alleviate the liver and intestinal damage in rats with HFD-induced NAFLD.

A high resolution and wide range valve for micronewton cold gas thrusters.

Numerous scientific satellites require micronewton thrusters for compensating environmental disturbances. The mass flow control proportional valve plays a crucial role in precisely regulating the thrust. To meet the high resolution and wide range requirements of the thrusters, this paper introduces a novel proportional valve with two sets of independently controllable piezoelectric stack. One set of the piezo-stack is used to compensate the stroke loss of the valve core, mainly caused by the deformation of the valve seat. The valve sealing mechanism is carefully analyzed to reduce the stroke loss. Another set of the stack works as the primary actuator, enabling the high mass flow control resolution. Two sets of independently controlled piezoelectric stacks not only expand the range and improve the range ratio but also provide redundancy and enhance reliability. This means that the actuator can still operate at lower ranges even if one piezo-stack is damaged. The piezo-actuators are assembled using U-shaped connectors, creating a compact and space-efficient overall design. Experimental tests have been conducted to verify the performance of the valve, which demonstrated a mass flow range of 0-675 µg/s with a resolution better than 0.1 µg/s and a flow noise below 0.1 µg/s/Hz1/2 at 0.1 mHz-1 Hz.

Determination of the median lethal dose of zinc gluconate in mice and safety evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Zinc Gluconate (ZG) is a safe and effective supplement for zinc. However, there is limited research on the optimal dosage for intravenous injection and the safety evaluation of animal models for ZG. This study aims to determine the safe dose range of ZG for intravenous injection in C57BL/6J mice. METHODS: A Dose titration experiment was conducted to determine the LD50 and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) of ZG in mice. Based on the LD50, four sub-lethal doses (SLD) of ZG were evaluated. Following three injections of each SLD and monitoring for seven days, serum zinc levels were measured, and pathological changes in the liver, kidney, and spleen tissues of mice were determined by histological staining. RESULTS: The dose titration experiment determined the LD50 of ZG in mice to be 39.6 mg/kg, with a 95%CI of 31.8-49.3 mg/kg. There was a statistically significant difference in the overall serum zinc levels (H = 36.912, P < 0.001) following SLD administration. Pairwise comparisons showed that the serum zinc levels of the 1/2 LD50 and 3/4 LD50 groups were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.001); the serum zinc level of the 3/4 LD50 group was significantly higher than those of the 1/8 LD50 and 1/4 LD50 groups (P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between the different SLDs of ZG and the serum zinc levels in mice (rs = 0.973, P < 0.001). H&E staining showed no significant histological abnormalities or lesions in the liver, kidney, and spleen tissues of mice in all experimental groups. CONCLUSION: The appropriate dose range of ZG for intravenous injection in C57BL/6J mice was clarified, providing a reference for future experimental research.

Intramyocardial delivery of injectable hydrogel with arctigenin alleviated myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Arctigenin belongs to a major bioactive component of Fructus arctii and has been found with cardioprotective effects on rats with ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. The application of arctigenin is limited due to poor water solubility and low bioavailability. Hydrogel drug delivery systems can improve the efficacy and safety of drugs, increase drug utilization, and reduce side effects. We hypothesized that hydrogels containing arctigenin would facilitate the effect of arctigenin and alleviate I/R injury in the rat heart. Presently, adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were subjected to 1 h of I/R injury, then hydrogels comprising arctigenin were implanted into the myocardium of rats. Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining, hematoxylin-eosin staining, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling staining and Western blot were performed for evaluating the infarct size, histopathological, and vital protein alterations of hearts. It was discovered that the hydrogel combined with arctigenin abated apoptosis and reduced infarct size. In addition, the results of echocardiography and Masson staining suggested that the hydrogel with arctigenin improved cardiac function, restrained myocardial fibrosis, and activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). Collectively, the injectable hydrogel delivery system enhances the effect of arctigenin, which may play a protective role in I/R injury by activating AMPK and SIRT1.

Source term inversion of short-lived nuclides in complex nuclear accidents based on machine learning using off-site gamma dose rate.

During nuclear accidents, large amounts of short-lived radionuclides are released into the environment, causing acute health hazards to local populations. Therefore, it is particularly important to obtain source-term information to assist nuclear emergency decision makers in determining emergency protective measures. However, it is extremely difficult to obtain reliable contaminant monitoring instrument readings to estimate the source term based on core conditions, release routes, and release conditions. Currently, a wide variety of source-term inversion methods are attracting increasing attention. In this study, the release rates of four typical short-lived nuclides (Kr-88, Sr-91, Te-132, I-131) in two complex nuclear accident scenarios were estimated using a machine-learning method. The results show that the best estimation performance is obtained with the long short-term memory network, and the mean absolute percentage errors for the release rates of the four nuclides at 10 h under the two nuclear accidents are 9.87% and 11.08%, 17.49% and 16.51%, 7.16% and 8.35%, and 38.83% and 41.87%, respectively. Meanwhile, the mean absolute percentage errors for Te-132 (7.16% and 8.35%) were the lowest among all the estimated nuclides. In addition, stability analysis showed that the gamma dose rate was the key parameter affecting the estimation accuracy.

Investigating temperature-induced torque noise of a torsion pendulum based on temperature modulation at different frequencies.

Torsion pendulums are widely used for the measurement of small forces. In this study, we investigated the impact of temperature fluctuations on a torsion pendulum using heating devices to modulate the environmental temperature at different specific frequencies. The response coefficient between the temperature variation and the torque of the torsion pendulum was found to vary at different frequencies, with values from 4 × 10-15 N mK-1 at 0.1 mHz to 3 × 10-13 N mK-1 at 10 mHz. A passive thermal-insulation system was used to reduce the torque response within this frequency band, which is dominated by temperature noise. The results demonstrate that this modulation method provides a useful way to independently investigate the noise in a torsion pendulum resulting from environmental temperature fluctuations over a wide frequency band.

Bilateral theta burst stimulation for patients with acute unipolar or bipolar depressive episodes: A systematic review of randomized controlled studies.

OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluated the overall efficacy and safety of bilateral theta-burst stimulation (TBS) as an intervention for patients with mood disorders. METHODS: A systematic search (up to December 7, 2022) of RCTs was conducted to address the study aims. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed by including study-defined responses and remission as primary outcomes. RESULTS: Analyses included six RCTs comprising 285 participants with major depressive disorder (MDD) (n = 233) or a depressive episode in the course of bipolar disorder (BD) (n = 52) who had undergone active bilateral TBS (n = 142) versus sham stimulation (n = 143). Active bilateral TBS outperformed sham stimulation with respect to study-defined improvements (55.1 % versus 20.3 %, 4 RCTs, n = 152, 95%CI: 1.63 to 4.39, P < 0.0001; I2 = 0 %) and remission rates (37.2 % versus 14.3 %, 2 RCTs, n = 85, 95%CI: 1.13 to 5.95, P = 0.02; I2 = 0 %) in MDD patients but not those with bipolar or unipolar mixed depression. Superiority of active bilateral TBS over sham stimulation was confirmed for improvements in depressive symptoms at post-bilateral TBS assessments and 8-week follow-ups in patients with either MDD or mixed depression (all P < 0.05). Discontinuation rates due to any reason and adverse events (i.e., headache, dizziness) were similar between TBS and sham stimulation groups with MDD or mixed depression (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Bilateral TBS targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) appears to be a well-tolerated form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) that has substantial antidepressant effects, particularly in patients with MDD. Effects of bilateral TBS on bipolar and unipolar mixed depression should be further investigated.

Ratio of procalcitonin/Simpson's dominance index predicted the short-term prognosis of patients with severe bacterial pneumonia.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the predictive value of the ratio of procalcitonin (PCT) in serum to Simpson's dominance index (SDI) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), in short-term prognosis of patients with severe bacterial pneumonia (SBP). Methods: This is a retrospective review of case materials of 110 patients with SBP who selected BALF metagenomic next-generation sequencing technique in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University from January 2019 and July 2022. Based on the acute physiology and chronic health status score II, within 24 h after admission to the ICU, patients were divided into a non-critical group (n = 40) and a critical group (n = 70). Taking death caused by bacterial pneumonia as the endpoint event, the 28-day prognosis was recorded, and the patients were divided into a survival group (n = 76) and a death group (n = 34). The SDI, PCT, C-reactive protein (CRP), PCT/SDI, and CRP/SDI were compared and analyzed. Results: Compared with the non-critical group, the critical group had a higher PCT level, a greater PCT/SDI ratio, a longer ventilator-assisted ventilation time (VAVT), and more deaths in 28 days. Compared with the survivors, the death group had a higher PCT level, a lower SDI level, and a greater PCT/SDI ratio. The SDI level was significantly negatively correlated with the VAVT (r = -0.675, p < 0.05), while the PCT level, ratio of PCT/SDI, and ratio of CRP/SDI were remarkably positively correlated with VAVT (r = 0.669, 0.749, and 0.718, respectively, p < 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis showed that the area under ROC curves of PCT/SDI predicting patient death within 28 days was 0.851, followed by PCT + SDI, PCT, SDI, and CRP/SDI (0.845, 0.811, 0.778, and 0.720, respectively). The sensitivity and specificity of PCT/SDI for predicting death were 94.1% and 65.8%, respectively, at the optimal value (11.56). Cox regression analysis displayed that PCT/SDI (HR = 1.562; 95% CI: 1.271 to 1.920; p = 0.039) and PCT (HR = 1.148; 95% CI: 1.105 to 1.314; p = 0.015) were independent predictors of death in patients. Conclusion: The ratio of PCT/SDI was a more valuable marker in predicting the 28-day prognosis in patients with SBP.

Identification of predictors of long-term survival and prognostic outcomes in thymic squamous cell carcinoma: A real-world study.

BACKGROUND: Although thymic squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is among the most prevalent forms of thymic carcinoma, there are relatively few studies on this tumor type, and its staging, optimal treatment strategies, and relevant prognostic factors remain controversial. METHODS: The present study analyzed 79 patients diagnosed with TSCC between January 2008 and January 2021. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to explore factors associated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in the overall patient cohort and patient subgroups stratified according to the TNM stage. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to compare the TNM and Masaoka systems as predictors of patient prognosis. RESULTS: The 5- and 10-year OS rates in this study were 65.5% and 49.4%, respectively, with corresponding 5- and 10-year PFS rates of 52.3% and 37.9%. Survival outcomes were better for patients with early-stage disease (p < 0.001) and patients that underwent surgical treatment (p < 0.001). Neither extent of resection (p = 0.820) nor the surgical approach (p = 0.444) influenced patient survival. In individuals with advanced disease, all forms of adjuvant therapy including radiotherapy (p = 0.021), chemotherapy (p = 0.035), and chemoradiation (p = 0.01) significantly improved patient PFS, but only adjuvant chemoradiotherapy improved patient OS (p = 0.035). When predicting the patient survival outcomes, the TNM system was slightly superior to the Masaoka system (area under the ROC curve [AUC] at 5 years: OS, 0.742 vs. 0.723; PFS, 0.846 vs. 0.816). CONCLUSION: TSCC is an orphan malignancy with a poor prognosis. TNM staging may be superior to Masaoka staging as a predictor of TSCC patient prognosis. Surgery is the mainstay of TSCC treatment. Video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) should be considered for selected patients. Multimodal therapy was associated with excellent results for patients with advanced TNM stage, particularly when surgery was accompanied by adjuvant chemoradiation.

Immobilization of the Polar Group into an Ultramicroporous Metal-Organic Framework Enabling Benchmark Inverse Selective CO2/C2H2 Separation with Record C2H2 Production.

One-step harvest of high-purity light hydrocarbons without the desorption process represents an advanced and highly efficient strategy for the purification of target substances. The separation and purification of acetylene (C2H2) from carbon dioxide (CO2) by CO2-selective adsorbents are urgently demanded yet are very challenging owing to their similar physicochemical properties. Here, we employ the pore chemistry strategy to adjust the pore environment by immobilizing polar groups into an ultramicroporous metal-organic framework (MOF), achieving one-step manufacture of high-purity C2H2 from CO2/C2H2 mixtures. Embedding methyl groups into prototype stable MOF (Zn-ox-trz) not only changes the pore environment but also improves the discrimination of guest molecules. The methyl-functionalized Zn-ox-mtz thus exhibits the benchmark reverse CO2/C2H2 uptake ratio of 12.6 (123.32/9.79 cm3 cm-3) and an exceptionally high equimolar CO2/C2H2 selectivity of 1064.9 at ambient conditions. Molecular simulations reveal that the synergetic effect of pore confinement and surfaces decorated with methyl groups provides high recognition of CO2 molecules through multiple van der Waals interactions. The column breakthrough experiments suggest that Zn-ox-mtz dramatically achieved the one-step purification capacity of C2H2 from the CO2/C2H2 mixture with a record C2H2 productivity of 2091 mmol kg-1, surpassing all of the CO2-selective adsorbents reported so far. In addition, Zn-ox-mtz exhibits excellent chemical stability under different pH values of aqueous solutions (pH = 1-12). Moreover, the highly stable framework and excellent inverse selective CO2/C2H2 separation performance showcase its promising application as a C2H2 splitter for industrial manufacture. This work paves the way to developing reverse-selective adsorbents for the challenging gas separation process.

Airborne fine particles drive H1N1 viruses deep into the lower respiratory tract and distant organs.

Mounting data suggest that environmental pollution due to airborne fine particles (AFPs) increases the occurrence and severity of respiratory virus infection in humans. However, it is unclear whether and how interactions with AFPs alter viral infection and distribution. We report synergetic effects between various AFPs and the H1N1 virus, regulated by physicochemical properties of the AFPs. Unlike infection caused by virus alone, AFPs facilitated the internalization of virus through a receptor-independent pathway. Moreover, AFPs promoted the budding and dispersal of progeny virions, likely mediated by lipid rafts in the host plasma membrane. Infected animal models demonstrated that AFPs favored penetration of the H1N1 virus into the distal lung, and its translocation into extrapulmonary organs including the liver, spleen, and kidney, thus causing severe local and systemic disorders. Our findings revealed a key role of AFPs in driving viral infection throughout the respiratory tract and beyond. These insights entail stronger air quality management and air pollution reduction policies.

SIRT1 in the BNST modulates chronic stress-induced anxiety of male mice via FKBP5 and corticotropin-releasing factor signaling.

Although clinical reports have highlighted association of the deacetylase sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) gene with anxiety, its exact role in the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders remains unclear. The present study was designed to explore whether and how SIRT1 in the mouse bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a key limbic hub region, regulates anxiety. In a chronic stress model to induce anxiety in male mice, we used site- and cell-type-specific in vivo and in vitro manipulations, protein analysis, electrophysiological and behavioral analysis, in vivo MiniScope calcium imaging and mass spectroscopy, to characterize possible mechanism underlying a novel anxiolytic role for SIRT1 in the BNST. Specifically, decreased SIRT1 in parallel with increased corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) expression was found in the BNST of anxiety model mice, whereas pharmacological activation or local overexpression of SIRT1 in the BNST reversed chronic stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors, downregulated CRF upregulation, and normalized CRF neuronal hyperactivity. Mechanistically, SIRT1 enhanced glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-mediated CRF transcriptional repression through directly interacting with and deacetylating the GR co-chaperone FKBP5 to induce its dissociation from the GR, ultimately downregulating CRF. Together, this study unravels an important cellular and molecular mechanism highlighting an anxiolytic role for SIRT1 in the mouse BNST, which may open up new therapeutic avenues for treating stress-related anxiety disorders.

Transfer learning-assisted 3D deep learning models for knee osteoarthritis detection: Data from the osteoarthritis initiative.

Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most common musculoskeletal diseases and is usually diagnosed with medical imaging techniques. Conventionally, case identification using plain radiography is practiced. However, we acknowledge that knee osteoarthritis is a 3D complexity; hence, magnetic resonance imaging will be the ideal modality to reveal the hidden osteoarthritis features from a three-dimensional view. In this work, the feasibility of well-known convolutional neural network (CNN) structures (ResNet, DenseNet, VGG, and AlexNet) to distinguish knees with and without osteoarthritis (OA) is investigated. Using 3D convolutional layers, we demonstrated the potential of 3D convolutional neural networks of 13 different architectures in knee osteoarthritis diagnosis. We used transfer learning by transforming 2D pre-trained weights into 3D as initial weights for the training of the 3D models. The performance of the models was compared and evaluated based on the performance metrics [balanced accuracy, precision, F1 score, and area under receiver operating characteristic (AUC) curve]. This study suggested that transfer learning indeed enhanced the performance of the models, especially for ResNet and DenseNet models. Transfer learning-based models presented promising results, with ResNet34 achieving the best overall accuracy of 0.875 and an F1 score of 0.871. The results also showed that shallow networks yielded better performance than deeper neural networks, demonstrated by ResNet18, DenseNet121, and VGG11 with AUC values of 0.945, 0.914, and 0.928, respectively. This encourages the application of clinical diagnostic aid for knee osteoarthritis using 3DCNN even in limited hardware conditions.

Involvement of baroreflex deficiency in the age-related loss of estrogen efficacy against cerebral ischemia.

For post-menopausal women, stroke is complicated by the variable effects of estrogen therapy and the age-related therapeutic consequences involved. Estrogen therapy has been shown to have an age-dimorphic effect, which is neuroprotective in young females, but non-neuroprotective, even neurotoxic in acyclic females. We hypothesized that arterial baroreflex (ABR) and its downstream acetylcholine-α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) anti-inflammatory pathways are involved in estrogen efficacy toward cerebral ischemic damage. Our data showed that estrogen supplements contributed to ABR improvement and neuroprotection in adult, not aged, ovariectomized (OVX) rats. In adult rats, OVX-induced estrogen deficiency aggravated middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), which induced brain infarction and reduced ABR function, with decreased α7nAChR expression of the brain and exaggerated inflammation following MCAO; these effects were significantly prevented by supplementation with estrogen. ABR impairment by sinoaortic denervation partly attenuated the estrogen effect on baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) and ischemic damage in adult rats, as well as α7nAChR expression and inflammatory response. These data suggested that ABR and acetylcholine-α7nAChR anti-inflammatory pathways are involved in the neuroprotection of estrogen in adult OVX rats. In contrast, aged rats exhibited more severe ischemic damage and inflammatory response than adult rats, as well as poorer baroreflex function and lower α7nAChR expression. Estrogen supplements did not improve BRS or confer neuroprotection in aged rats without affecting brain α7nAChR and post-ischemic inflammation. Most importantly, ketanserin restored ABR function and significantly postponed the onset of stroke in aged female strokeprone spontaneously hypertensive rats, whereas estrogen treatment failed to delay the development of stroke. Our findings reveal that estrogen is protective against ischemic stroke (IS) in adult female rats and that ABR played a role in this beneficial action. Dysfunction of ABR and unresponsiveness to estrogen in aged female rats may contribute to a reduced estrogen efficacy against cerebral ischemia.