Inverse association between changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and risk of depression: A nationally representative cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Depression is one of complex mental disorders with diverse etiological factors but the association between blood pressure (BP) and depression is unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between changes in BP (systolic and diastolic) and incident depression. METHODS: From the National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort (NHIS-HEALS), 224,192 participants who underwent biennial health screenings from period I (2004-05) and II (2006-07) were included in the study. Systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) categories were defined as follows: SBP into 5 categories (<90 mmHg, 90 mmHg -119 mmHg, 120 mmHg -129 mmHg, 130 mmHg -139 mmHg, ≥140 mmHg) and DBP into 4 categories (<60 mmHg, 60 mmHg -79 mmHg, 80 mmHg -89 mmHg, ≥90 mmHg). Also, BP levels were classified into 5 groups: normal, elevated BP, stage 1 BP, stage 2 BP, hypotension. Using the Cox proportional hazards regression, changes in SBP and DBP between two screening periods and the risk of depression were calculated by adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: There were 17,780 depression events during 1.5 million person-year of follow-up. Compared to the participants with SBP ≥ 140 mmHg or DBP ≥ 90 mmHg from both periods, those who decreased SBP from ≥140 mmHg to 120 mmHg-129 mmHg (aHR 1.13; 95 % CI 1.04-1.24; P = 0.001) and those who decreased DBP from ≥90 mmHg to 60 mmHg-79 mmHg (aHR 1.10; 95 % CI 1.02-1.20; P = 0.020) showed a higher risk of depression, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in SBP and DBP showed an inverse relationship with depression risk.

Regulating Cation Interactions for Zero-Strain and High-Voltage P2-type Na2/3 Li1/6 Co1/6 Mn2/3 O2 Layered Oxide Cathodes of Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Deep sodium extraction/insertion of sodium cathodes usually causes undesired Jahn-Teller distortion and phase transition, both of which will reduce structural stability and lead to poor long-cycle reliability. Here we report a zero-strain P2- Na2/3 Li1/6 Co1/6 Mn2/3 O2 cathode, in which the lithium/cobalt substitution contributes to reinforcing the host structure by reducing the Mn3+ /Mn4+ redox, mitigating the Jahn-Teller distortion, and minimizing the lattice change. 94.5 % of Na+ in the unit structure can be reversibly cycled with a charge cut-off voltage of 4.5 V (vs. Na+ /Na). Impressively, a solid-solution reaction without phase transitions is realized upon deep sodium (de)intercalation, which poses a minimal volume deviation of 0.53 %. It attains a high discharge capacity of 178 mAh g-1 , a high energy density of 534 Wh kg-1 , and excellent capacity retention of 95.8 % at 1 C after 250 cycles.

Enhanced Results on Sampled-Data Synchronization for Chaotic Neural Networks With Actuator Saturation Using Parameterized Control.

This article investigates a novel sampled-data synchronization controller design method for chaotic neural networks (CNNs) with actuator saturation. The proposed method is based on a parameterization approach which reformulates the activation function as the weighted sum of matrices with the weighting functions. Also, controller gain matrices are combined by affinely transformed weighting functions. The enhanced stabilization criterion is formulated in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) based on the Lyapunov stability theory and weighting function's information. As shown in the comparison results of the bench marking example, the presented method much outperforms previous methods, and thus the enhancement of the proposed parameterized control is verified.

Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Real-World Data Analysis.

Background: Little is known about the adverse events (AEs) associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: This study used vaccine AE reporting system data to investigate severe AEs among vaccinated patients with T2DM. A natural language processing algorithm was applied to identify people with and without diabetes. After 1:3 matching, we collected data for 6,829 patients with T2DM and 20,487 healthy controls. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratio for severe AEs. Results: After COVID-19 vaccination, patients with T2DM were more likely to experience eight severe AEs than controls: cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, encephalitis myelitis encephalomyelitis, Bell's palsy, lymphadenopathy, ischemic stroke, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), thrombocytopenia (TP), and pulmonary embolism (PE). Moreover, patients with T2DM vaccinated with BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 were more vulnerable to DVT and TP than those vaccinated with JNJ-78436735. Among patients with T2DM administered mRNA vaccines, mRNA-1273 was safer than BNT162b2 in terms of the risk of DVT and PE. Conclusion: Careful monitoring of severe AEs in patients with T2DM may be necessary, especially for those related to thrombotic events and neurological dysfunctions after COVID-19 vaccination.

Remnant cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and incident cardiovascular disease among Koreans: a national population-based study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The synergistic association of remnant cholesterol (remnant-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in various subgroups of Koreans was investigated. METHODS: Using the national health insurance data, we included subjects aged between 40 and 70 without a history of CVD and at least two health screenings between 2009 and 2011. The subjects were divided into four groups by LDL-C and remnant-C levels. The primary outcome was CVD, which occurred between 2014 and 2017. RESULTS: Among 3,686,034 (45.6% women) of subjects, 144,004 cardiovascular events occurred. Individuals in both high LDL-C and high remnant-C [hazard ratio (HR) 1.266, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.243-1.289; 7.9%], high LDL-C only (HR 1.098, 95% CI 1.083-1.113; 21.2%), and high remnant-C only groups (HR 1.102, 95% CI 1.087-1.118; 19.1%) had higher risks of CVD than the reference group (LDL-C < 3.4 mmol/L and remnant-C < 0.8 mmol/L; 51.8%). A continuous and linear increase in CVD risk was found in those with higher remnant-C levels after adjustment for several confounders, including LDL-C levels. The association of remnant-C ≥ 0.8 mmol/L with an increased CVD risk was consistent across various strata. CONCLUSIONS: Combined high remnant-C and LDL-C levels confer a higher CVD risk than that individually. Elevated remnant-C values, independent of LDL-C levels, were associated with a risk of incident CVD. Remnant-C levels in addition to LDL-C levels are important considerations in risk stratification for the primary prevention of CVD.

Since remnant cholesterol has recently emerged as a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the synergistic association of LDL cholesterol and remnant cholesterol with cardiovascular disease has been investigated among 3,686,034 Koreans (45.6% women) without preceding cardiovascular disease using nationwide population-based big data. Remnant cholesterol remained proportional to the risk of incident cardiovascular disease after adjusting for multiple variables, including LDL cholesterol levels.LDL cholesterol and remnant cholesterol synergistically contributed to incident cardiovascular disease.

Recent Advances in CRISPR-Cas Technologies for Synthetic Biology.

With developments in synthetic biology, "engineering biology" has emerged through standardization and platformization based on hierarchical, orthogonal, and modularized biological systems. Genome engineering is necessary to manufacture and design synthetic cells with desired functions by using bioparts obtained from sequence databases. Among various tools, the CRISPR-Cas system is modularly composed of guide RNA and Cas nuclease; therefore, it is convenient for editing the genome freely. Recently, various strategies have been developed to accurately edit the genome at a single nucleotide level. Furthermore, CRISPR-Cas technology has been extended to molecular diagnostics for nucleic acids and detection of pathogens, including disease-causing viruses. Moreover, CRISPR technology, which can precisely control the expression of specific genes in cells, is evolving to find the target of metabolic biotechnology. In this review, we summarize the status of various CRISPR technologies that can be applied to synthetic biology and discuss the development of synthetic biology combined with CRISPR technology in microbiology.

P2-Type Moisture-Stable and High-Voltage-Tolerable Cathodes for High-Energy and Long-Life Sodium-Ion Batteries.

P2-Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.67O2 represents a promising cathode for Na-ion batteries, but it suffers from severe structural degradation upon storing in a humid atmosphere and cycling at a high cutoff voltage. Here we propose an in situ construction to achieve simultaneous material synthesis and Mg/Sn cosubstitution of Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.67O2 via one-pot solid-state sintering. The materials exhibit superior structural reversibility and moisture insensitivity. In-operando XRD reveals an essential correlation between cycling stability and phase reversibility, whereas Mg substitution suppressed the P2-O2 phase transition by forming a new Z phase, and Mg/Sn cosubstitution enhanced the P2-Z transition reversibility benefiting from strong Sn-O bonds. DFT calculations disclosed high chemical tolerance to moisture, as the adsorption energy to H2O was lower than that of the pure Na0.67Ni0.33Mn0.67O2. A representative Na0.67Ni0.23Mg0.1Mn0.65Sn0.02O2 cathode exhibits high reversible capacities of 123 mAh g-1 (10 mA g-1), 110 mAh g-1 (200 mA g-1), and 100 mAh g-1 (500 mA g-1) and a high capacity retention of 80% (500 mA g-1, 500 cycles).

New Target Gene Screening Using Shortened and Random sgRNA Libraries in Microbial CRISPR Interference.

CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) screening has been used for identification of target genes related to specific phenotypes using single-molecular guide RNA (sgRNA) libraries. In CRISPRi screening, the sizes of random sgRNA libraries contained with the original target recognition sequences are large (∼1012). Here, we demonstrated that the length of the target recognition sequence (TRS) can be shortened in sgRNAs from the original 20 nucleotides (N20) to 9 nucleotides (N9) that is still sufficient for dCas9 to repress target genes in the xylose operon of Escherichia coli, regardless of binding to a promoter or open reading frame region. Based on the results, we constructed random sgRNA plasmid libraries with 5'-shortened TRS lengths, and identified xylose metabolic target genes by Sanger sequencing of sgRNA plasmids purified from Xyl- phenotypic cells. Next, the random sgRNA libraries were harnessed to screen for target genes to enhance violacein pigment production in synthetic E. coli cells. Seventeen target genes were selected by analyzing the redundancy of the TRS in sgRNA plasmids in dark purple colonies. Among them, seven genes (tyrR, pykF, cra, ptsG, pykA, sdaA, and tnaA) have been known to increase the intracellular l-tryptophan pool, the precursor of a violacein. Seventeen cells with a single deletion of each target gene exhibited a significant increase in violacein production. These results indicate that using shortened random TRS libraries for CRISPRi can be simple and cost-effective for phenotype-based target gene screening.

Improving infra-red polarized imaging efficiency in a bilayer wire-grid polarizer.

The optical, plasmonic, and imaging performance of an infra-red polarized system exceeds that of a conventional infra-red detector due to its high resolution and precision. The wire-grid polarizer has large potential for use in an infra-red polarized imaging device owing to its large polarization efficiency. In this study, we theoretically and experimentally investigate a method to improve the polarization efficiency of a wire-grid polarizer. Here, we demonstrated a high-performance wire grid polarizer with a maximum extinction ratio (ER) of 355 using a bilayer structure and dielectric material in the mid-wavelength infra-red (MWIR) region (3000 nm-5000 nm), which is a 4 times higher ER value than that of the monolayer structure. More interestingly, we were able to improve the performance of the bilayer wire-grid polarizer by devising a method to improve the surface roughness using Ar ion milling. The ER for the after-milled sample was 1255, which was markedly larger than that of the before-milled sample. The results of transmittance measurement confirmed that the improvement in the ER was due to the Fabry-Perot (F-P) phenomenon caused by constructive or destructive interference in the bilayer wire-grid structure and the enhancement of the surface smoothness. These results will help design a polarizer structure that will maximize the polarization efficiency and realize a high-performance infrared polarized imaging system.

Clinical and histological evaluation of microneedle fractional radiofrequency treatment on facial fine lines and skin laxity in Koreans.

BACKGROUND: Facial wrinkles and sagging are the most visible signs of aging and can cause profound distress. Microneedle fractional radiofrequency (MFR) is a minimally invasive procedure, which utilizes both microneedling and radiofrequency energy to rejuvenate the skin. OBJECTIVE: To describe the safety and efficacy of a temperature-controlled MFR device on facial fine lines and laxity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart & histology review was performed on individuals who received bipolar MFR for facial rejuvenation. A total of 15 Koreans with a median age of 46 years were included. All participants underwent a single treatment session. The results were assessed objectively using serial photography and subjectively based on the participants' satisfaction scores. Histologic changes before, immediately after MFR and at 4 months follow-up was examined. Complications were also recorded. RESULTS: Partially denatured collagen fibers and dermal shrinkage was observed immediately after MFR whereas an increase in elastin and collagen was noted at 4 months follow-up. 86.7% of recipients considered the results satisfactory. Consensus ratings by two independent dermatologists on the objective outcomes at 4-month follow-up were very much improved (53.3%), much improved (26.7%) and improved (20%). Treatment was well tolerated and did not cause any significant long-lasting discomfort. CONCLUSION: Temperature-controlled bipolar MFR is a minimally invasive treatment option to consider for facial fine lines and laxity via neo-collagenesis and neo-elastogenesis. The procedure was safe and clinically effective.

Korean Ginseng Berry Extract Enhances the Male Steroidogenesis Enzymes In Vitro and In Vivo.

PURPOSE: Testosterone hormonal replacement is the most commonly prescribed solution for men with reproductive issues; however, this treatment has various drawbacks. Hence, the identification of a natural product that promotes steroidogenesis is urgently needed. Ginseng is a popular traditional medicine. This study aimed to investigate steroidogenic effects of Korean ginseng berry extract (GBE; Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) in vitro and in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vitro model, mouse Leydig cells were treated with varying concentrations of GBE, and the levels of steroidogenesis-related genes and proteins and testosterone were measured using western blotting, qRT-PCR, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Similarly, in an in vivo model using lipopolysaccharide-injected C57BL/6J mice, expression of steroidogenesis-related genes and proteins and testosterone levels were analyzed. Additionally, sleep deprivation was used to simulate common life stressors related to late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) and the natural effects of aging. Mice were fed sham or GBE before being subjected to paradoxical sleep deprivation. RESULTS: In vitro, GBE induced steroidogenic effects by increasing the levels of enzymes associated with steroidogenesis, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (STAR), CYP11A1, and CYP17A1. In vivo, GBE significantly increased mRNA and protein levels of steroidogenic enzymes. Furthermore, the synthetic testosterone levels in mouse Leydig cell supernatants and blood sera were increased. In the sleep deprivation study, mice fed GBE showed increased testosterone production and survival under such stressful conditions. CONCLUSIONS: GBE increased mRNA and protein levels of steroidogenesis-related enzymes STAR, CYP11A1, and CYP17A1. These key enzymes induced the increased production of testosterone both in vivo and in vitro. Thus, GBE might be a promising therapeutic or additive nutritional agent for improving men's health by increasing steroidogenesis or improving LOH.

Protective effects of Panax ginseng berry extract on blue light-induced retinal damage in ARPE-19 cells and mouse retina.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a significant visual disease that induces impaired vision and irreversible blindness in the elderly. However, the effects of ginseng berry extract (GBE) on the retina have not been studied. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the protective effects of GBE on blue light (BL)-induced retinal damage and elucidate its underlying mechanisms in human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19 cells) and Balb/c retina. Methods: To investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of GBE on retinal damage in vitro, we performed cell viability assay, pre-and post-treatment of sample, reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and western immunoblotting using A2E-laden ARPE-19 cells with BL exposure. In addition, Balb/c mice were irradiated with BL to induce retinal degeneration and orally administrated with GBE (50, 100, 200 mg/kg). Using the harvested retina, we performed histological analysis (thickness of retinal layers), qRT-PCR, and western immunoblotting to elucidate the effects and mechanisms of GBE against retinal damage in vivo. Results: GBE significantly inhibited BL-induced cell damage in ARPE-19 cells by activating the SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway, regulating NF-kB translocation, caspase 3 activation, PARP cleavage, expressions of apoptosis-related factors (BAX/BCL-2, LC3-Ⅱ, and p62), and ROS production. Furthermore, GBE prevented BL-induced retinal degeneration by restoring the thickness of retinal layers and suppressed inflammation and apoptosis via regulation of NF-kB and SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway, cleavage of caspase 3 and PARP, and expressions of apoptosis-related factors in vivo. Conclusions: GBE could be a potential agent to prevent dry AMD and progression to wet AMD.

Miniature CRISPR-Cas12f1-Mediated Single-Nucleotide Microbial Genome Editing Using 3'-Truncated sgRNA.

The CRISPR-Cas system has been used as a convenient tool for genome editing because the nuclease that cuts the target DNA and the guide RNA that recognizes the target are separated into modules. Cas12f1, which has a smaller size than that of other Cas nucleases, is easily loaded into vectors and is emerging as a new genome editing tool. In this study, AsCas12f1 was used to negatively select only Escherichia coli cells obtained by oligonucleotide-directed genome editing. Although double-, triple-, and quadruple-base substitutions were accurately and efficiently performed in the genome, the performance of single-base editing was poor. To resolve this limitation, we serially truncated the 3'-end of sgRNAs and determined the maximal truncation required to maintain the target DNA cleavage activity of Cas12f1. Negative selection of single-nucleotide-edited cells was efficiently performed with the maximally 3'-truncated sgRNA-Cas12f1 complex in vivo. Moreover, Sanger sequencing showed that the accuracy of single-nucleotide substitution, insertion, and deletion in the microbial genome was improved. These results demonstrated that a truncated sgRNA approach could be widely used for accurate CRISPR-mediated genome editing.

The Interkingdom Interaction with Staphylococcus Influences the Antifungal Susceptibility of the Cutaneous Fungus Malassezia.

The skin is a dynamic ecosystem on which diverse microbes reside. The interkingdom interaction between microbial species in the skin microbiota is thought to influence the health and disease of the skin although the roles of the intra- and interkingdom interactions remain to be elucidated. In this context, the interactions between Malassezia and Staphylococcus, the most dominant microorganisms in the skin microbiota, have gained attention. This study investigated how the interaction between Malassezia and Staphylococcus affected the antifungal susceptibility of the fungus to the azole antifungal drug ketoconazole. The susceptibility was significantly decreased when Malassezia was co-cultured with Staphylococcus. We found that acidification of the environment by organic acids produced by Staphylococcus influenced the decrease of the ketoconazole susceptibility of M. restricta in the co-culturing condition. Furthermore, our data demonstrated that the significant increased ergosterol content and cell membrane and wall thickness of the M. restricta cells grown in the acidic environment may be the main cause of the altered azole susceptibility of the fungus. Overall, our study suggests that the interaction between Malassezia and Staphylococcus influences the antifungal susceptibility of the fungus and that pH has a critical role in the polymicrobial interaction in the skin environment.

Development and validation of a nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-based self-diagnosis tool for diabetes.

Background: Prediction of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) has been studied widely. However, a hospital visit was necessary to apply previous prediction models for the evaluation of DM. This study was conducted to develop and validate a hospital visit-free self-diagnosis tool for DM. Methods: Participants who underwent health screening between 2017-2018 (n=7,519; training cohort) and 2019-2020 (n=7,564; validation cohort) were extracted from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). DM was defined as doctor-diagnosed DM in a questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to determine independent predictors for DM, and a multivariable logistic regression-based nomogram was developed for the prediction of DM, which was validated in a cohort consisting of an independent population. The presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was operationally defined using the KNHANES-NAFLD score. Results: Age, sex, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride, aspartate aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen, urinary protein, urinary glucose, and NAFLD were identified as independent predictors for DM. After excluding laboratory variables that require laboratory tests, a simplified multivariable model was conducted based on hospital visit-free variables, including age, sex, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, and NAFLD. The full and simplified prediction models for DM were presented as nomograms. In the independent validation cohort, the full and simplified DM prediction models were validated with an area under the curve values of 0.903 and 0.824 from the receiver operating characteristic curves, respectively. Conclusions: Involvement of NAFLD has allowed satisfactory prediction of DM without laboratory tests that require a hospital visit. The developed model may be promising in terms of early diagnosis of DM among individuals without hospital visits and may reduce the socioeconomic burden of DM in the real-world, which awaits future prospective trials to confirm.

Toward High-Performance Mg-S Batteries via a Copper Phosphide Modified Separator.

Magnesium-sulfur (Mg-S) batteries are emerging as a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries, due to their high energy density and low cost. Unfortunately, current Mg-S batteries typically suffer from the shuttle effect that originates from the dissolution of magnesium polysulfide intermediates, leading to several issues such as rapid capacity fading, large overcharge, severe self-discharge, and potential safety concern. To address these issues, here we harness a copper phosphide (Cu3P) modified separator to realize the adsorption of magnesium polysulfides and catalyzation of the conversion reaction of S and Mg2+ toward stable cycling of Mg-S cells. The bifunctional layer with Cu3P confined in a carbon matrix is coated on a commercial polypropylene membrane to form a porous membrane with high electrolyte wettability and good thermal stability. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations, polysulfide permeability tests, and post-mortem analysis reveal that the catalytic layer can adsorb polysulfides, effectively restraining the shuttle effect and facilitating the reversibility of the Mg-S cells. As a result, the Mg-S cells can achieve a high specific capacity, fast rates (449 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C and 249 mAh g-1 at 1.0 C), and a long cycle life (up to 500 cycles at 0.5 C) and operate even at elevated temperatures.

Control of λ Lysogenic Escherichia coli Cells by Synthetic λ Phage Carrying cIantisense.

Enterobacterial phage λ is a temperate phage that infects Escherichia coli and has a lytic-lysogenic life cycle. CI, a λ repressor, regulates the expression of lytic transcripts and acts as a major genetic switch that determines the lysogenic state. To manipulate the genome of phage λ, the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system was constructed in lysogenic E. coli MG1655 cells. For instance, we successfully changed cI857 to cIWT in the phage genome through Cas9-mediated single-nucleotide editing. A lytic phage was prepared by introducing an amber mutation in the middle of the cI gene, but it could not lyse lysogenic MG1655 cells. We prepared a phage expressing cI antisense mRNA by reverse substitution of the cI gene. Lysis of λ cI857 lysogenic cells occurred by the infection of the λ cIantisense. These results suggest an effective lysogenic cell control method by a synthetic phage expressing antisense mRNA of the genetic switch gene. It is expected to be applied as a tool to control harmful lysogenic microorganisms.

DIANA: A deep learning-based paprika plant disease and pest phenotyping system with disease severity analysis.

The emergence of deep neural networks has allowed the development of fully automated and efficient diagnostic systems for plant disease and pest phenotyping. Although previous approaches have proven to be promising, they are limited, especially in real-life scenarios, to properly diagnose and characterize the problem. In this work, we propose a framework which besides recognizing and localizing various plant abnormalities also informs the user about the severity of the diseases infecting the plant. By taking a single image as input, our algorithm is able to generate detailed descriptive phrases (user-defined) that display the location, severity stage, and visual attributes of all the abnormalities that are present in the image. Our framework is composed of three main components. One of them is a detector that accurately and efficiently recognizes and localizes the abnormalities in plants by extracting region-based anomaly features using a deep neural network-based feature extractor. The second one is an encoder-decoder network that performs pixel-level analysis to generate abnormality-specific severity levels. Lastly is an integration unit which aggregates the information of these units and assigns unique IDs to all the detected anomaly instances, thus generating descriptive sentences describing the location, severity, and class of anomalies infecting plants. We discuss two possible ways of utilizing the abovementioned units in a single framework. We evaluate and analyze the efficacy of both approaches on newly constructed diverse paprika disease and pest recognition datasets, comprising six anomaly categories along with 11 different severity levels. Our algorithm achieves mean average precision of 91.7% for the abnormality detection task and a mean panoptic quality score of 70.78% for severity level prediction. Our algorithm provides a practical and cost-efficient solution to farmers that facilitates proper handling of crops.

Compositionally complex doping for zero-strain zero-cobalt layered cathodes.

The high volatility of the price of cobalt and the geopolitical limitations of cobalt mining have made the elimination of Co a pressing need for the automotive industry1. Owing to their high energy density and low-cost advantages, high-Ni and low-Co or Co-free (zero-Co) layered cathodes have become the most promising cathodes for next-generation lithium-ion batteries2,3. However, current high-Ni cathode materials, without exception, suffer severely from their intrinsic thermal and chemo-mechanical instabilities and insufficient cycle life. Here, by using a new compositionally complex (high-entropy) doping strategy, we successfully fabricate a high-Ni, zero-Co layered cathode that has extremely high thermal and cycling stability. Combining X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and nanotomography, we find that the cathode exhibits nearly zero volumetric change over a wide electrochemical window, resulting in greatly reduced lattice defects and local strain-induced cracks. In-situ heating experiments reveal that the thermal stability of the new cathode is significantly improved, reaching the level of the ultra-stable NMC-532. Owing to the considerably increased thermal stability and the zero volumetric change, it exhibits greatly improved capacity retention. This work, by resolving the long-standing safety and stability concerns for high-Ni, zero-Co cathode materials, offers a commercially viable cathode for safe, long-life lithium-ion batteries and a universal strategy for suppressing strain and phase transformation in intercalation electrodes.

DAMP-modulating nanoparticle for successful pancreatic islet and stem cell transplantation.

Cell therapy is targeted at many organs, but locally or systemically delivered cells are shortly able to survive resulting from the immune/inflammation reactions and irregular cell targeting. Here we explore the multimodal nanoparticle having anti-inflammation and magnetic guidance for successful cell transplantation. We design magnetic resonance (MR)-active glycyrrhizin-chitosan coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle (SPIO@Chitosan-GL) to inhibit release of inflammatory damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) protein and to offer noninvasive monitoring after intrahepatic transplantation of pancreatic islets and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) spheroids. Intracellular delivered SPIO@Chitosan-GL is not cytotoxic to pancreatic islets and MSC spheroids and attenuate DAMP release from them. Also, therapeutic cells labeled with SPIO@Chitosan-GL are magnetically localized to the intended lobe of liver during transplantation procedure. If necessary, partial hepatectomy can be performed to remove the localized therapeutic cells for protection of the remaining liver lobes from systemic inflammation. Therapeutically, the cells selectively localized in the liver can treat blood glucose in diabetic mice to normal levels with DAMP modulation, and are visualized using in vivo MR imaging for over 4 weeks. Collectively, DAMP-modulating SPIO@Chitosan-GL can be used in multimodal nanomedince for attenuating the inflammation reaction by transplanted cells and for noninvasively long-term monitoring of transplanted cells.