Durable and High-Performance Triboelectric Nanogenerator Based on an Inorganic Triboelectric Pair of Diamond-Like-Carbon and Glass.

The long-term durability of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) remains a main challenge for practical applications because of inevitable material abrasion and wear, especially for sliding TENGs. Herein, an inorganic triboelectric pair composed of diamond-like carbon (DLC) and glass with excellent durability and triboelectric output for sliding-mode TENGs is proposed. This triboelectric pair possesses a low coefficient of friction and little abrasion and accordingly excellent durability (>500 000 cycles). Moreover, compared with the traditional copper-polytetrafluoroethylene (Cu-PTFE) TENG with maximum transferred charges of 50 nC, those of the DLC-glass TENG reaches 141 nC. Due to the low-friction and high hardness of the triboelectric pair, the output quickly recovers after simply cleaning wear debris. The DLC-glass TENG demonstrates an output power density of 530 mW m-2 and a fourfold faster capacitor charging speed than the Cu-PTFE TENG. Compared to the reported durable TENGs via structure optimization and interface lubrication, the DLC-glass TENG shows higher outputs and simpler structure. This DLC-glass pair structure is also introduced into a spherical TENG for blue energy harvesting with excellent durability. The inorganic triboelectric pair with excellent mechanical durability and electrical performance proposed in this work shows huge prospects for practical applications of TENGs.

Thrombotic and Hemorrhagic Outcomes After Elective Surgery in Preoperatively Anticoagulated Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To better understand the incidence and timing of thrombotic and hemorrhagic complications in anticoagulated patients undergoing elective surgery. METHODS: Using institutional American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data, we identified patients receiving preoperative anticoagulation undergoing elective surgery between 2011 and 2021. Medical records review supplemented National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data to detail complication and anticoagulation type and timing. Outcomes for postoperative hemorrhage, acute venous thromboembolism (VTE), and cerebrovascular accident (CVA) were collected. RESULTS: A total of 1442 patients met inclusion criteria, and 84 patients (5.8%) experienced 1 or more complications. There were 4 CVA (0.3%), 16 VTE (1.1%), and 68 bleeding (4.7%) events postoperatively. Three patients (75%) with CVA, 10 patients (62.5%) with VTE, and 18 patients (26.5%) with postoperative bleeding had resumed therapeutic anticoagulation before the complication. In terms of long-term sequelae in the CVA cohort, there was 1 mortality (25%), and an additional patient (25%) continues to experience long-term physical and mild cognitive impairments. Patients who experienced postoperative VTE required only anticoagulation adjustments. In patients who experienced bleeding complications, 6 (8.8%) required intensive care unit admissions, and there was 1 mortality (1.5%). CONCLUSION: Despite the increased use of anticoagulation over time, balancing postoperative bleeding and thrombotic risks remains challenging. Bleeding complications were most common in preoperatively anticoagulated patients undergoing elective surgery. Earlier postoperative resumption of anticoagulation is unlikely to prevent thrombotic events as 65% of patients had already resumed therapeutic anticoagulation.

Intestinal microbiota imbalance resulted by anti-Toxoplasma gondii immune responses aggravate gut and brain injury.

BACKGROUND: Toxoplasma gondii infection affects a significant portion of the global population, leading to severe toxoplasmosis and, in immunocompromised patients, even death. During T. gondii infection, disruption of gut microbiota further exacerbates the damage to intestinal and brain barriers. Therefore, identifying imbalanced probiotics during infection and restoring their equilibrium can regulate the balance of gut microbiota metabolites, thereby alleviating tissue damage. METHODS: Vimentin gene knockout (vim-/-) mice were employed as an immunocompromised model to evaluate the influence of host immune responses on gut microbiota balance during T. gondii infection. Behavioral experiments were performed to assess changes in cognitive levels and depressive tendencies between chronically infected vim-/- and wild-type (WT) mice. Fecal samples were subjected to 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing, and serum metabolites were analyzed to identify potential gut probiotics and their metabolites for the treatment of T. gondii infection. RESULTS: Compared to the immunocompetent WT sv129 mice, the immunocompromised mice exhibited lower levels of neuronal apoptosis and fewer neurobehavioral abnormalities during chronic infection. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed a significant decrease in the abundance of probiotics, including several species of Lactobacillus, in WT mice. Restoring this balance through the administration of Lactobacillus murinus and Lactobacillus gasseri significantly suppressed the T. gondii burden in the intestine, liver, and brain. Moreover, transplantation of these two Lactobacillus spp. significantly improved intestinal barrier damage and alleviated inflammation and neuronal apoptosis in the central nervous system. Metabolite detection studies revealed that the levels of various Lactobacillus-related metabolites, including indole-3-lactic acid (ILA) in serum, decreased significantly after T. gondii infection. We confirmed that L. gasseri secreted much more ILA than L. murinus. Notably, ILA can activate the aromatic hydrocarbon receptor signaling pathway in intestinal epithelial cells, promoting the activation of CD8+ T cells and the secretion of interferon-gamma. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that host immune responses against T. gondii infection severely disrupted the balance of gut microbiota, resulting in intestinal and brain damage. Lactobacillus spp. play a crucial role in immune regulation, and the metabolite ILA is a promising therapeutic compound for efficient and safe treatment of T. gondii infection.

Occurrence and genotyping of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in flying squirrels (Trogopterus xanthipes) from China.

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is an obligate intracellular microsporidian parasite with a worldwide distribution. As a zoonotic pathogen, E. bieneusi can infect a wide range of wildlife hosts through the fecal-oral route. Although the feces of flying squirrels (Trogopterus xanthipes) are considered a traditional Chinese medicine (as "faeces trogopterori"), no literature is available on E. bieneusi infection in flying squirrels to date. In this study, a total of 340 fresh flying squirrel fecal specimens from two captive populations were collected in Pingdingshan city, China, to detect the prevalence of E. bieneusi and assess their zoonotic potential. By nested PCR amplification of the ITS gene, six specimens tested positive, with positive samples from each farm, with an overall low infection rate of 1.8%. The ITS sequences revealed three genotypes, including known genotype D and two novel genotypes, HNFS01 and HNFS02. Genotype HNFS01 was the most prevalent (4/6, 66.7%). Phylogenetic analysis showed that all genotypes clustered into zoonotic Group 1, with the novel genotypes clustering into different subgroups. To our knowledge, this is the first report of E. bieneusi infection in flying squirrels, suggesting that flying squirrels could act as a potential reservoir and zoonotic threat for E. bieneusi transmission to humans in China.

Title: Occurrence et génotypage d'Enterocytozoon bieneusi chez les écureuils volants (Trogopterus xanthipes) de Chine. Abstract: Enterocytozoon bieneusi est un parasite microsporidien intracellulaire obligatoire présent dans le monde entier. En tant qu'agent pathogène zoonotique, E. bieneusi peut infecter un large éventail d'hôtes sauvages par la voie fécale-orale. Bien que les excréments d'écureuils volants (Trogopterus xanthipes) soient considérés comme un ingrédient de médecine traditionnelle chinoise (comme « faeces trogopterori ¼), aucune littérature n'est disponible à ce jour sur l'infection par E. bieneusi chez les écureuils volants. Dans cette étude, un total de 340 spécimens fécaux frais d'écureuils volants provenant de deux populations captives ont été collectés dans la ville de Pingdingshan, en Chine, pour détecter la prévalence d'E. bieneusi et évaluer leur potentiel zoonotique. Par amplification PCR nichée du gène ITS, six échantillons se sont révélés positifs, avec des échantillons positifs dans chaque ferme, et un taux d'infection global faible, à 1,8 %. Les séquences ITS ont révélé trois génotypes, dont le génotype D connu et deux nouveaux génotypes, HNFS01 et HNFS02. Le génotype HNFS01 était le plus répandu (4/6, 66,7 %). L'analyse phylogénétique a montré que tous les génotypes se regroupaient dans le groupe zoonotique 1, les nouveaux génotypes se regroupant en différents sous-groupes. À notre connaissance, il s'agit du premier rapport d'infection par E. bieneusi chez des écureuils volants, ce qui suggère que les écureuils volants pourraient agir comme un réservoir potentiel et une menace zoonotique pour la transmission d'E. bieneusi aux humains en Chine.

Enhancing Oxygen Evolution Reaction Performance of Metal-Organic Frameworks through Cathode Activation.

Due to their abundant active sites and porous structures, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have garnered significant interest as oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts. Nevertheless, the development of MOF-based electrocatalysts with efficient OER activity and excellent stability simultaneously still faces challenges. Herein, a cathodic activation strategy was used to enhance the OER electrocatalytic performance of M-HHTP for the first time, where M refers to Ni, Cu, Co, Fe, while HHTP denotes 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11-hexahydroxytriphenylene. As a prototype, the activated Ni-HHTP (HA-Ni-HHTP) demonstrates outstanding OER performance, with an overpotential as low as 140 mV at 20 mA cm-2 and a small Tafel slope of 78.7 mV-1, surpassing commercial RuO2 and rivaling state-of-the-art MOFs-based electrocatalysts. Characterizations and density functional theory calculations reveal that the superior performance of HA-Ni-HHTP is primarily ascribed to changes in semiconductor type, contact angle, and oxygen vacancy content induced by cathodic activation. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis using the transmission line model confirms that cathodic activation accelerates charge transport, enhancing the OER process. Furthermore, the cathodic activation strategy holds promise for improving the water oxidation performance of other MOFs such as Fe-HHTP, Co-HHTP, and Cu-HHTP.

Differences in the risk of immune-related pneumonitis between PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors: a meta-analysis according to the new mirror-principle and PRISMA guidelines.

PURPOSE: To compare the risk of immune-associated pneumonitis between PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors, the meta-analysis was designed. METHOD: The difference in risk of immune-associated pneumonitis between PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors was assessed by two different meta-analysis methods, the Mirror-pairing and the PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS: A total of eighty-eight reports were used for meta-analysis, while thirty-two studies were used for the Mirror-pairing. Both PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors (used alone or combined with chemotherapy) increased the risk of developing immune-related pneumonitis (P < 0.00001; P < 0.00001). Based on indirect analyses results (subgroup analyses), the risk of PD-L1-induced pneumonitis was weaker than that of PD-1 inhibitors when the control group was chemotherapy (OR = 3.33 vs. 5.43) or placebo (OR = 2.53 vs. 3.19), while no obvious significant differences were found (P = 0.17; P = 0.53). For the Mirror-pairing-based meta-analysis, the risk of PD-1-induced pneumonitis was significantly higher than that of PD-L1 inhibitors (OR = 1.46, 95%CI [1.08, 1.98], I2 = 0%, Z = 2.47 (P = 0.01)). However, this difference was not significant, when they were combined with chemotherapy (OR = 1.05, 95%CI [0.68, 1.60], I2 = 38%, Z = 0.21 (P = 0.84)). CONCLUSION: Both PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors increased the risk of immune-related pneumonitis, while the risk of PD-1-induced pneumonitis was significantly higher than that of PD-L1 inhibitors.

Digital technology and mental health: Chinese university students' perspectives on the impact of social media.

Background: To address the growing concerns about mental health issues among Chinese university students, our study investigates the impact of social media on their mental health. This study intends to shed light on how these students' use of social media platforms contributes to these mental health issues, given that it has been estimated that up to 30% of university students in China suffer from mental health issues. Methods: We investigate the extent of this issue by looking at how Chinese social media platforms like WeChat, Weibo, and QQ impact students' mental health. To gain a comprehensive insight into students' perspectives, this study's sole methodology is qualitative semi-structured interviews. Our core claim asserts that social media considerably affects Chinese university students' mental health, with both positive and negative consequences. Results: The findings show how closely social media use and Chinese university students' mental health are related. These networks let people connect and get support but also encourage social comparison and stigma towards mental illness. Students use a variety of coping skills, such as self-regulation techniques, digital detoxification techniques, and looking for emotional support in online networks. These results highlight the need for a complex understanding of social media's effects on mental health. Our study also recognizes students' capacity for adaptation and resilience as they traverse the digital world, offering theoretical and practical applications for successfully juggling online and offline lives. Conclusion: In the end, our study contributes to a thorough and culturally sensitive understanding of how social media affects the mental health of Chinese university students.

The Angiogenic Repertoire of Stem Cell Extracellular Vesicles: Demystifying the Molecular Underpinnings for Wound Healing Applications.

Stem cells-derived extracellular vesicles (SC-EVs) have emerged as promising therapeutic agents for wound repair, recapitulating the biological effects of parent cells while mitigating immunogenic and tumorigenic risks. These EVs orchestrate wound healing processes, notably through modulating angiogenesis-a critical event in tissue revascularization and regeneration. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the multifaceted mechanisms underpinning the pro-angiogenic capacity of EVs from various stem cell sources within the wound microenvironment. By elucidating the molecular intricacies governing their angiogenic prowess, we aim to unravel the mechanistic repertoire underlying their remarkable potential to accelerate wound healing. Additionally, methods to enhance the angiogenic effects of SC-EVs, current limitations, and future perspectives are highlighted, emphasizing the significant potential of this rapidly advancing field in revolutionizing wound healing strategies.

Twin-Field Quantum Key Distribution with Local Frequency Reference.

Twin-field quantum key distribution (TFQKD) overcomes the linear rate-loss limit, which promises a boost of secure key rate over long distance. However, the complexity of eliminating the frequency differences between the independent laser sources hinders its practical application. We analyzed and determined the frequency stability requirements for implementing TFQKD using frequency-stabilized lasers. Based on this analysis, we proposed and demonstrated a simple and practical approach that utilizes the saturated absorption spectroscopy of acetylene as an absolute reference, eliminating the need for fast frequency locking to achieve TFQKD. Adopting the 4-intensity sending-or-not-sending TFQKD protocol, we experimentally demonstrated the TFQKD over 502, 301, and 201 km ultralow-loss optical fiber, respectively. We expect this high-performance scheme will find widespread usage in future intercity and free-space quantum communication networks.

Large-scale parameters framework with large convolutional kernel for encoding visual fMRI activity information.

Visual encoding models often use deep neural networks to describe the brain's visual cortex response to external stimuli. Inspired by biological findings, researchers found that large receptive fields built with large convolutional kernels improve convolutional encoding model performance. Inspired by scaling laws in recent years, this article investigates the performance of large convolutional kernel encoding models on larger parameter scales. This paper proposes a large-scale parameters framework with a sizeable convolutional kernel for encoding visual functional magnetic resonance imaging activity information. The proposed framework consists of three parts: First, the stimulus image feature extraction module is constructed using a large-kernel convolutional network while increasing channel numbers to expand the parameter size of the framework. Second, enlarging the input data during the training stage through the multi-subject fusion module to accommodate the increase in parameters. Third, the voxel mapping module maps from stimulus image features to functional magnetic resonance imaging signals. Compared to sizeable convolutional kernel visual encoding networks with base parameter scale, our visual encoding framework improves by approximately 7% on the Natural Scenes Dataset, the dedicated dataset for the Algonauts 2023 Challenge. We further analyze that our encoding framework made a trade-off between encoding performance and trainability. This paper confirms that expanding parameters in visual coding can bring performance improvements.

Alpha-Synuclein Interaction with UBL3 Is Upregulated by Microsomal Glutathione S-Transferase 3, Leading to Increased Extracellular Transport of the Alpha-Synuclein under Oxidative Stress.

Aberrant aggregation of misfolded alpha-synuclein (α-syn), a major pathological hallmark of related neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD), can translocate between cells. Ubiquitin-like 3 (UBL3) is a membrane-anchored ubiquitin-fold protein and post-translational modifier. UBL3 promotes protein sorting into small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) and thereby mediates intercellular communication. Our recent studies have shown that α-syn interacts with UBL3 and that this interaction is downregulated after silencing microsomal glutathione S-transferase 3 (MGST3). However, how MGST3 regulates the interaction of α-syn and UBL3 remains unclear. In the present study, we further explored this by overexpressing MGST3. In the split Gaussia luciferase complementation assay, we found that the interaction between α-syn and UBL3 was upregulated by MGST3. While Western blot and RT-qPCR analyses showed that silencing or overexpression of MGST3 did not significantly alter the expression of α-syn and UBL3, the immunocytochemical staining analysis indicated that MGST3 increased the co-localization of α-syn and UBL3. We suggested roles for the anti-oxidative stress function of MGST3 and found that the effect of MGST3 overexpression on the interaction between α-syn with UBL3 was significantly rescued under excess oxidative stress and promoted intracellular α-syn to extracellular transport. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that MGST3 upregulates the interaction between α-syn with UBL3 and promotes the interaction to translocate intracellular α-syn to the extracellular. Overall, our findings provide new insights and ideas for promoting the modulation of UBL3 as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of synucleinopathy-associated neurodegenerative diseases.

Single-cell RNA sequencing uncovers cellular heterogeneity and the progression of heterotopic ossification of the elbow.

Heterotopic ossification of the elbow (HOE) is a complicated pathologic process characterized by extra bone formation in the elbow. Bone formation is a complex developmental process involving the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts. The aim of this study was to explore the cellular origin and progression of HOE by single-cell RNA sequencing. We identified 13 clusters of cells in HOE and further analyzed the subclusters for 4 of the main cell types. Six subclusters of osteoblasts, nine subclusters of chondrocytes, six subclusters of fibroblasts, and five subclusters of mononuclear phagocytes (MPs) were identified and analyzed. The new findings on osterix (OSX) and SOX9 expression in osteoblast subclusters and chondrocyte subclusters indicate that HOE is mediated through endochondral ossification. Further identification of the corresponding signature gene sets of distinct subclusters indicated that subclusters of osteoblasts_3, osteoblasts_4, osteoblasts_5, and osteoblasts_6 are relatively more mature during the osteoblastic progression of HOE. The trajectory analysis of the osteoblasts demonstrated that some genes were gradually downregulated, such as CRYAB, CCL3, SFRP4, WIF1, and IGFBP3, while other critical genes were upregulated, such as VCAN, IGFBP4, FSTL1, POSTN, MDK, THBS2, and ALPL, suggesting that these factors may participate in HOE progression. Cell-cell communication networks revealed extensive molecular interactions among the 13 HOE clusters. Ligand-receptor pairs for IL6, COL24A1, COL22A1, VWF, FZD6, FGF2, and NOTCH1 were identified, suggesting that multiple signaling pathways may be involved in HOE. In conclusion, this study provided the cellular atlas for HOE. We have established a greater extent of the heterogeneity of HOE cells than previously known through transcriptomic analysis at the single-cell level. We have observed gradual patterns of signature gene expression during the differentiation and maturation progression of osteoblasts from stem cells in HOE with higher resolution. The cell heterogeneity of HOE deserves further investigation to pave the way for identification of potential targets for HOE early diagnosis and therapeutic treatment.

ROS-mediated thylakoid membrane remodeling and triacylglycerol biosynthesis under nitrogen starvation in the alga Chlorella sorokiniana.

Many microbes accumulate energy storage molecules such as triglycerides (TAG) and starch during nutrient limitation. In eukaryotic green algae grown under nitrogen-limiting conditions, triglyceride accumulation is coupled with chlorosis and growth arrest. In this study, we show that reactive oxygen species (ROS) actively accumulate during nitrogen limitation in the microalga Chlorella sorokiniana. Accumulation of ROS is mediated by the downregulation of genes encoding ROS-quenching enzymes, such as superoxide dismutases, catalase, peroxiredoxin, and glutathione peroxidase-like, and by the upregulation of enzymes involved in generating ROS, such as NADPH oxidase, xanthine oxidase, and amine oxidases. The expression of genes involved in ascorbate and glutathione metabolism is also affected under this condition. ROS accumulation contributes to the degradation of monogalactosyl diacylglycerol (MGDG) and thylakoid membrane remodeling, leading to chlorosis. Quenching ROS under nitrogen limitation reduces the degradation of MGDG and the accumulation of TAG. This work shows that ROS accumulation, membrane remodeling, and TAG accumulation under nitrogen limitation are intricately linked in the microalga C. sorokiniana.

Effects of microplastics derived from biodegradable mulch film on different plant species growth and soil properties.

Biodegradable mulch residues contribute significantly to the presence of microplastics in soil ecosystems. The environmental impact of microplastics, especially biodegradable microplastics (bio-MPs), on soil and plants is of increasing concern. In this study, the responses of five crop species potted in soil treated with different mass concentrations of bio-MPs were assessed for one month. The shoot and root biomasses of cabbages and strawberries were inhibited by bio-MPs treatment. There was little variation in the growth indicators of identical plants with the addition of different mass concentrations of bio-MPs; however, a significant difference was observed among different plants with the addition of the same concentration of bio-MPs. The detrimental effects of bio-MPs were more pronounced in strawberries and cabbages than in the other plant species. Moreover, bio-MPs can affect the availability of soil nutrients and enzyme activities. Structural equation modeling showed that changes in soil properties may indirectly affect plant growth and nutrient uptake when exposed to bio-MPs. This study provides a theoretical basis for understanding the ecological effects of biodegradable mulch films.

Transport processes of dissolved and particulate nitrogen and phosphorus over urban road surface during rainfall runoff.

Nutrient pollutants serve as indicative pollutants in urban stormwater runoff, and usually coexist and transport in particulate and dissolved phase in runoff, which is complex and crucial for effective pollution control. In this study, nitrogen and phosphorus runoff samples were collected during various natural rainfall events to explore its transport process over urban road surface during rainfall runoff. The results showed that nitrogen mainly exists in the dissolved phase (mean proportion: 62.04 %), while phosphorus mainly exists in the particulate phase (mean proportion: 65.58 %). More nitrogen and phosphorus are present and transported in dissolved phase in initial rainfall runoff over urban roads. Nutrient concentration changes during rainfall events were influenced by factors such as rainfall intensity and surface runoff, resulting in multiple peaks. Transport rate peak and concentration peak did not coincide. The proportion of dissolved total nitrogen in the runoff process ranged mainly between 40 % and 80 %, and the proportion of dissolved ammonia was distributed between 60 % and 100 %. The proportion of dissolved phosphorus was more evenly distributed across each proportion interval. Influenced by the differences in phase proportions, first flush processes of nitrogen and phosphorus are not the same. Urban stormwater management measures should prioritize both the initial concentration peaks and the peaks in nutrient transport rates during rainfall. This approach is essential for enhancing the efficiency of stormwater pollutant collection and treatment.

Performance evaluation and clinical application of the UA-5600 automatic dry chemistry urine analyzer in renal diseases.

Background: Urine testing as a routine screening programme, abnormal test results can be suggestive to clinicians but can sometimes be overlooked, and the establishment of a diagnostic model can better assist clinicians in identifying potential problems. BLD (blood), LEU (leukocyte), PRO (protein) and GLU (glucose) are the four most important parameters in urine testing, and the accuracy of their results is a key concern for clinicians, so it is essential to verify the accuracy of their results. In this study, we evaluated the analytical and clinical performance of Mindray's automatic urine dry chemistry analyzer, the UA-5600 (Hereinafter referred to as the (UA-5600), and the test strips configured with the instrument, and developed a machine-learning (ML) model for kidney disease screening from the results of 11 parameters output from the UA-5600 with the aim of detecting abnormal urine test results. Methods: Urine samples from outpatients and inpatients at The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were collected from August to September 2022 to evaluate the performance of the Mindray UA-5600 dry chemistry analyzer and test strips. The evaluation of the UA-5600 and its test strips focused on the agreement of the urine BLD and LEU readings with the RBC (red blood cell) and WBC (white blood cell) counts obtained by the Mindray EH-2090 urine formed element analyzer. We also compared the PRO and GLU readings with the results of the Mindray BS-2800M biochemistry analyzer. Urine samples from outpatients and inpatients were retrospectively analysed and grouped according to LIS diagnosis. Additionally, eight ML models for kidney disease screening were developed using 11 parameters measured by the UA-5600. And the model was validated by the validation set. Results: The UA-5600 had an 89.55% concordance rate for BLD and a 91.04% concordance rate for LEU compared to the EH-2090 analyzer. When benchmarked against the BS-2800M, the concordance rates for PRO and GLU were 94.14% and 95.20%, respectively. A total of 1,691 samples were used for the construction of the ML models, of which 346 patients (135 males and 211 females, age range: 18 to 98 years) diagnosed with renal disease, and 1,345 patients (397 males and 948 females, age range: 18 to 92 years) with non-renal disease diagnosed with other conditions. Notably, the Naïve Bayes (NB) model, which was built from the UA-5600 parameters, demonstrated superior predictive capabilities for renal disease, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.9470, a sensitivity of 0.7767, and a specificity of 0.9457. Conclusions: The Mindray UA-5600 demonstrates robust detection abilities for both BLD and LEU, and its results for PRO and GLU align closely with those obtained from the chemistry analyzer. The NB model has a good screening ability and shows promise as an effective screening tool.

Antiferromagnetic phase transition in a 3D fermionic Hubbard model.

The fermionic Hubbard model (FHM)1 describes a wide range of physical phenomena resulting from strong electron-electron correlations, including conjectured mechanisms for unconventional superconductivity. Resolving its low-temperature physics is, however, challenging theoretically or numerically. Ultracold fermions in optical lattices2,3 provide a clean and well-controlled platform offering a path to simulate the FHM. Doping the antiferromagnetic ground state of a FHM simulator at half-filling is expected to yield various exotic phases, including stripe order4, pseudogap5, and d-wave superfluid6, offering valuable insights into high-temperature superconductivity7-9. Although the observation of antiferromagnetic correlations over short10 and extended distances11 has been obtained, the antiferromagnetic phase has yet to be realized as it requires sufficiently low temperatures in a large and uniform quantum simulator. Here we report the observation of the antiferromagnetic phase transition in a three-dimensional fermionic Hubbard system comprising lithium-6 atoms in a uniform optical lattice with approximately 800,000 sites. When the interaction strength, temperature and doping concentration are finely tuned to approach their respective critical values, a sharp increase in the spin structure factor is observed. These observations can be well described by a power-law divergence, with a critical exponent of 1.396 from the Heisenberg universality class12. At half-filling and with optimal interaction strength, the measured spin structure factor reaches 123(8), signifying the establishment of an antiferromagnetic phase. Our results provide opportunities for exploring the low-temperature phase diagram of the FHM.

Accumulation of heavy metals from single and combined olive mill wastewater and pomace in soil and bioaccumulation in tissues of two earthworm species: Endogeic (Aporrectodea trapezoides) and Epigeic (Eisenia fetida).

Soil and earthworms are threatened by anthropogenic contamination resulting from olive mill waste dumping on the soil due to their pollutant properties. While several studies have explored the effects of olive mill waste on soil properties and the accumulation of heavy metals in soil, there is currently a gap in the literature regarding the potential bioaccumulation of heavy metals from olive mill waste in earthworms. In this study, soil with earthworms from two ecological categories (endogeic: Aporrectodea trapezoides and epigeic: Eisenia fetida) was treated with increasing doses of olive mill wastewater (OMWW) and olive mill pomace (OMP), applied individually or combined, in an indoor experiment in plastic containers, under laboratory conditions. The results revealed the presence of significant concentrations of heavy metals in the two types of wastes ranging as follows: Fe˃ Zn˃ Cu˃ Cd˃ Cr for OMWW, and Fe˃ Zn˃ Cu˃ Cr for OMP (with Cd below the detection limit). The study demonstrated distinct effects of OMWW and OMP, both individually and in combination, on soil heavy metal content, ranging as follows: soil OMWW > soil Combination > soil OMP for Cd; soil Combination > soil OMWW > soil OMP for Cr and Fe; and soil Combination > soil OMP > soil OMWW for Cu and Zn. Additionally, our investigation showed that both earthworm species exhibited significant uptake of these metals into their tissues, particularly the endogeic species. Interestingly, the most significant difference between species was in the accumulation of Cu, with the epigeic species accumulating significantly lower amounts.

FADD regulates adipose inflammation, adipogenesis, and adipocyte survival.

Adipose tissue, aside from adipocytes, comprises various abundant immune cells. The accumulation of low-grade chronic inflammation in adipose tissue serves as a primary cause and hallmark of insulin resistance. In this study, we investigate the physiological roles of FADD in adipose tissue inflammation, adipogenesis, and adipocyte survival. High levels of Fadd mRNA were observed in mitochondrial-rich organs, particularly brown adipose tissue. To explore its metabolic functions, we generated global Fadd knockout mice, resulting in embryonic lethality, while heterozygous knockout (Fadd+/-) mice did not show any significant changes in body weight or composition. However, Fadd+/- mice exhibited reduced respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and serum cholesterol levels, along with heightened global and adipose inflammatory responses. Furthermore, AT masses and expression levels of adipogenic and lipogenic genes were decreased in Fadd+/- mice. In cellular studies, Fadd inhibition disrupted adipogenic differentiation and suppressed the expression of adipogenic and lipogenic genes in cultured adipocytes. Additionally, Fadd overexpression caused adipocyte death in vitro with decreased RIPK1 and RIPK3 expression, while Fadd inhibition downregulated RIPK3 in iWAT in vivo. These findings collectively underscore the indispensable role of FADD in adipose inflammation, adipogenesis, and adipocyte survival.

IL-4/IL-4R axis signaling drives resistance to immunotherapy by inducing the upregulation of Fcγ receptor IIB in M2 macrophages.

In recent years, immunotherapy, particularly PD-1 antibodies, have significantly enhanced the outcome of gastric cancer patients. Despite these advances, some patients do not respond well to treatment, highlighting the need to understand resistance mechanisms and develop predictive markers of treatment effectiveness. This study retrospectively analyzed data from 106 patients with stage IV gastric cancer who were treated with first-line immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy. By comparing plasma cytokine levels between patients resistant and sensitive to PD-1 antibody therapy, the researchers identified elevated IL-4 expression in the resistant patients. Mechanical investigations revealed that IL-4 induces metabolic changes in macrophages that activate the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. This alteration promotes ATP production, enhances glycolysis, increases lactic acid production, and upregulates FcγRIIB expression in macrophages. Ultimately, these changes lead to CD8+ T cell dysfunction and resistance to PD-1 antibody therapy in gastric cancer. These findings highlight the role of IL-4-induced macrophage polarization and metabolic reprogramming in immune resistance and verify IL-4 as potential targets for improving treatment outcomes in gastric cancer patients.