Mining coral-derived terpene synthases and mechanistic studies of the coral biflorane synthase.

Biflorane diterpenoids are unique natural products often seen in marine animals. Recent studies have reported a small number of biflorane synthases. However, the catalytic mechanism and structural basis for biflorane formation remain unclear.

Diagnostic Accuracy of FEF for Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness in Patients with Suspected Asthma and/or Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Some studies have suggested that the forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of vital capacity (FEF) can be used as an early marker of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) in asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR), but is highly variable. Here, we aimed to assess whether the FEF can be used to diagnose BHR in patients with asthma-like symptoms and AR.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library, Cochrane Library, SinoMed, CNKI, and Wanfang Data were searched to acquire eligible studies.

Hierarchical Porous Microspheres-Assisted Serum Metabolic Profile for the Early Diagnosis and Surveillance of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis.

With the aging global population, the incidence of osteoporosis (OP) is increasing, putting more individuals at risk. Since postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) often remains asymptomatic until a fracture occurs, making the early clinical diagnosis of PMOP particularly challenging. In this work, the AuNPs-anchored hierarchical porous ZrO microspheres (Au/HPZOMs) is designed to assist laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) for the requirement of serum metabolic fingerprints of PMOP, postmenopausal osteopenia (PMON), and healthy controls (HC) and realize the early diagnosis and surveillance of PMOP.

Visible-Light Induced and Iron Peroxo-Promoted Radical Difunctionalization of Alkene for the Synthesis of β-Ketosulfone and α-Chloroketone.

In this work, a switchable synthesis of β-ketosulfone and α-chloroketone through a radical difunctionalization of alkenes is reported. The transformation works well under iron peroxo species/photoredox dual catalysis and an open-flask atmosphere, and the reaction is highlighted with good yields and a broad reaction scope. Mechanism studies show that the reaction is initiated by a formal [4 + 2] cyclization of the sulfonyl radical in a regioselective manner.

Ferric nitrene-promoted anti-Markovnikov ring-opening of epoxides and nucleophilic functionalization of benzylic C-H bonds under photo-irradiation.

This paper describes a ferric nitrene/photoredox dual-catalyzed anti-Markovnikov ring-opening of epoxides under neutral conditions for providing α-substituted acetophenones. A DFT-based calculation supported the reaction regioselectivity. The catalytic system could also be applied to the formation of C-O and C-N bonds nucleophilic functionalization of benzylic C-H bonds.

Blocking Deoxycytidine Kinase in Activated Lymphocytes Depletes Deoxycytidine Triphosphate Pools and Alters Cell Cycle Kinetics to Yield Less Disease in a Mouse Multiple Sclerosis Model.

Autoreactive, aberrantly activated lymphocytes that target myelin antigens in the central nervous system (CNS) are primary drivers of the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS). Proliferating cells including activated lymphocytes require deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) for DNA replication. dNTPs can be synthesised via the de novo pathway from precursors such as glucose and amino acids or the deoxyribonucleoside salvage pathway from extracellular deoxyribonucleosides.

Disturbing egg yolk protein structure via pH-shifting treatment for interface reorganization: Improving solubility to enhance oil-water interface adsorption and emulsification properties.

This study explored the impact of varying alkalinity levels in pH-shifting treatments on egg yolk protein (EYP) emulsification and investigated the underlying oil-water interface adsorption mechanism. Increasing alkaline pH-shifting treatment exposed more hydrophobic groups within EYP, altering its tertiary structure. Moreover, pH-shifting treatment reduced solution particle size (P < 0.

A new generative method for multi-focus image fusion of underwater micro bubbles.

The optical detection methodology stands as a predominant approach for detecting underwater bubbles. Nonetheless, owing to poor underwater imaging conditions, the acquired image depth of field proves inadequate, posing significant challenges for the study and identification of underwater micro bubbles. In this investigation, we present a multi-focus image fusion model tailored for underwater micro bubbles, grounded in the Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Model.

Facile synthesis of carbon-coated CoS micro/nano-spheres as high-performance anode materials for sodium-ion batteries.

carbon-coated CoS micro/nano-spheres were successfully prepared by sulfuric calcination using the solvothermal method with glycerol as the carbon source without introducing extraneous carbon. This method prevents carbon agglomeration and avoids the cumbersome steps of the current technology. The composite demonstrates excellent sodium storage capacity as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries.

Acoustic imaging of geometrically shielded sound sources using tailored Green's functions.

In light of the growing market of urban air mobility, it is crucial to accurately detect the stationary or moving noise sources within the complex scattering environments caused by aircraft structures such as airframes and engines. This study combines conventional and wavelet-based beamforming techniques with an acoustic scattering prediction method to develop an acoustic imaging approach that considers scattering effects. Tailored Green's function is numerically evaluated and used to compute the steering vectors and the specific delayed time used in those beamforming methods.

Transcriptome analysis of the diseased intervertebral disc tissue in patients with spinal tuberculosis.

Objective: To investigate the differential expression genes (DEGs) in spinal tuberculosis using transcriptomics, with the aim of identifying novel therapeutic targets and prognostic indicators for the clinical management of spinal tuberculosis.

Methods: Patients who visited the Department of Orthopedics at the Second Hospital, Lanzhou University from January 2021 to May 2023 were enrolled. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, there were 5 patients in the test group and 5 patients in the control group.

Terahertz spoof plasmonic neural network for diffractive information recognition and processing.

All-optical diffractive neural networks, as analog artificial intelligence accelerators, leverage parallelism and analog computation for complex data processing. However, their low space transmission efficiency or large spatial dimensions hinder miniaturization and broader application. Here, we propose a terahertz spoof plasmonic neural network on a planar diffractive platform for direct multi-target recognition.

Prediction of frequency response of sub-frame bushing and study of high-order fractional derivative viscoelastic model.

This paper presents experimental and dynamic modeling research on the rubber bushings of the rear sub-frame. The Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm was utilized to optimize a Backpropagation (BP) neural network, which was separately trained and tested across two frequency ranges: 1-40 Hz and 41-50 Hz, using wideband frequency sweep dynamic stiffness test data. The testing errors at amplitudes of 0.

Synergy of Oxygen Vacancy and Surface Modulation Endows Hollow Hydrangea-like MnCoO with Enhanced Capacitive Performance.

Surface chemistry and bulk structure jointly play crucial roles in achieving high-performance supercapacitors. Here, the synergistic effect of surface chemistry properties (vacancy and phosphorization) and structure-derived properties (hollow hydrangea-like structure) on energy storage is explored by the surface treatment and architecture design of the nanostructures. The theoretical calculations and experiments prove that surface chemistry modulation is capable of improving electronic conductivity and electrolyte wettability.

LECs regulate neutrophil clearance through IL-17RC/CMTM4/NF-κB axis at sites of inflammation or infection.

The lymphatic system plays a vital role in the regulation of tissue fluid balance and the immune response to inflammation or infection. The effects of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) on the regulation of neutrophil migration have not been well-studied. In three murine models: imiquimod-induced skin inflammation, Staphylococcus aureus-induced skin infection, and ligature-induced periodontitis, we show that numerous neutrophils migrate from inflamed or infected tissues to the draining lymph nodes via lymphatic vessels.

Laser forward and backward scattering characteristics and experimental study of bubbles in ship wake.

The detection and tracking of ships can be realized by using the laser forward and backward scattering characteristics of ship wake bubbles. In this paper, the detection ability of two kinds of scattering to wake bubbles is studied. Based on the distribution characteristics of ship wake and bubble targets, typical bubble targets are selected to study from both micro and macro aspects.

Characterization of viscerofugal neurons in human colon by retrograde tracing and multi-layer immunohistochemistry.

Background And Aims: Viscerofugal neurons (VFNs) have cell bodies in the myenteric plexus and axons that project to sympathetic prevertebral ganglia. In animals they activate sympathetic motility reflexes and may modulate glucose metabolism and feeding. We used rapid retrograde tracing from colonic nerves to identify VFNs in human colon for the first time, using preparations with multi-layer immunohistochemistry.

Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Longitudinal Risk Factor Management Among Patients With Breast Cancer.

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of noncancer mortality for breast cancer survivors. Data are limited regarding patient-level atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk estimation and preventive medication use. This study aimed to characterize ASCVD risk and longitudinal preventive medication use for a cohort of patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer.

Exploring xylitol as a low-salt alternative for effective inhibition of gelation in frozen egg yolks.

Xylitol and NaCl were studied as alternative inhibitors of gelation in frozen egg yolks, considering the current dietary preference for low salt and low sucrose intake. The effects of different ratios of xylitol and NaCl on gelation were investigated. Compared to the control group, all treatment groups showed decreased egg yolk particle size and turbidity, increased solubility, surface hydrophobicity, λ, and fluorescence intensity, reduced loss of free water, and enhanced yolk fluidity.

Advanced inorganic lithium metasilicate binder for high-performance silicon anode.

Silicon (Si) is considered a high-capacity anode material with potential for next-generation lithium-ion batteries. However, the commercial application of Si anode is seriously hindered by huge volume variation (>300%) and limited Li diffusion ability. Herein, lithium metasilicate (LS), a novel inorganic binder, was innovatively developed to accommodate these challenges.