Choosing Appropriate Candidates for Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one the most prevalent arrhythmias globally and is associated with a significantly higher risk of morbidity and mortality, including an up to five-fold increase in risk of stroke. While oral anticoagulation therapy remains the standard approach for stroke prevention in nonvalvular AF, left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) has emerged as a viable alternative for patients who are intolerant to long-term oral anticoagulation therapy. However, selecting appropriate candidates for LAAO requires a comprehensive evaluation that considers various clinical factors, although this presents a challenge in clinical practice.

Functional trait-based phytoplankton biomass and assemblage analyses in the pre-growing season for comprehensive algal bloom risk assessment.

Algal bloom (AB) risk assessment is critical for maintaining ecosystem health and human sustainability. Previous AB risk assessments have focused on the potential occurrence of ABs and related factors in the growing season, whereas their hazards, especially in the pre-growing season, have attracted less attention. Here, we performed a comprehensive AB risk assessment, including water trophic levels, phytoplankton biomass, functional trait-based assemblages, and related environmental factors, in the pre-growing season in Dongting Lake, China.

Improving prediction model robustness with virtual sample construction for near-infrared spectra analysis.

In a qualitative analysis of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), when the samples to be analyzed are difficult to obtain or there are few counterexamples, the robustness of the models is poor, resulting in the decline of the generalization ability of the models. In this case, the effective method is to construct virtual samples to achieve the balance of categories. In this contribution, three virtual spectrum construction strategies including Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE), Adaptive Synthetic Sampling (ADASYN), and Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Network (DCGAN) were explored to deal with the problem of insufficient or imbalanced sample numbers in NIRS analysis.

Online Inspection of Browning in Yali Pears Using Visible-Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Interpretable Spectrogram-Based CNN Modeling.

Browning is the most common physiological disease of Yali pears during storage. At the initial stage, browning only occurs in the tissues near the fruit core and cannot be detected from the appearance. The disease, if not identified and removed in time, will seriously undermine the quality and sale of the whole batch of fruit.

A Magtein, Magnesium L-Threonate, -Based Formula Improves Brain Cognitive Functions in Healthy Chinese Adults.

Magnesium is one of the most abundant essential minerals in the body. Magnesium supplements mostly have low bioavailability, except magnesium L-threonate. In 2010, a novel magnesium compound, magnesium L-threonate (Magtein) was identified and was shown to raise the magnesium levels in the brain and neurons effectively.

Establishment of online deep learning model for insect-affected pests in "Yali" pears based on visible-near-infrared spectroscopy.

Insect-affected pests, as an important indicator in inspection and quarantine, must be inspected in the imports and exports of fruits like "Yali" pears (a kind of duck head-shaped pear). Therefore, the insect-affected pests in Yali pears should be previously detected in an online, real-time, and accurate manner during the commercial sorting process, thus improving the import and export trade competitiveness of Yali pears. This paper intends to establish a model of online and real-time discrimination for recessive insect-affected pests in Yali pears during commercial sorting.

Research on construction method and validity mechanism of robust analysis model in snow peach quality detection based on visible-near infrared spectroscopy.

Visible-near infrared (Vis-NIR) spectra analysis method is widely used in the quality grading of bulk fruits with its rapid, non-destructive, diverse detection modes and flexible modular integration scheme. However, during the online grading of fruits, the random mechanized way of dropping fruit onto the conveyor belt method and the open detection environment led to more spectral abnormal samples, which affect the accuracy of the detection. In this paper, the soluble solids content (SSC) of snow peach is quantitatively analyzed by static and online detection methods.

The safety of pericardiocentesis in patients under antithrombotic therapy: A single-center experience.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of patients with pericardial effusion requiring pericardiocentesis and to evaluate the safety of pericardiocentesis without discontinuation of anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study of patients undergoing pericardiocentesis in our hospital between 2012 and 2022. Patients were categorized into the Antithrombotic Group if they had used any antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs on the day of pericardiocentesis; otherwise they were categorized into the Non-antithrombotic Group.

Indirect herbivore biomanipulation may halt regime shift from clear to turbid after macrophyte restoration.

Eutrophication transforms clear water into turbid water in shallow lakes. Current restoration techniques focus on re-establishing the clear-water state rather than on its maintenance. We investigated the response of submerged macrophytes to temporary grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and scraping snail (Bellamya aeruginosa) introductions.

Nanomaterials-Mediated Co-Stimulation of Toll-Like Receptors and CD40 for Antitumor Immunity.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and CD40-related signaling pathways represent critical bridges between innate and adaptive immune responses. Here, an immunotherapy regimen that enables co-stimulation of TLR7/8- and CD40-mediated pathways is developed. TLR7/8 agonist resiquimod (R848) derived amino lipids, RAL1 and RAL2, are synthesized and formulated into RAL-derived lipid nanoparticles (RAL-LNPs).

Rice Paddies Reduce Subsequent Yields of Wheat Due to Physical and Chemical Soil Constraints.

Yields of wheat crops that succeed rice paddy crops are generally low. To date, it has been unclear whether such low yields were due to rice paddies altering soil physical or mineral characteristics, or both. To investigate this quandary, we conducted field experiments in the Jianghan Plain to analyze differences in the spatial distribution of wheat roots between rice-wheat rotation (RW) and dryland-wheat rotations (DW) using a range of nitrogen treatments.

Di-n-butyl phthalate regulates vascular smooth muscle cells phenotypic switching by MiR-139-5p-MYOCD pathways.

Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) is ubiquitous in environment and has been detected in almost all human bodies. Few data could be found about the effects of DBP on cardiovascular system, though its reproductive toxicities have been studied extensively. This study aimed to explore effects of DBP on phenotypic switching of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), an essential step during the formation of atherosclerosis (AS).

Di-n-butyl phthalate promotes monocyte recruitment via miR-137-3p-SP1-MCP-1 pathway.

Since non-covalent bound character and widespread application in numerous products, people are exposed to di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) at low levels through various ways. Epidemiological studies suggested an association between DBP exposure and atherosclerosis (AS). Still, molecular mechanisms remain unclear.

Intratumoral delivery of IL-12 and IL-27 mRNA using lipid nanoparticles for cancer immunotherapy.

Cytokines are important immunotherapeutics with approved drugs for the treatment of human cancers. However, systemic administration of cytokines often fails to achieve adequate concentrations to immune cells in tumors due to dose-limiting toxicity. Thus, developing localized therapy that directly delivers immune-stimulatory cytokines to tumors may improve the therapeutic efficacy.

Biomimetic nanoparticles deliver mRNAs encoding costimulatory receptors and enhance T cell mediated cancer immunotherapy.

Antibodies targeting costimulatory receptors of T cells have been developed for the activation of T cell immunity in cancer immunotherapy. However, costimulatory molecule expression is often lacking in tumor-infiltrating immune cells, which can impede antibody-mediated immunotherapy. Here, we hypothesize that delivery of costimulatory receptor mRNA to tumor-infiltrating T cells will enhance the antitumor effects of antibodies.

Construction of Messenger RNA (mRNA) Probes Delivered By Lipid Nanoparticles to Visualize Intracellular Protein Expression and Localization at Organelles.

Organelles are specialized compartments, where various proteins reside and play crucial roles to maintain essential cellular structures and functions in mammalian cells. A comprehensive understanding of protein expressions and subsequent localizations at each organelle is of great benefit to the development of organelle-based therapies. Herein, a set of single or dual organelle labeling messenger RNAs (SOLAR or DOLAR) is designed as novel imaging probes, which encode fluorescent proteins with various organelle localization signals.

Multifunctional oncolytic nanoparticles deliver self-replicating IL-12 RNA to eliminate established tumors and prime systemic immunity.

Therapies that synergistically stimulate immunogenic cancer cell death (ICD), inflammation, and immune priming are of great interest for cancer immunotherapy. However, even multi-agent therapies often fail to trigger all of the steps necessary for self-sustaining anti-tumor immunity. Here we describe self-replicating RNAs encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNP-replicons), which combine three key elements: (1) an LNP composition that potently promotes ICD, (2) RNA that stimulates danger sensors in transfected cells, and (3) RNA-encoded IL-12 for modulation of immune cells.

Monitoring air quality can help for lakes excessive proliferation of phytoplankton control.

Previous studies assessing excessive proliferation of phytoplankton (EPP) in lakes are generally based on single investigation and focused on limited environmental factors; meanwhile, less attention has been paid to lakes susceptibility to EPP. Here, we identify the priority of lakes for EPP control in a basin by assessing EPP in multiple lakes and identify the key factors related to lakes' vulnerability to EPP. Field measurements, as well as multi-source survey data acquisition were conducted for 63 shallow lakes in the middle-lower Yangtze River basin.

Effects of air quality and vegetation on algal bloom early warning systems in large lakes in the middle-lower Yangtze River basin.

Studies of algal bloom early warning systems have rarely paid attention to the dynamics of excessive proliferation of phytoplankton (EPP), which occurs prior to algal blooms, or to the sensitivity of a lake to EPP based on multiple environmental factors. In this study, we investigated EPP dynamics in large lakes and identified major factors that influenced the lake's vulnerability to EPP, to improve algal bloom early warning systems. High temporal moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) images and multi-source daily site monitoring data of large lakes in the middle-lower Yangtze River basin were analyzed.

Comparison of early season crop types for wheat production and nitrogen use efficiency in the Jianghan Plain in China.

The rice-wheat (RW) cropping system is one of the most prevalent double-cropping systems used to farm the Jianghan Plain in China. However, it can lead to low wheat yields and reduced nitrogen use efficiency compared with dryland wheat (DW). We evaluated wheat yield and nitrogen use efficiency for two rotations (summer rice-winter wheat and summer soybean-winter wheat) from 2017 to 2019 and applied the results to improve nitrogen management for planting wheat after rice in the Jianghan Plain.

Functionalized lipid-like nanoparticles for in vivo mRNA delivery and base editing.

Messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics have been explored to treat various genetic disorders. Lipid-derived nanomaterials are currently one of the most promising biomaterials that mediate effective mRNA delivery. However, efficiency and safety of this nanomaterial-based mRNA delivery remains a challenge for clinical applications.

Leveraging mRNA Sequences and Nanoparticles to Deliver SARS-CoV-2 Antigens In Vivo.

SARS-CoV-2 has become a pandemic worldwide; therefore, an effective vaccine is urgently needed. Recently, messenger RNAs (mRNAs) have emerged as a promising platform for vaccination. In this work, the untranslated regions (UTRs) of mRNAs are systematically engineered in order to enhance protein production.

Leveraging mRNAs sequences to express SARS-CoV-2 antigens in vivo.

SARS-CoV-2 has rapidly become a pandemic worldwide; therefore, an effective vaccine is urgently needed. Recently, messenger RNAs (mRNAs) have emerged as a promising platform for vaccination. Here, we systematically investigated the untranslated regions (UTRs) of mRNAs in order to enhance protein production.

Formulation and Delivery Technologies for mRNA Vaccines.

mRNA vaccines have become a versatile technology for the prevention of infectious diseases and the treatment of cancers. In the vaccination process, mRNA formulation and delivery strategies facilitate effective expression and presentation of antigens, and immune stimulation. mRNA vaccines have been delivered in various formats: encapsulation by delivery carriers, such as lipid nanoparticles, polymers, peptides, free mRNA in solution, and ex vivo through dendritic cells.