Impact of protein intake from a caloric-restricted diet on liver lipid metabolism in overweight and obese rats of different sexes.

In addition to being linked to an excess of lipid accumulation in the liver, being overweight or obese can also result in disorders of lipid metabolism. There is limited understanding regarding whether different levels of protein intake within an energy-restricted diet affect liver lipid metabolism in overweight and obese rats and whether these effects differ by gender, despite the fact that both high protein intake and calorie restriction can improve intrahepatic lipid. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects and mechanisms of different protein intakes within a calorie-restricted diet on liver lipid metabolism, and to investigate whether these effects exhibit gender differences.

Probing the functional constraints of influenza A virus NEP by deep mutational scanning.

The influenza A virus nuclear export protein (NEP) is a multifunctional protein that is essential for the viral life cycle and has very high sequence conservation. However, since the open reading frame of NEP largely overlaps with that of another influenza viral protein, non-structural protein 1, it is difficult to infer the functional constraints of NEP based on sequence conservation analysis. In addition, the N-terminal of NEP is structurally disordered, which further complicates the understanding of its function.

A Study on the Preparation and Performance of Ultrafine Powder Made of Industrial Hemp Degumming Residue.

Industrial hemp, one of the most widely available and extensively produced varieties, generates a substantial amount of waste in the form of hemp cellulose. This study uses a recycling method combining crushing and acid treatment to convert leftover hemp fiber into ultrafine powder. A scanning electron microscope (SEM), an atomic force microscope (AFM), Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to examine the morphology of acid-treated hemp fiber heated to 200 °C and crushed into powder.

Identifying Upper d-Band Edge as Activity Descriptor for Ammonia Oxidation on PtCo Alloys in Low-Temperature Direct Ammonia Fuel Cells.

Low-temperature direct ammonia fuel cell (DAFC) stands out as a more secure technology than the hydrogen fuel cell system, while there is still a lack of elegant bottom-up synthesis procedures for efficient ammonia oxidation reaction (AOR) electrocatalysts. The widely accepted d-band center, even with consideration of the d-band width, usually fails to describe variations in AOR reactivity in many practical conditions, and a more accurate activity descriptor is necessary for a less empirical synthesis path. Herein, the upper d-band edge, ε, derived from the d-band model, is identified as an effective descriptor for accurately establishing the descriptor-activity relationship.

Data-driven natural computational psychophysiology in class.

The assessment of mental fatigue (MF) and attention span in educational and healthcare settings frequently relies on subjective scales or methods such as induced-task interruption tools. However, these approaches are deficient in real-time evaluation and dynamic definitions. To address this gap, this paper proposes a Continuous Quantitative Scale (CQS) that allows for the natural and real-time measurement of MF based on group-synchronized electroencephalogram (EEG) data.

Astaxanthin ameliorates dexamethasone-induced skeletal muscle atrophy and disorders of glucolipid metabolism.

Long-term use of glucocorticoids, such as dexamethasone, can lead to skeletal muscle atrophy and disturbances in glucolipid metabolism. Astaxanthin, a ketocarotenoid, has a variety of physiological activities. In this study, we investigated the effects of astaxanthin on dexamethasone-induced skeletal muscle atrophy and disorders of glycolipid metabolism.

Quantitative evaluation of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors utilizing dual-source CT perfusion imaging.

Objective: We aimed to quantitatively analyze the perfusion characteristics of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) utilizing dual-source CT imaging.

Methods: Dual-source CT perfusion scans were obtained from patients with pNETs confirmed by surgical or biopsy pathology. Perfusion parameters, including blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), capillary permeability surface (PS), mean transit time (MTT), contrast transit time to the start (TTS), and contrast transit time to the peak (TTP), were statistically analyzed and compared with nearby healthy tissue.

Zhenbao Pill Attenuates Microglia Activation to Improve Spinal Cord Injury via miR-214-5p/SOX4/β-catenin Axis.

Zhenbao pill (ZBP) has been shown to improve outcomes in spinal cord injury (SCI). However, its potential regulatory mechanisms in SCI remain to be elucidated. This study aimed to define the role of ZBP and its underlying molecular mechanisms in SCI, both in vitro and in vivo.

Effect of Microalloying Rare-Earth Nd on Microstructure Evolution and Mechanical Property of Cu Alloy.

Cu alloys have been widely used in the manufacture of liners because of their high density, good plasticity, and excellent thermal conductivity. In order to achieve excellent jet stability and penetration performance, it is necessary to further improve the mechanical properties of Cu-based liners. Nevertheless, the simultaneous enhancement of strength and ductility of the Cu alloys remains a huge challenge due to the strength-ductility trade-off phenomenon of metals/alloys.

Orderly Coating of Bilayer Polymer to Tailor Microenvironment for Efficient C-N Coupling Toward Highly Selective Urea Electrosynthesis.

Electrosynthesis of urea from co-reduction of carbon dioxide and nitrate is a promising alternative to the industrial process. However, the overwhelming existence of proton and nitrate as well as the insufficient supply of CO at the reaction interface usually result in complex product distributions from individual nitrate reduction or hydrogen evolution, instead of C-N coupling. In this work, we systematically optimize this microenvironment through orderly coating of bilayer polymer to specifically tackle the above challenges.

Triggering Heteroatom Ensemble Effect over RuFe Alloy to Promote Nitrogen Chemisorption for Efficient Ammonia Electrosynthesis at Ambient Conditions.

Ammonia (NH) electrosynthesis from nitrogen (N) provides a promising strategy for carbon neutrality, circumventing the energy-intensive and carbon-emitting Haber-Bosch process. However, the current system still presents unsatisfactory performance, and the bottleneck lies in the rational synthesis of catalytic centers with efficient N chemisorption ability. Herein, a heteroatom ensemble effect is deliberately triggered over RuFe alloy with spatial proximity of metal sites to promote electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction.

Spontaneous aggregation-enhanced electrochemiluminescence via galvanic strategy.

Researchers unremittingly strive to develop innovative luminophores to enhance intrinsic electrochemiluminescence (ECL) performance. However, the potential to harness facile strategies, such as manipulating the physical properties of luminophores while retaining functional chemical properties to fabricate cost-effective ECL complexes, remains underexplored. Herein, we reported a novel and efficient one-step galvanic technique to actualize aggregation-enhanced ECL (AEECL) of ruthenium complexes.

Efficient leather spreading operations by dual-arm robotic systems.

To achieve precise grasping and spreading of irregular sheet-like soft objects (such as leather) by robots, this study addresses several challenges, including the irregularity of leather edges and the ambiguity of feature recognition points. To tackle these issues, this paper proposes an innovative method that involves alternately grasping the lowest point twice and using planar techniques to effectively spread the leather. We improved the YOLOV8 algorithm by incorporating the BIFPN network structure and the WIOU loss function, and trained a dedicated dataset for the lowest grasping points and planar grasping points, thereby achieving high-precision recognition.

Built-In Positive Valence Space Shifting the Chemical Equilibrium Forward for Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia.

The electrochemical conversion of nitrate pollutants into value-added ammonia (NH) is an appealing alternative synthetic route for sustainable NH production. However, the development of the electrocatalytic nitrate-to-ammonia reduction reaction (NORR) has been hampered by unruly reactants and products at the interface and the accompanied sluggish kinetic rate. In this work, a built-in positive valence space is successfully constructed over FeCu nanocrystals to rationally regulate interfacial component concentrations and positively shift the chemical equilibrium.

Bi-Parameter MRI Could Quantitatively Assess the Zonal Heterogeneity of Prostate Cancer.

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) located in the peripheral zone (PZ) and transitional zone (TZ) showed a different clinical and pathological characteristic. This passage aims to preliminarily evaluate the relationship between the zonal heterogeneity of PCa quantitatively assessed by bpMRI and pathological risk stratification of the primary lesion.

Methods: This prospective study was conducted from January 2019 to February 2023.

A single-center, retrospective study of hospitalized patients with lower respiratory tract infections: clinical assessment of metagenomic next-generation sequencing and identification of risk factors in patients.

Introduction: Lower respiratory tract infections(LRTIs) in adults are complicated by diverse pathogens that challenge traditional detection methods, which are often slow and insensitive. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) offers a comprehensive, high-throughput, and unbiased approach to pathogen identification. This retrospective study evaluates the diagnostic efficacy of mNGS compared to conventional microbiological testing (CMT) in LRTIs, aiming to enhance detection accuracy and enable early clinical prediction.

Large-Substrate-Terrace Confined Growth of Arrayed Ultrathin PtSe Ribbons on Step-Bunched Vicinal Au(001) Facets Toward Electrocatalytic Applications.

Ultrathin PtSe ribbons can host spin-polarized edge states and distinct edge electrocatalytic activity, emerging as a promising candidate for versatile applications in various fields. However, the direct synthesis is still challenging and the growth mechanism is still unclear. Herein, the arrayed growth of ultrathin PtSe ribbons on bunched vicinal Au(001) facets, via a facile chemical vapor deposition (CVD) route is reported.

Entanglement of nanophotonic quantum memory nodes in a telecom network.

A key challenge in realizing practical quantum networks for long-distance quantum communication involves robust entanglement between quantum memory nodes connected by fibre optical infrastructure. Here we demonstrate a two-node quantum network composed of multi-qubit registers based on silicon-vacancy (SiV) centres in nanophotonic diamond cavities integrated with a telecommunication fibre network. Remote entanglement is generated by the cavity-enhanced interactions between the electron spin qubits of the SiVs and optical photons.

Rare-Earth Lanthanum-Evoked Amorphization and Optimization to Boost Ambient Nitrogen Fixation over Single-Atom Catalysts.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have been widely studied in a variety of electrocatalysis. However, its application in the electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) field still suffers from unsatisfactory performance, due to the sluggish mass transfer and significant kinetic barriers. Herein, a novel rare-earth-lanthanum-evoked optimization strategy is proposed to boost ambient NRR over SACs.

Reproducibility and reliability of pancreatic pharmacokinetic parameters derived from dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) with an extended Tofts linear (ETL) model for tissue and tumor evaluation has been established, but its effectiveness in evaluating the pancreas remains uncertain.

Purpose: To understand the pharmacokinetics of normal pancreas and serve as a reference for future studies of pancreatic diseases.

Material And Methods: Pancreatic pharmacokinetic parameters of 54 volunteers were calculated using DCE-MRI with the ETL model.

Fucoidan from Apostichopus japonicus ameliorates alcoholic liver disease by regulating gut-liver axis homeostasis.

Long-term and excessive alcohol consumption can lead to the development of alcoholic liver disease (ALD), characterized by oxidative damage, intestinal barrier injury, and disruption of intestinal microbiota. In this study, we extracted fucoidan (Aj-FUC) from Apostichopus japonicus using enzymatic methods and characterized its structure. The ALD model was established in male Balb/c mice using 56° Baijiu, with silymarin as a positive control.