The Combination of Retinal Neurovascular Unit Changes With Carotid Artery Stenosis Enhances the Prediction of Ischemic Stroke.

Purpose: We aimed to analyze retinal neurovascular unit (RNVU) alterations and function via optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and full-field electroretinography (ERG) in patients with ischemic stroke (IS).

Methods: OCTA was used to measure RNVU changes in 229 participants (101 with IS and 128 healthy controls). The RETeval device was used to record full-field electroretinograms (FERGs) in 40 participants (14 with IS and 26 healthy controls).

Comprehensive Characterization of a Subfamily of Ca-Binding Proteins in Mouse and Human Retinal Neurons at Single-Cell Resolution.

Ca-binding proteins (CaBPs; CaBP1-5) are a subfamily of neuronal Ca sensors with high homology to calmodulin. Notably, CaBP4, which is exclusively expressed in rod and cone photoreceptors, is crucial for maintaining normal retinal functions. However, the functional roles of CaBP1, CaBP2, and CaBP5 in the retina remain elusive, primarily due to limited understanding of their expression patterns within inner retinal neurons.

Exosomal Src from hypoxic vascular smooth muscle cells exacerbates ischemic brain injury by promoting M1 microglial polarization.

Inflammatory response mediated by M1 microglia is a crucial factor leading to the exacerbation of brain injury after ischemic stroke (IS). Under the stimulation of IS, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) switch to the synthetic phenotype characterized by exosome secretion. Previous studies have shown that exosomes play an important role in the regulation of microglial polarization.

Identification of diabetic retinopathy classification using machine learning algorithms on clinical data and optical coherence tomography angiography.

Background: To apply machine learning (ML) algorithms to perform multiclass diabetic retinopathy (DR) classification using both clinical data and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, clinical data and OCTA parameters from 203 diabetic patients (203 eye) were used to establish the ML models, and those from 169 diabetic patients (169 eye) were used for independent external validation. The random forest, gradient boosting machine (GBM), deep learning and logistic regression algorithms were used to identify the presence of DR, referable DR (RDR) and vision-threatening DR (VTDR).

Jagged1-Notch1 Signaling Pathway Induces M1 Microglia to Disrupt the Barrier Function of Retinal Microvascular Endothelial Cells.

Purpose: Microglia-related inflammation is closely linked to the pathogenesis of retinal diseases. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the impact and mechanism of M1 phenotype microglia on the barrier function of retina microvascular endothelial cells.

Methods: Quantitative polymerase chain reactions and western blot techniques were utilized to analysis the mRNA and protein expressions of M1 and M2 markers of human microglial clone 3 cell line (HMC3), as well as the levels of Notch ligands and receptors under the intervention of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or interleukin (IL)-4.

Dual-Stream Fusion Network with ConvNeXtV2 for Pig Weight Estimation Using RGB-D Data in Aisles.

In the field of livestock management, noncontact pig weight estimation has advanced considerably with the integration of computer vision and sensor technologies. However, real-world agricultural settings present substantial challenges for these estimation techniques, including the impacts of variable lighting and the complexities of measuring pigs in constant motion. To address these issues, we have developed an innovative algorithm, the moving pig weight estimate algorithm based on deep vision (MPWEADV).

Millimeter-wave noise generation based on a monolithically integrated dual-mode chaotic laser.

A millimeter-wave noise generation scheme is proposed in this paper. The scheme is based on a monolithically integrated dual-mode chaotic laser, which consists of a distributed Bragg feedback (DFB) section, a phase section, and an optical amplification section. The output spectrum state of the dual-mode laser can be controlled by adjusting the injection current in the three regions.

Surface-tethered ROS-responsive micelle backpacks for boosting mesenchymal stem cell vitality and modulating inflammation in ischemic stroke treatment.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibited remarkable therapeutic potential in ischemic stroke due to their exceptional immunomodulatory ability and paracrine effect; they have also been regarded as excellent neuroprotectant delivery vehicles with inflammatory tropism. However, the presence of high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an oxidative stress environment at the lesion site inhibits cell survival and further therapeutic effects. Using bioorthogonal click chemistry, ROS-responsive luteolin-loaded micelles were tethered to the surface of MSCs.

Associations between socioeconomic status and stroke in American adults: A population-based study.

Stroke is an acute cerebrovascular disease that can lead to disability and death. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and stroke. SES was evaluated by two variables: poverty to income ratio (PIR) and education level.

An Improved Pig Counting Algorithm Based on YOLOv5 and DeepSORT Model.

Pig counting is an important task in pig sales and breeding supervision. Currently, manual counting is low-efficiency and high-cost and presents challenges in terms of statistical analysis. In response to the difficulties faced in pig part feature detection, the loss of tracking due to rapid movement, and the large counting deviation in pig video tracking and counting research, this paper proposes an improved pig counting algorithm (Mobile Pig Counting Algorithm with YOLOv5xpig and DeepSORTPig (MPC-YD)) based on YOLOv5 + DeepSORT model.

Performance Degradation Modeling and Its Prediction Algorithm of an IGBT Gate Oxide Layer Based on a CNN-LSTM Network.

The problem of health status prediction of insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) has gained significant attention in the field of health management of power electronic equipment. The performance degradation of the IGBT gate oxide layer is one of the most important failure modes. In view of failure mechanism analysis and the easy implementation of monitoring circuits, this paper selects the gate leakage current of an IGBT as the precursor parameter of gate oxide degradation, and uses time domain characteristic analysis, gray correlation degree, Mahalanobis distance, Kalman filter, and other methods to carry out feature selection and fusion.

Associations of concomitant retinopathy and depression with mortality in a nationally representative population.

Objective: To evaluate the interaction effects between retinopathy and depression on mortality risks in genral population and subpopulation with diabetes.

Methods: Prospective analyses were conducted on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys study. Associations of retinopathy, depression and their interaction with all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD)-specific, cancer-specific and other-specific mortality risk were estimated using Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models.

Extremely hair follicle density is associated with a significantly different cecal microbiota in rex rabbits.

It has become increasingly clear that gut microbiota and skin are interconnected since the discovery of the 'gut-brain-skin' axis. Hair follicles (HFs) are skin microorganisms, but few studies have investigated their relationship to gut microbiota. Hence, we hypothesize that HFs have a close relationship with the gut, similarly to what was reported for the skin.

A Pig Mass Estimation Model Based on Deep Learning without Constraint.

The body mass of pigs is an essential indicator of their growth and health. Lately, contactless pig body mass estimation methods based on computer vision technology have gained attention thanks to their potential to improve animal welfare and ensure breeders' safety. Nonetheless, current methods require pigs to be restrained in a confinement pen, and no study has been conducted in an unconstrained environment.

Arsenic-Loaded Biomimetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Enhanced Ferroptosis-Inducing Therapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor response to most available systemic therapies due to intrinsic or acquired resistance to apoptosis. Ferroptosis-based therapy is expected to circumvent those limitations. Therefore, the rational design of ferroptosis-based therapies with targeted delivery of ferroptosis inducers for HCC is in need.

Multiple Calcium Channel Types with Unique Expression Patterns Mediate Retinal Signaling at Bipolar Cell Ribbon Synapses.

Retinal bipolar cells (BCs) compose the canonical vertical excitatory pathway that conveys photoreceptor output to inner retinal neurons. Although synaptic transmission from BC terminals is thought to rely almost exclusively on Ca influx through voltage-gated Ca (Ca) channels mediating L-type currents, the molecular identity of Ca channels in BCs is uncertain. Therefore, we combined molecular and functional analyses to determine the expression profiles of Ca α, β, and αδ subunits in mouse rod bipolar (RB) cells, BCs from which the dynamics of synaptic transmission are relatively well-characterized.

Glutamate Transporters EAAT2 and EAAT5 Differentially Shape Synaptic Transmission from Rod Bipolar Cell Terminals.

Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) control visual signal transmission in the retina by rapidly removing glutamate released from photoreceptors and bipolar cells (BCs). Although it has been reported that EAAT2 and EAAT5 are expressed at presynaptic terminals of photoreceptors and some BCs in mammals, the distinct functions of these two glutamate transporters in retinal synaptic transmission, especially at a single synapse, remain elusive. In this study, we found that EAAT2 was expressed in all BC types while coexisting with EAAT5 in rod bipolar (RB) cells and several types of cone BCs from mice of either sex.

Potential of PKM2 as a drug target in mouse models with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Background: This study aimed to determine the effect of PKM2 knockout in STZ induced type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) mouse models and to explore the possible mechanism.

Method: PKM2fl/fl C57BL/6 mouse was backcrossed with Ins-1cre C57BL/6 mouse to generate β-cell-specific PKM2 knockout mouse after tamoxifen administration. The expression level of PKM2 in pancreas tissues was detected by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis.

Dual carbon decorated germanium-carbon composite as a stable anode for sodium/potassium-ion batteries.

In the present work, we introduce a dual carbon accommodated structure in which germanium nanoparticles are encapsulated into an ordered mesoporous carbon matrix (Ge-CMK) and further coated with an amorphous carbon layer (Ge@C-CMK) through a nano-casting route followed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) treatment. In the resultant Ge@C-CMK composite, the unique lane-like pore structure that cooperates with the amorphous carbon surface can not only mitigate the volume expansion of germanium particles, but also improve the electrical conductivity of germanium as well as facilitate Na/K diffusion. When employed as the anode of sodium-ion batteries, the Ge@C-CMK electrode exhibits stable capacity as well as long-term cycling stability (a stable capacity of 176 mAh g at 1 A g after 5000 cycles).

Facile fabrication of a vanadium nitride/carbon fiber composite for half/full sodium-ion and potassium-ion batteries with long-term cycling performance.

Vanadium-based composite anodes have been designed for applications in alkali metal ion batteries, including lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (PIBs). However, the problems of inferior long-term cycling stability caused by the large volume change and dissolution of vanadium-based active materials during cycles and slow diffusion for large radii of Na and K still limit their underlying capability and need to be addressed. In the present work, we initially designed and fabricated a vanadium nitride/carbon fiber (VN/CNF) composite via a facile electrospinning method followed by the ammonization process.

Regulation of B cell homeostasis by Ptpn22 contributes to type 1 diabetes in NOD mice.

Purpose: A coding variant in PTPN22 (C1858T) is one of the most important genetic risk factors in type 1 diabetes (T1D). The role of the PTPN22 risk allele in B cells is still incompletely understood and has not been investigated directly in T1D. This study aimed to explore the role of PTPN22 in the homeostasis of B cells and its influence in T1D.

Genotype-phenotype correlation and interaction of 4q25, 15q14 and variants with myopia in southern Chinese population.

Background/aims: To determine the association and interaction of genome-wide association study-reported variants for Asian populations with myopia and ocular biometric parameters in southern Chinese population.

Methods: Totally, 1462 unrelated Han Chinese subjects were recruited with complete ophthalmic examinations, including 1196 myopia and 266 control subjects. A total of nine variants were selected for TaqMan genotyping.

Facile Synthesis of Ultra-Small Few-Layer Nanostructured MoSe Embedded on N, P Co-Doped Bio-Carbon for High-Performance Half/Full Sodium-Ion and Potassium-Ion Batteries.

Sodium/potassium-ion batteries (SIBs/PIBs) arouse intensive interest on account of the natural abundance of sodium/potassium resources, the competitive cost and appropriate redox potential. Nevertheless, the huge challenge for SIBs/PIBs lies in the scarcity of an anode material with high capacity and stable structure, which are capable of accommodating large-size ions during cycling. Furthermore, using sustainable natural biomass to fabricate electrodes for energy storage applications is a hot topic.

Generalized regression neural network association with terahertz spectroscopy for quantitative analysis of benzoic acid additive in wheat flour.

Investigations were initiated to develop terahertz (THz) techniques associated with machine learning methods of generalized regression neural network (GRNN) and back-propagation neural network (BPNN) to rapidly measure benzoic acid (BA) content in wheat flour. The absorption coefficient exhibited a maximum absorption peak at 1.94 THz, which generally increased with the content of BA additive.