Harmful algal blooms in inland waters.

Harmful algal blooms can produce toxins that pose threats to aquatic ecosystems and human health. In this Review, we outline the global trends in harmful algal bloom occurrence and explore the drivers, future trajectories and potential mitigation strategies. Globally, harmful algal bloom occurrence has risen since the 1980s, including a 44% increase from the 2000s to 2010s, especially in Asia and Africa.

Plumbagin improves myocardial fibrosis after myocardial infarction by inhibiting the AKT/mTOR pathway to upregulate autophagy levels.

Cardiac fibrosis is a chronic inflammatory response that considerably impacts cardiac function following myocardial infarction (MI). Although Plumbagin, a natural compound, has been shown to have anti-fibrotic effects by suppresses the ROS and NF-κB pathways in liver fibrosis, its role in regulating cardiac function and cardiac fibrosis post-MI remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that Plumbagin effectively inhibits TGF-β1-induced myocardial fibroblast fibrosis and promotes autophagy activation by suppressing the AKT/mTOR pathway.

[Clinical sub-phenotypes of acute kidney injury in children and their association with prognosis].

Objectives: To investigate the clinical sub-phenotype (SP) of pediatric acute kidney injury (AKI) and their association with clinical outcomes.

Methods: General status and initial values of laboratory markers within 24 hours after admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) were recorded for children with AKI in the derivation cohort (=650) and the validation cohort (=177). In the derivation cohort, a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis was used to identify death-related indicators, and a two-step cluster analysis was employed to obtain the clinical SP of AKI.

Improving future agricultural sustainability by optimizing crop distributions in China.

Improving agricultural sustainability is a global challenge, particularly for China's high-input and low-efficiency cropping systems with environmental tradeoffs. Although national strategies have been implemented to achieve Sustainable Development Goals in agriculture, the potential contributions of crop switching as a promising solution under varying future climate change are still under-explored. Here, we optimize cropping patterns spatially with the targets of enhancing agriculture production, reducing environmental burdens, and achieving sustainable fertilization across different climate scenarios.

Predicting the high intensity focused ultrasound focus in vivo using acoustic radiation force imaging.

Background: One big challenge in the noninvasive high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) surgery is that the location and shape of its focus is unpredictable at the preoperative stage due to the complexity of sound wave propagation. The Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging is a potential solution to this problem, but artifacts resulting from shear wave propagation remain to be solved.

Purpose: In this study, we proposed avoiding those artefacts by applying the ARFI technique at a high imaging frame rate within a very short time before the shear waves start to propagate.

Rethinking density ratio estimation based hyper-parameter optimization.

Hyper-parameter optimization (HPO) aims to improve the performance of machine learning algorithms by identifying appropriate hyper-parameters. By converting the computation of expected improvement into density-ratio estimation problems, existing works use binary classifiers to estimate these ratio and determine the next point by maximizing the class posterior probabilities. However, these methods tend to treat different points equally and ignore some important regions, because binary classifiers are unable to capture more information about search spaces and highlight important regions.

Performance Study of Stabilized Recycled Aggregate Base Material with Two-Gray Components.

This article studies the practical road performance of recycled materials from construction waste, relying on the paving test section of the supporting project for the Qingdao Cross-Sea Bridge. The research focuses on the construction technology and road performance of using recycled construction waste materials in urban road sub-base construction. Through indoor tests such as sieving and unconfined compressive strength tests, relevant technical indicators were obtained and analyzed.

ROS-responsive injectable hydrogels loaded with exosomes carrying miR-4500 reverse liver fibrosis.

The reversal of liver fibrosis requires effective strategies to reduce oxidative stress and inhibition of hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation. MiR-4500 regulates pathological angiogenesis and collagen mRNA stability, with the potential to inhibit fibrosis. Herein, we explored the inhibition of HSC activation in vitro by exosomes (Exos) carrying miR-4500 and encapsulated Exos in an intelligent injectable hydrogel with biological activity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) responsiveness for application in oxidative stress environments.

Species pool and local assembly processes drive β diversity of ammonia-oxidizing and denitrifying microbial communities in rivers along a latitudinal gradient.

Both regional species pool and local community assembly mechanism drive the microbial diversity patterns across geographical gradients. However, little has been done to separate their effects on the β diversity patterns of microbial communities involved in nitrogen (N) cycling in river ecosystems. Here, we use high-throughput sequencing of the archaeal amoA, bacterial amoA, nirK, and nirS genes, null model, and neutral community model to distinguish the relative importance of species pool and local assembly processes for ammonia-oxidizing and denitrifying communities in river wetlands along a latitudinal gradient in eastern China.

Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Integrated with Molecular Dynamics Simulations Investigate the Pharmacological Mechanism of Yinchenhao Decoction in the Treatment of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Background: Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) has become a significant health and economic burden globally. Yinchenhao decoction (YCHD) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula that has been validated to exert therapeutic effects on NAFLD.

Object: The current study aimed to explore the pharmacological mechanisms of YCHD on NAFLD and further identify the potential active compounds acting on the main targets.

Plant diversity is more important than soil microbial diversity in explaining soil multifunctionality in Qinghai-Tibetan plateau wetlands.

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau harbors rich and diverse wetlands that provide multiple ecological functions simultaneously. Although the relationships between biodiversity and wetland functioning have been well studied in recent decades, the links between the multiple features of plant and microbial communities and soil multifunctionality (SMF) remain unknown in the high-altitude wetlands that are extremely sensitive to human disturbance. Here, using the single function, averaging, weighted, and multiple-threshold methods, we calculated the SMF of Qinghai-Tibetan wetlands based on 15 variables associated with soil nutrient status, nutrient cycle, and greenhouse gas emission.

Multivariate extremes in lakes.

Extreme within-lake conditions have the potential to exert detrimental effects on lakes. Here we use satellite observations to investigate how the occurrence of multiple types of extremes, notably algal blooms, lake heatwaves, and low lake levels, have varied in 2724 lakes since the 1980s. Our study, which focuses on bloom-affected lakes, suggests that 75% of studied lakes have experienced a concurrent increase in at least two of the extremes considered (27% defined as having a notable increase), with 25% experiencing an increase in frequency of all three extremes (5% had a notable increase).

Clinical study on improving the function of female bladder in controlling urine by acupuncture Zhibian (BL54) under ultrasound guidance.

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture Zhibian (BL54) on the function of the bladder in controlling urine in women under ultrasound.

Method: 74 healthy subjects were randomly divided into deep acupuncture group of 37 cases and shallow acupuncture group of 37 cases. Under the guidance of ultrasound, the two groups of subjects were acupunctured at bilateral BL54.

Sustained increase in suspended sediments near global river deltas over the past two decades.

River sediments play a critical role in sustaining deltaic wetlands. Therefore, concerns are raised about wetlands' fate due to the decline of river sediment supply to many deltas. However, the dynamics and drivers of suspended sediment near deltaic coasts are not comprehensively assessed, and its response to river sediment supply changes remains unclear.

Evaluating the Effects of Water Balloons on High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound for Treating Uterine Fibroids.

Objective: In the treatment of uterine fibroids with ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), water balloons are considered to be a valuable aid for improving safety and efficiency. However, the water balloons worsen the pathway for acoustic transmission, causing degraded performance both in ultrasound therapy and in ultrasound imaging. This study was aimed at establishing a protocol to evaluate the effects of the water balloon.

Rare and common coding variants in lipid metabolism-related genes and their association with coronary artery disease.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a complex disease that is influenced by environmental and genetic factors. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between coding variants in lipid metabolism-related genes and CAD in a Chinese Han population.

Methods: A total of 252 individuals were recruited for this study, including 120 CAD patients and 132 healthy control individuals.

Prediction of cervical lymph node metastasis in solitary papillary thyroid carcinoma based on ultrasound radiomics analysis.

Objective: To assess the utility of predictive models using ultrasound radiomic features to predict cervical lymph node metastasis (CLNM) in solitary papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients.

Methods: A total of 570 PTC patients were included (456 patients in the training set and 114 in the testing set). Pyradiomics was employed to extract radiomic features from preoperative ultrasound images.

Fertilizer management for global ammonia emission reduction.

Crop production is a large source of atmospheric ammonia (NH), which poses risks to air quality, human health and ecosystems. However, estimating global NH emissions from croplands is subject to uncertainties because of data limitations, thereby limiting the accurate identification of mitigation options and efficacy. Here we develop a machine learning model for generating crop-specific and spatially explicit NH emission factors globally (5-arcmin resolution) based on a compiled dataset of field observations.

Identification and validation of an explainable prediction model of acute kidney injury with prognostic implications in critically ill children: a prospective multicenter cohort study.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common and serious organ dysfunction in critically ill children. Early identification and prediction of AKI are of great significance. However, current AKI criteria are insufficiently sensitive and specific, and AKI heterogeneity limits the clinical value of AKI biomarkers.

Efficacy of Warm Acupuncture Therapy Combined with Kegel Exercise on Postpartum Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Women.

Introduction And Hypothesis: The objective was to observe the clinical efficacy of warm acupuncture combined with Kegel exercise in treating postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction in women.

Methods: A total of 70 primiparous women with postpartum pelvic floor muscle (PFM) injury were randomly divided into a combination group (n = 35, receiving warm acupuncture at Zhibian (BL54) acupoint and Kegel exercise) and a sham control group (n = 35, receiving sham warm acupuncture and Kegel exercise). Both groups were treated three times a week for 4 consecutive weeks.

TRPV4 blockade alleviates endoplasmic reticulum stress mediated apoptosis in hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte injury.

Background: Hypoxia-induced myocardial injury remains to be a huge health issue worldwide. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) is a high-flux Ca channel that is involved in numerous cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of TRPV4 in myocardial hypoxic injury remains unclear.

Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 10 attenuates the ferroptosis to promote thyroid cancer malignancy by facilitating GPX4 via elevating SIRT6.

Purpose: Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 10 (USP10) has been found to have oncogenic activity in several human tumors. This study first revealed the exact function of USP10 on the progression of thyroid cancer (THCA) by researching its effect on the ferroptosis.

Methods: USP10 expression in THCA patients was analyzed by online data analysis and in 75 THCA cases was scrutinized by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predict spontaneous preterm birth in singleton gestation with short cervix and no history of spontaneous preterm birth.

Background: Spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) stands as a leading cause of neonatal mortality. Consequently, preventing sPTB has emerged as a paramount concern in healthcare. Therefore, our study aimed to develop a nomogram, encompassing patient characteristics and cervical elastography, to predict sPTB in singleton pregnancies.

3D Chiral Self-Assembling Matrixes for Regulating Polarization of Macrophages and Enhance Repair of Myocardial Infarction.

The regulation of inflammatory response at the site of injury and macrophage immunotherapy is critical for tissue repair. Chiral self-assemblies are one of the most ubiquitous life cues, which is closely related to biological functions, life processes, and even the pathogenesis of diseases. However, the role of supramolecular chiral self-assemblies in the regulation of immune functions in the internal environment of tissues has not been fully explored yet.

Relationship among subjective exercise experience, exercise behavior, and trait anxiety in adolescents.

Objective: To investigate the influence of subjective exercise experience on adolescent trait anxiety and to reveal the mediating effect of exercise behavior.

Methods: Using the Subjective Exercise Experience Scale (SEES), Physical Exercise Rating Scale (PARS-3), and Trait Anxiety Inventory (T-AI), a questionnaire survey was conducted among 500 adolescents in Southwest China, and the SPSS21.0 and AMOS21.