Perfluorobutanesulfonate Interfering with the Intestinal Remodeling During Metamorphosis via the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid Axis.

The intestinal remodeling during amphibian metamorphosis is essential for adapting to various ecological niches of aquatic and terrestrial habitats. However, whether and how the widespread contaminant, perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS) affects intestinal remodeling remains unknown. In this study, tadpoles () at the G26 stage were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of PFBS (0, 1, 3, and 10 μg/L) until the end of metamorphosis.

Remaining Useful Life Prediction Method for Stochastic Degrading Devices Considering Predictive Maintenance.

Predictive maintenance, recognized as an effective health management strategy for extending the lifetime of devices, has emerged as a hot research topic in recent years. A general method is to execute two separate steps: data-driven remaining useful life (RUL) prediction and a maintenance strategy. However, among the numerous studies that conducted maintenance and replacement activities based on the results of RUL prediction, little attention has been paid to the impact of preventive maintenance on sensor-based monitoring data, which further affects the RUL for repairable degrading devices.

Perfluorobutanesulfonate Induces Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis Disruption and Gonadal Dysplasia of Tadpoles.

It is uncertain whether exposure to environmental concentrations of perfluorobutanesulfonate (PFBS) disrupts the reproductive endocrine system in amphibian tadpoles. In this study, tadpoles () in G26 stage were treated with different levels of PFBS (0, 1, 3, and 10 μg/L) for 60 days to investigate whether and how PFBS affects the reproductive endocrine system and gonadal development in tadpoles. Tadpole testes exhibited structural damage to germ cells and significantly fewer spermatogonia following PFBS exposure, but the sex ratio remained unaffected.

Maintenance Decision-Making Using Intelligent Prognostics Within a Single Spare Parts Support System.

Health management is the foothold of remaining useful life (RUL) prediction, known as 'prognostics'. However, sudden failures in complex systems can lead to increased downtime and maintenance costs, ultimately diminishing system health and availability. Considering intelligent prognostics of components, maintenance decision-making for spare parts ordering and replacement is proposed within a spare parts support system.

Transformation fate of bisphenol A in aerobic denitrifying cultures and its coercive mechanism on the nitrogen transformation pathway.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a commonly used endocrine-disrupting chemical found in high levels in wastewater worldwide. Aerobic denitrification is a promising alternative to conventional nitrogen removal processes. However, the effects of BPA on this novel nitrogen removal process have rarely been reported.

Typical Tire Additives in River Water: Leaching, Transformation, and Environmental Risk Assessment.

Tire wear particles (TWPs) released during vehicle driving can enter water bodies, leading to leaching of tire additives (TAs) in aquatic environments. However, the transformation behavior and related ecological impacts of TAs and their transformation products (TPs) remain unclear. In this study, laboratory-based simulation experiments and field investigations were conducted to explore the transformation mechanisms and ecological risks of TAs.

Predictive clinical indicators of refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children: A retrospective cohort study.

To determine the clinical indicators predictive of refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (RMPP) in children and develop a robust predictive model to aid in early identification and management. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 338 children diagnosed with RMPP out of a total of 1500 cases of Mycoplasma pneumoniae at a single tertiary hospital from May 2021 to November 2023. Clinical and demographic data analyzed included age, gender, parents' educational level, household income, body mass index, allergic constitution, and laboratory findings such as white blood cell count, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, platelet count, and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, and procalcitonin.

Enhanced chromium and nitrogen removal by constructing a biofilm reaction system based on denitrifying bacteria preferential colonization theory.

Understanding the developmental characteristics of microbial communities in biofilms is crucial for designing targeted functional microbial enhancements for the remediation of complex contamination scenarios. The strong prioritization effect of microorganisms confers the ability to colonize strains that arrive first dominantly. In this study, the auto-aggregating denitrifying bacterial Pseudomonas stutzeri strain YC-34, which has both nitrogen and chromium removal characteristics, was used as a biological material to form a stable biofilm system based on the principle of dominant colonization and biofortification.

Nitrogen removal intensification of biofilm through bioaugmentation with Methylobacterium gregans DC-1 during wastewater treatment.

The increasing concern for environmental remediation has led to a search for effective methods to remove eutrophic nutrients. In this study, Methylobacterium gregans DC-1 was utilized to improve nitrogen removal in a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) via aerobic denitrification. This bacterium has the extraordinary characteristics of strong auto-aggregation and a high ability to remove nitrogen efficiently, making it an ideal candidate for enhanced treatment of nitrogen-rich wastewater.

Pleurotus ostreatus polysaccharide-mediated modulation of skin damage caused by microcystin-LR in tadpoles.

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with edible mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus)-derived polysaccharides on microcystin leucine-arginine (MC-LR)-induced skin damage in Pelophylax nigromaculatus tadpoles. Tadpoles were exposed to 1 μg/L daily MC-LR, with or without 5.0 g/kg of dietary P.

Waterborne exposure to microcystin-leucine arginine induces endocrine disruption and gonadal dysplasia of Pelophylax nigromaculatus tadpoles via the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal-liver axis.

The impact of microcystins on the gonad development and reproduction endocrine in the tadpole stage on amphibians remains unclear. In this study, the tadpoles (Pelophylax nigromaculatus) were exposed to 0, 1, and 10 μg/L of microcystin-leucine arginine (MC-LR) for 60 days to explore the impacts of environmental realistic concentration MC-LR on gonad development and reproduction endocrine, respectively. After MC-LR exposure, the germ cell structure has changed, especially in oocytes.

Interactive Prognosis Framework Between Deep Learning and a Stochastic Process Model for Remaining Useful Life Prediction.

Uncertainty quantification of the remaining useful life (RUL) for degraded systems under the big data era has been a hot topic in recent years. A general idea is to execute two separate steps: deep-learning-based health indicator (HI) construction and stochastic process-based degradation modeling. However, there exists a critical matching defect between the constructed HI and a degradation model, which seriously affects the RUL prediction accuracy.

Legacy and Emerging Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Surveillance in from Inlet Watersheds of Chaohu Lake, China: Tissue Distribution and Bioaccumulation Potential.

Amphibians are sensitive biomonitors of environmental pollutants but reports regarding per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of synthetic organofluorine substances, are limited. In this study, samples of water and Chinese toads () were collected in Chaohu Lake, China. Tissue-specific bioaccumulation characteristics of 39 PFAS, including 19 perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), 8 emerging PFAS, and 12 PFAA precursors, were investigated, and the levels of some biochemical indicators were determined.

Systematic investigation of simultaneous copper biosorption and nitrogen removal from wastewater by an aerobic denitrifying bacterium of auto-aggregation.

Finding effective methods for simultaneous removal of eutrophic nutrients and heavy metals has attracted increasing concerns for the environmental remediation. Herein, a novel auto-aggregating aerobic denitrifying strain (Aeromonas veronii YL-41) was isolated with capacities for copper tolerance and biosorption. The denitrification efficiency and nitrogen removal pathway of the strain were investigated by nitrogen balance analysis and amplification of key denitrification functional genes.

Promoting heterotrophic denitrification of Pseudomonas hunanensis strain PAD-1 using pyrite: A mechanistic study.

Denitrification is critical for removing nitrate from wastewater, but it typically requires large amounts of organic carbon, which can lead to high operating costs and secondary environmental pollution. To address this issue, this study proposes a novel method to reduce the demand for organic carbon in denitrification. In this study, a new denitrifier, Pseudomonas hunanensis strain PAD-1, was obtained with properties for high efficiency nitrogen removal and trace NO emission.

Antibody-based binding domain fused to TCRγ chain facilitates T cell cytotoxicity for potent anti-tumor response.

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has demonstrated potent clinical efficacy in the treatment of hematopoietic malignancies. However, the application of CAR-T in solid tumors has been limited due in part to the expression of inhibitory molecules in the tumor microenvironment, leading to T-cell exhaustion. To overcome this limitation, we have developed a synthetic T-cell receptor (TCR) that targets programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), a molecule that is widely expressed in various solid tumors and plays a pivotal role in T-cell exhaustion.

Chimeric mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine induces protective immunity against Omicron and Delta variants.

The emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) exhibit enhanced transmission and immune escape, reducing the effectiveness of currently approved mRNA vaccines. To achieve wider coverage of VOCs, we first constructed a cohort of mRNAs harboring a furin cleavage mutation in the spike (S) protein of predominant VOCs, including Alpha (B.1.

Efficacy of simultaneous hexavalent chromium biosorption and nitrogen removal by the aerobic denitrifying bacterium YC-34 from chromium-rich wastewater.

The impact of high concentrations of heavy metals and the loss of functional microorganisms usually affect the nitrogen removal process in wastewater treatment systems. In the study, a unique auto-aggregating aerobic denitrifier ( strain YC-34) was isolated with potential applications for Cr(VI) biosorption and reduction. The nitrogen removal efficiency and denitrification pathway of the strain were determined by measuring the concentration changes of inorganic nitrogen during the culture of the strain and amplifying key denitrification functional genes.

Effect of Acupuncture on Blood Pressure and Metabolic Profile Among Patients With Essential Hypertension: Protocol of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Essential hypertension is a polygenic cardiovascular disease that is associated with maladaptive metabolic changes. Acupuncture as a non-pharmacologic intervention is used to lower blood pressure and improve metabolic dysfunction. However, such effects have not been clinically characterized.

Novel nanocomposite of spiky-shaped gold nanourchins/ titanium dioxide/nafion for amplified signal and efficient electrochemiluminescence detection of ovomucoid.

This work reports on the first electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor employing a novel nanostructured composite of titanium dioxide (TiO) and gold nanourchins (AuNU) to detect protein allergen Ovomucoid (Ovm) found in eggs. TiO and AuNU were dispersed in Nafion and drop-casted onto SPGE with Tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)-ruthenium (II) ([Ru(bpy)]) and tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) served as strong luminophore/co-reactant pairs as a source of ECL signals. The linear range, limit of detection, reproducibility and practical applications of the sensor were assessed.

A patient with femoral osteitis fibrosa cystica mimicking bone neoplasm: a case report.

Background: Osteitis fibrosa cystica is a rare, benign and osteolytic lesion attributed to hyperparathyroidism. The high level of parathyroid hormone cause rapid bone loss.

Case Presentation: The patient is a 50-year-old male complaining of severe and persistent pain in the right knee joint.

How to Enhance the Motivation for Drug Detoxification: Consciousness Guidance and Behaviour Restriction of Family Intergenerational Ethics.

Assisting substance users to recover from the behaviour of drug addiction and maintain long-term rehabilitation is a long and complicated process, in which the motivation to undergo drug rehabilitation plays a decisive role. So far, the cultural connotation of family and its mechanism of promoting behavioural change of substance users have not been fully explored. Through in-depth interviews with 15 drug rehabilitants, among which there were 7 women and 8 men, it is found that the motivation for drug rehabilitation is stimulated under the guidance and restriction of family ethics based on obligation and responsibility, which is mainly reflected in the longitudinal intergenerational responsibility.