VASA-Rig: Audio-Driven 3D Facial Animation with 'Live' Mood Dynamics in Virtual Reality.

Audio-driven 3D facial animation is crucial for enhancing the metaverse's realism, immersion, and interactivity. While most existing methods focus on generating highly realistic and lively 2D talking head videos by leveraging extensive 2D video datasets these approaches work in pixel space and are not easily adaptable to 3D environments. We present VASA-Rig, which has achieved a significant advancement in the realism of lip-audio synchronization, facial dynamics, and head movements.

Polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics affect potassium accumulation in foxtail millet (Setaria italica) seedlings.

Background: As modern industrial activities have advanced, the prevalence of microplastics and nanoplastics in the environment has increased, thereby impacting plant growth. Potassium is one of the most crucial nutrient cations for plant biology. Understanding how polyethylene terephthalate (PET) treatment affects potassium uptake will deepen our understanding of plant response mechanisms to plastic pollution.

Water-Soluble Lipophilic Near-Infrared Region II Fluorophores for High-Brightness Lipid Layer and Lipid Droplets Imaging Applications.

Fluorescence imaging in the second near-infrared region (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) has garnered considerable attention for displaying the biological information of deep tissues. However, the lack of biocompatible contrast agents with bright NIR-II emission has hampered the precise clinical application of deep tissue imaging. Here, a lipophilic enhancement strategy employing donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) molecules, introducing long alkoxy chains and quaternary ammonium salts for the development of highly bright water-soluble NIR-II fluorophores (BBTD-2C-N), is described.

pH-Responsive injectable self-healing hydrogels loading Au nanoparticles-decorated bimetallic organic frameworks for synergistic sonodynamic-chemodynamic-starvation-chemo therapy of cancer.

A novel and efficient cancer therapy was developed using a smart hydrogel containing multifunctional bimetallic organic frameworks and anticancer drugs. The injectable self-healing hydrogel with pH-responsiveness was constructed through borate ester and imine bonds among dopamine-grafted sodium alginate (SADA), hydroxypropyl chitosan (HPCS) and 2-formylphenylboronic acid (2-FPBA). The Au nanoparticles-decorated Ti/Fe bimetallic organic framework tetragonal nanosheets (Au/TF-MOF TNS) were synthesized and incorporated into the hydrogel with the anticancer drugs doxorubicin (DOX).

Omnidirectional and near-unity nonreciprocal thermal radiation with trilayer cavities-enhanced approach.

From the standpoint of thermal radiation, omnidirectional nonreciprocal thermal radiation (NTR) is strongly desired for thermal energy harvesting. Here, we propose theoretically lithographic free thermal emitter made in a dielectric-Weyl semimetal (WSM)-dielectric fashion and terminated by a metallic substrate. By engineering the structural parameters, a surprising result of spectrally selective as well as omnidirectional (along both polar and azimuthal angles) NTR is realized.

[Diagnostic yield of bronchoscopic rapid on-site evaluation in severe invasive bronchopulmonary aspergillosis].

Objective: To explore the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopic rapid on-site evaluation (B-ROSE) in patients with severe invasive bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (IBPA) and provide evidence for starting antifungal treatment before microbiological results were available.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted to select patients with severe pneumonia suspected of IBPA admitted to the respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from June 2014 to June 2022, and those who were primarily infected with other pathogens (such as bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis) at admission were excluded. Whether the antifungal treatment was initiated or not on the basis of the bedside B-ROSE, the B-ROSE was administered as soon as possible within 24 hours after admission to RICU.

In situ injectable thermoresponsive nanocomposite hydrogel based on hydroxypropyl chitosan for precise synergistic calcium-overload, photodynamic and photothermal tumor therapy.

Traditional therapies have poor accuracy and significant toxic side effects in the process of tumor treatment. The non-traditional treatment methods with high accuracy and efficacy are worth exploring and investigating. Herein, a strategy that enables precise and synergistic therapies of calcium-overload, photodynamic, and photothermal through facile near infrared (NIR) irradiation was carried out base on the injectable and self-healable hydrogel encapsulating indocyanine green (ICG)-loaded and bovine serum albumin (BSA)-modified calcium peroxide (CaO) nanoparticles (ICG@CaO-BSA NPs) and bismuth sulfide (BiS) nanorods.

Thermoresponsive injectable self-healing hydrogel containing polydopamine-coated Fe/Mo-doped TiO nanoparticles for efficient synergistic sonodynamic-chemodynamic-photothermal-chemo therapy.

A smart hydrogel loading multifunctional nanoparticles and anticancer drugs was designed to achieve synergistic therapy against tumors with high efficiency and specificity. The thermoresponsive injectable self-healing hydrogel was prepared through the Schiff base between aldehyde-functionalized poly(2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethyl methacrylate)-co-oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (P(MEOMA-co-OEGMA-co-HEMA), APMOH) and hydroxypropyl chitosan (HPCS). The polydopamine-coated Fe/Mo-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles (PDA@dTiO NPs) were prepared and dispersed into the hydrogel with anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX).

A pH-responsive supramolecular hydrogel encapsulating a CuMnS nanoenzyme catalyst for synergistic photothermal-photodynamic-chemodynamic therapy of tumours.

Traditional cancer therapies no longer meet the current demand for cancer precision therapy and personalized treatment and it's essential to develop new therapeutic modalities as well as to investigate new combination anti-tumor mechanisms. Therefore, amphiphilic prodrug polymer chains linking methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) and cinnamaldehyde (CA) with adipic acid dihydrazide (ADH) as the pH-responsive center were designed and synthesized, which could self-assemble into PAC micelles in aqueous solution. A supramolecular hydrogel was formed based on the host-guest interaction between α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) and PAC micelles.

Weyl semimetal mediated epsilon-near-zero hybrid polaritons and the induced nonreciprocal radiation.

Polaritonic excitation and management in ultra-thin polar crystals has recently received significant attention and holds new promise for epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) modes. However, manipulation of the ENZ mode anisotropic magneto-optic (MO) material remains elusive. Herein, we provide an effective strategy for constructing an ENZ polar thin film with dependence on Weyl semimetals (WSM).

IMAGGS: a radiogenomic framework for identifying multi-way associations in breast cancer subtypes.

Investigating correlations between radiomic and genomic profiling in breast cancer (BC) molecular subtypes is crucial for understanding disease mechanisms and providing personalized treatment. We present a well-designed radiogenomic framework image-gene-gene set (IMAGGS), which detects multi-way associations in BC subtypes by integrating radiomic and genomic features. Our dataset consists of 721 patients, each of whom has 12 ultrasound (US) images captured from different angles and gene mutation data.

[Rapid evaluation of the early pathogen of severe Chlamydophila psittaci pneumonia by diagnostic bronchoscopy].

Objective: To explore the rapid evaluation of the early pathogen of severe Chlamydophila psittaci pneumonia by bedside diagnostic bronchoscopy, so as to start effective anti-infection treatment before the results of macrogenome next generation sequencing (mNGS) test.

Methods: The clinical data of three patients with severe Chlamydophila psittaci pneumonia who were successfully treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, the First People's Hospital of Aksu District, and the First Division Hospital of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps from October 2020 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, including the rapid assessment of early pathogens by bedside diagnostic bronchoscopy and the use of antibiotics to start anti-infection treatment. These patients were successfully treated.

Bi-directional and multivariate mendelian randomization analysis of the relationship between circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and obstructive sleep apnea.

Background: 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] deficiency in patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) has long been noted, but identifying the exact causal relationship remains hard. Investigation of the causality between 25(OH)D deficiency and OSA would help facilitate disease prevention.

Methods: We conducted a two-sample bi-directional Mendelian randomization (MR) study.

[Factors influencing the choice of endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by viral pneumonia].

Objective: To investigate the influencing factors of endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation (ETI-MV) in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by viral pneumonia, and to provide evidence for individualized use of ETI-MV.

Methods: Patients with ARDS due to viral pneumonia admitted to the respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University were retrospectively analyzed from November 2017 to March 2022. The gender, age, concomitant diseases, clinical symptoms and signs, complications, lab results, ARDS severity, infectious virus type, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), respiratory support methods and prognosis-related variables were collected.

[Comparative study on pros and cons of sequential high-flow nasal cannula and non-invasive positive pressure ventilation immediately following early extubated patients with severe respiratory failure due to acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Objective: To explore the pros and cons of sequential high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) and non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) immediately following early extubated patients with severe respiratory failure (SRF) due to acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), so as to provide evidence for clinical selection of optimal scheme.

Methods: Consecutive AECOPD patients admitted to the respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2019 to September 2020 were screened for enrollment. Patients were between 40 years old and 85 years old with acute exacerbation of bronchial-pulmonary infection, who received endotracheal intubation mechanical ventilation (ETI-MV) as the initial respiratory support method.

[Expression of serous fibroblast growth factor 7 and related inflammatory factors in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Objective: To investigate the expression of fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7) and related inflammatory factors in the serum of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: A case control study was conducted. The patients with AECOPD admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from November 2016 to January 2020 were enrolled.

Silencing miR-125b-5p attenuates inflammatory response and apoptosis inhibition in mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected human macrophages by targeting DNA damage-regulated autophagy modulator 2 (DRAM2).

Tuberculosis is one of the most important infectious diseases worldwide and macrophage apoptosis is the major host defense mechanism against TB. We attempted to characterize the role of miRNA (miR)-125b-5p on mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and macrophages behaviors . According to fluorescence-activated cell separation (FACS), primary monocytes (CD14) in TB patients were accumulated, and apoptotic monocytes were decreased.

[Timing of sequential noninvasive mechanical ventilation following early extubation in aged patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia].

Objective: To explore the timing of sequential noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) following endotracheal intubation mechanical ventilation (ETI-MV) in aged patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP).

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted. The SCAP patients aged ≥ 75 years old admitted to respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from July 2017 to August 2019 were enrolled.

Circ_0038467 regulates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory injury in human bronchial epithelial cells through sponging miR-338-3p.

Background: Pneumonia is a common acute lower respiratory infection in children and elders. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have recently been uncovered to play important roles in pneumonia. However, the function and mechanism of circ_0038467 in pneumonia remain elusive.

[Predictive factors for failure of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation in immunosuppressed patients with acute respiratory failure].

Objective: To evaluate the predictive factors for failure of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) in immunosuppressed patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF).

Methods: The clinical data of 118 immuno-deficient patients treated with NIPPV in the respiratory and intensive care unit (RICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2012 to August 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into a non-endotracheal intubation (ETI) group (n = 62) and ETI group (n = 56) according to whether ETI was performed during the hospitalization period or not.

Genetic variants of CDH13 determine the susceptibility to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a Chinese population.

Aim: Adiponectin has been implicated in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The CDH13 gene encodes T-cadherin that is an adiponectin receptor, and genetic variants of CDH13 determine blood adiponectin levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CDH13 variants on COPD susceptibility in a Chinese population.

[An investigation of the efficacy of invasive-noninvasive sequential mechanical ventilation in senile patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of invasive-noninvasive sequential mechanical ventilation (MV) in senile patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Methods: A prospective study was conducted. The patients with severe CAP aged ≥75 years admitted to Department of Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from November 2012 to July 2014, with refusal to have tracheostomy, were enrolled.

[Study of timing of invasive and noninvasive sequential ventilation in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome].

Objective: To investigate the timing and value of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) as a weaning tool immediately after early extubation in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Methods: A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted. The ARDS patients with surgical diseases admitted to Department of Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University were enrolled.