Freezing-driven reduction of chromium(Ⅵ) in ice under solar light without external reductants.

This study systematically investigated the direct photoreduction of Cr(Ⅵ) in ice under simulated sunlight without external reductants. It was shown that the Cr(Ⅵ) photoreduction was observed only in ice at near-neutral pH values but not in aqueous solutions. Cr(Ⅵ) at an initial concentration of 10 μM was efficiently reduced by 75.

Compliant Grasp Control Method for the Underactuated Prosthetic Hand Based on the Estimation of Grasping Force and Muscle Stiffness with sEMG.

Human muscles can generate force and stiffness during contraction. When in contact with objects, human hands can achieve compliant grasping by adjusting the grasping force and the muscle stiffness based on the object's characteristics. To realize humanoid-compliant grasping, most prosthetic hands obtain the stiffness parameter of the compliant controller according to the environmental stiffness, which may be inconsistent with the amputee's intention.

Intestinal barrier damage contributes to a higher prevalence of frailty in aging people living with HIV: a retrospective case control study in a Chinese cohort.

Background: It has been previously demonstrated that intestinal barrier damage is one of the underlying mechanisms leading to frailty in non-HIV-infected aging populations. However, there is a paucity of direct evidence which demonstrates the association between intestinal barrier damage and frailty in people living with HIV (PLWH).

Methods: The present study is a retrospective case control study.

An mTOR-Tfeb-Fabp7a signaling axis can be harnessed to ameliorate cardiomyopathy in adult zebrafish.

Dysregulated proteostasis in cardiomyocytes is an important pathological event in cardiomyopathy, which can be repaired by inhibiting mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) for cardioprotective effects. Here, we aimed to uncover additional pathological events and therapeutic target genes via leveraging zebrafish genetics. We first assessed transcription factor EB ( ), a candidate gene that encodes a direct downstream phosphorylation target of mTOR signaling.

Understanding Relaxation in the Kob-Andersen Liquid Based on Entropy, String, Shoving, Localization, and Parabolic Models.

We assess the validity of a range of models of glass formation based on molecular dynamics simulation results of the Kob-Andersen (KA) model system under a wide range of constant volume and constant pressure conditions. These models include the Adam-Gibbs model emphasizing configurational entropy, the string model emphasizing collective particle exchange motion, the shoving model emphasizing material elasticity, the localization model emphasizing dynamical free volume, and parabolic models based on the ideas of dynamic facilitation and, alternatively, the hypothesis that glass formation involves an avoided critical point. We demonstrate that these seemingly disparate models all provide a reasonable description of structural relaxation and diffusion data for the KA model system under all simulation conditions considered.

The impact of stimulus format and presentation order on social working memory updating.

Emotional faces and words have been extensively employed to examine cognitive emotional processing including social working memory, which plays a pivotal role in social interactions. However, it remains unclear which exact role these two stimulus formats play in updating specific emotional content, such as positive or negative information. Therefore, the current study examined the differences in working memory updating (WMU) of negative, neutral, and positive faces (Experiment 1) and words (Experiment 2), using a classic two-back paradigm with an event-related potential technique.

Neural Basis of Pain Empathy Dysregulations in Mental Disorders: A Preregistered Neuroimaging Meta-Analysis.

Background: Pain empathy represents a fundamental building block of several social functions, which have been demonstrated to be impaired across various mental disorders by accumulating evidence from case-control functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. However, it remains unclear whether the dysregulations are underpinned by robust neural alterations across mental disorders.

Methods: This study utilized coordinate-based meta-analyses to quantitatively determine robust markers of altered pain empathy across mental disorders.

Social anxiety prediction based on ERP features: A deep learning approach.

Background: Social Anxiety Disorder is traditionally diagnosed using subjective scales that may lack accuracy. Recently, EEG technology has gained importance for anxiety detection due to its ability to capture stable and objective neurophysiological activities. However, existing methods mainly focus on extracting EEG features during resting states, with limited use of psychologically features like Event-Related Potential (ERP) in task-related states for anxiety detection in deep learning frameworks.

Relationship of Subendocardial Perfusion to Myocardial Injury, Cardiac Structure, and Clinical Outcomes Among Patients With Hypertension.

Background: Coronary microvascular dysfunction has been implicated in the development of hypertensive heart disease and heart failure, with subendocardial ischemia identified as a driver of sustained myocardial injury and fibrosis. We aimed to evaluate the relationships of subendocardial perfusion with cardiac injury, structure, and a composite of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events consisting of death, heart failure hospitalization, myocardial infarction, and stroke.

Methods: Layer-specific blood flow and myocardial flow reserve (MFR; stress/rest myocardial blood flow) were assessed by N-ammonia perfusion positron emission tomography in consecutive patients with hypertension without flow-limiting coronary artery disease (summed stress score <3) imaged at Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, MA) from 2015 to 2021.

An Intraperitoneal Injection Technique in Adult Zebrafish that Minimizes Body Damage and Associated Mortality.

The adult zebrafish (Danio rerio), which is genetically accessible, is being employed as a valuable vertebrate model to study human disorders such as cardiomyopathy. Intraperitoneal (IP) injection is an important method that delivers compounds to the body for either testing therapeutic effects or generating disease models such as doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy (DIC). Currently, there are two methods of IP injection.

Intranasal oxytocin as a treatment for anxiety and autism: From subclinical to clinical applications.

Animal and human studies have demonstrated that intranasal oxytocin (OT) can penetrate the brain and induce cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes, particularly in social functioning. Consequently, numerous investigations have explored the potential of OT as a treatment for anxiety and autism, conditions characterized by social deficits. Although both subclinical and clinical studies provide converging evidence of the therapeutic effects of OT in reducing anxiety levels and improving social symptoms in autism, results are not always consistent.

Assessing the sensitivity and suitability of a range of detectors for SIMT PSQA.

Purpose: Single-isocenter multi-target intracranial stereotactic radiotherapy (SIMT) is an effective treatment for brain metastases with complex treatment plans and delivery optimization necessitating rigorous quality assurance. This work aims to assess five methods for quality assurance of SIMT treatment plans in terms of their suitability and sensitivity to delivery errors.

Methods: Sun Nuclear ArcCHECK and SRS MapCHECK, GafChromic EBT Radiochromic Film, machine log files, and Varian Portal Dosimetry were all used to measure 15 variations of a single SIMT plan.

Exploring the therapeutic potential of cannabidiol for sleep deprivation-induced hyperalgesia.

Hyperalgesia resulting from sleep deprivation (SD) poses a significant a global public health challenge with limited treatment options. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) plays a crucial role in the modulation of pain and sleep, with its activity regulated by two distinct types of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) expressing dopamine 1 or dopamine 2 (D1-or D2) receptors (referred to as D1-MSNs and D2-MSNs, respectively). However, the specific involvement of the NAc in SD-induced hyperalgesia remains uncertain.

Allelic heterogeneity of TTNtv dilated cardiomyopathy can be modeled in adult zebrafish.

Allelic heterogeneity (AH) has been noted in truncational TTN-associated (TTNtv-associated) dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM); i.e., mutations affecting A-band-encoding exons are pathogenic, but those affecting Z-disc-encoding exons are likely benign.

Zbtb16 increases susceptibility of atrial fibrillation in type 2 diabetic mice via Txnip-Trx2 signaling.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent sustained cardiac arrhythmia, and recent epidemiological studies suggested type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an independent risk factor for the development of AF. Zinc finger and BTB (broad-complex, tram-track and bric-a-brac) domain containing 16 (Zbtb16) serve as transcriptional factors to regulate many biological processes. However, the potential effects of Zbtb16 in AF under T2DM condition remain unclear.

A comparative study of the target search of end monomers of real and Rouse chains under spherical confinement.

We study the dynamics of the end monomers of a real chain confined in a spherical cavity to search for a small target on the cavity surface using Langevin dynamics simulation. The results are compared and contrasted with those of a Rouse chain to understand the influence of excluded volume interactions on the search dynamics, as characterized by the first passage time (FPT). We analyze how the mean FPT depends on the cavity size Rb, the target size a, and the degree of confinement quantified by Rg/Rb, with Rg being the polymer radius of gyration in free space.

Confinement effect of inter-arm interactions on glass formation in star polymer melts.

We utilized molecular dynamic simulation to investigate the glass formation of star polymer melts in which the topological complexity is varied by altering the number of star arms (f). Emphasis was placed on how the "confinement effect" of repulsive inter-arm interactions within star polymers influences the thermodynamics and dynamics of star polymer melts. All the characteristic temperatures of glass formation were found to progressively increase with increasing f, but unexpectedly the fragility parameter KVFT was found to decrease with increasing f.

Comprehensive evaluation of morphological and physiological responses of seventeen Crassulaceae species to waterlogging and drainage under temperate monsoon climate.

Unpredictable rainfall frequently results in excess moisture, which is detrimental to the landscape because it interferes with the genetic, morphological, and physiological processes of plants, even though the majority of urban landscapes frequently experience moisture shortages. A study was conducted to analyze the effects of a 36-day waterlogging phase and a subsequent 12-day recovery period on the morpho-physiological responses of 17 Crassulaceae species with the goal of identifying those which were more tolerant of the conditions. Results revealed that waterlogging stress has an impact on all morpho-physiological parameters.

The ED50 and ED95 of esketamine for preventing early postoperative pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a prospective, double-blinded trial.

Background: This study aims to estimate the safety, efficacy, and median effective dose (ED50) of esketamine for preventing early postoperative pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Methods: 54 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were prospectively randomized into two groups (group C and group E). Different doses of esketamine were intravenously administered before the skin incision in Group E.

Regaining control over opioid use? The potential application of auricular transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation to improve opioid treatment in China.

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a critical problem in China and is accompanied by depression and deficits in cognitive control. In China, the most successful intervention for OUD is the community drug rehabilitation where methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) plays a key role. Even though methadone for the treatment of OUD can be helpful, it can cause severe somatic side-effects, which limit its effectivity.

Abnormal multi-layered dynamic cortico-subcortical functional connectivity in major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.

Comorbidity has been frequently observed between generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), however, common and distinguishable alterations in the topological organization of functional brain networks remain poorly understood. We sought to determine a robust and sensitive functional connectivity marker for diagnostic classification and symptom severity prediction. Multi-layered dynamic functional connectivity including whole brain, network-node and node-node layers via graph theory and gradient analyses were applied to functional MRI resting-state data obtained from 31 unmedicated GAD and 34 unmedicated MDD patients as well as 33 age and education matched healthy controls (HC).