When short-chain fatty acids meet type 2 diabetes mellitus: Revealing mechanisms, envisioning therapies.

Evidence is accumulating that short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by the gut microbiota play pivotal roles in host metabolism. They contribute to the metabolic regulation and energy homeostasis of the host not only by preserving intestinal health and serving as energy substrates but also by entering the systemic circulation as signaling molecules, affecting the gut-brain axis and neuroendocrine-immune network. This review critically summarizes the current knowledge regarding the effects of SCFAs in the fine-tuning of the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and insulin resistance, with an emphasis on the complex relationships among diet, microbiota-derived metabolites, T2DM inflammation, glucose metabolism, and the underlying mechanisms involved.

Safety and Intranasal Retention of a Broad-Spectrum Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Monoclonal Antibody SA55 Nasal Spray in Healthy Volunteers: A Phase I Clinical Trial.

Background: A broad-spectrum anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody (mAb), SA55, is highly effective against SARS-CoV-2 variants. This trial aimed at demonstrating the safety, tolerability, local drug retention and neutralizing activity, systemic exposure level, and immunogenicity of the SA55 nasal spray in healthy individuals.

Methods: This phase I, dose-escalation clinical trial combined an open-label design with a randomized, controlled, double-blind design.

Expression and Clinical Implications of pro-BNP and Soluble ST2 in Chronic Heart Failure.

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a complex clinical syndrome resulting from various cardiac diseases, characterized by weakened cardiac pumping capacity and inadequate blood supply to body tissues. This study aims to investigate the expression and clinical implications of pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (pro-BNP) and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) in CHF to explore their potential in early diagnosis and severity assessment of the pathological condition. This study included 146 CHF patients treated at our hospital from January 2022 to December 2023, who were classified in the observation group, and 150 concurrent healthy people categorized in the control group.

Comprehensive Improvement of Binocular Structured Light Calibration Method Based on Radical-Conservative Cooperative Particle Swarm.

To achieve high-precision 3D reconstruction, a comprehensive improvement has been made to the binocular structured light calibration method. During the calibration process, the calibration object's imaging quality and the camera parameters' nonlinear optimization effect directly affect the caibration accuracy. Firstly, to address the issue of poor imaging quality of the calibration object under tilted conditions, a pixel-level adaptive fill light method was designed using the programmable light intensity feature of the structured light projector, allowing the calibration object to receive uniform lighting and thus improve the quality of the captured images.

Analysis of anti-infective therapy in a challenging case of brainstem hemorrhage complicated with pneumonia.

We present a highly challenging case of brainstem hemorrhage complicated with pneumonia in a 41-year-old male patient. The patient had intermittent and recurrent fever for nearly two months from June 24, 2022 to August 22, 2022, along with extremely unstable vital signs. Multiple consultations were conducted among clinicians and pharmacists.

Comparative analysis of the LEA gene family in seven Ipomoea species, focuses on sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.).

Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) proteins are extensively distributed among higher plants and are crucial for regulating growth, development, and abiotic stress resistance. However, comprehensive data regarding the LEA gene family in Ipomoea species remains limited. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide comparative analysis across seven Ipomoea species, including sweet potato (I.

Work function-activated proton intercalation chemistry assists ultra-stable aqueous zinc ion batteries.

Manganese oxide (MnO) cathodes with a Zn/H co-intercalation mixing mechanism have exhibited great potential for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) owing to their high energy density and optimal electrolyte suitability. However, the strong electrostatic interactions and slow kinetics between the high charge density zinc ions and the fixed lattice in conventional cathodes have hindered the development of AZIBs. Hence, selecting H with a smaller ionic radius and reduced electrostatic repulsion as carriers was a feasible strategy.

Anthropomorphic Design in Mortality Salience Situations: Exploring Emotional and Non-Emotional Mechanisms Enhancing Consumer Purchase Intentions.

This study investigates the role of anthropomorphic design in alleviating consumer anxiety induced by mortality salience and delves into the underlying emotional and non-emotional mechanisms. Through a series of meticulously designed experiments, we confirm that anthropomorphic design significantly enhances positive emotional responses in consumers, reduces negative emotions, and thereby increases their preference and willingness to purchase products. Even after the diminution of emotional reactions, anthropomorphic design continues to sustain consumer preference by enhancing psychological intimacy.

Theoretical insights on potential-dependent oxidation behaviors and antioxidant strategies of MXenes.

Significant efforts have been devoted to investigating the oxidation of MXenes in various environments. However, the underlying mechanism of MXene oxidation and its dependence on the electrode potential remain poorly understood. Here we show the oxidation behavior of MXenes under the working conditions of electrochemical processes in terms of kinetics and thermodynamics by using constant-potential ab initio simulations.

Atomically Precise Metal-Metal Oxide Interface in Polyoxometalate-Noble Metal Hybrid Clusters.

Metal-metal oxide hybrid materials, typically composed of metal nanoparticles anchored on metal oxides matrix, are devoted enormous attentions as famous heterogeneous catalysts. The interactions between noble metals and metal oxides as well as their interfaces have been proven to be the origin of their excellent catalytic performance. Deep understandings on the interactions between noble metals and metal oxides at atomic precision, thus to precisely assess their contributions to catalysis, can serve as basic principles for catalyst design.

Design and synthesis of FeS/graphite sandwich structure with enhanced lithium-storage performance for lithium-ion and solid-state lithium batteries.

As a conversion-type cathode material, FeS emerges as a promising candidate for the next generation of energy storage solutions, attributed to its cost-effectiveness, environment-friendliness and high theoretical capacity. However, several challenges hinder its practical application, including sluggish kinetics, insulating reaction products and significant volume fluctuation during cycling, which collectively compromise its rate capability and cycle stability. Herein, a well-designed sandwich structure of FeS embedded between graphite layers (FeS/C) is obtained using a chloride intercalation and sulfidation strategy.

Wild rice GL12 synergistically improves grain length and salt tolerance in cultivated rice.

The abounding variations in wild rice provided potential reservoirs of beneficial genes for rice breeding. Maintaining stable and high yields under environmental stresses is a long-standing goal of rice breeding but is challenging due to internal trade-off mechanisms. Here, we report wild rice GL12 improves grain length and salt tolerance in both indica and japonica genetic backgrounds.

The Impact of Metal Ions on MXene Membranes: Critical Role of Titanium Vacancies.

Two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) and MXene-based membranes hold promise for applications including water purification and seawater desalination; however, their environmental behavior and fate in these matrices remain unknown. In this study, we systematically assessed the reaction efficiencies of TiCT at varying important environmental conditions. Our experiments revealed that copper and iron ions accelerated the oxidation rate of TiCT 55.

Design and optimization of a novel solenoid with high magnetic uniformity.

Currently, solenoids are extensively utilized in various research fields due to their flexibility of fabrication and high magnetic field strength. However, the internal magnetic field of the solenoid itself exhibits some non-uniformity defects, which limits its application in some domains. This article proposes a novel single winding tightly wound solenoid structure with an improved magnetic field uniformity.

Assessment of neutralizing antibody response as a correlate of protection against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections after administration of two doses of the CoronaVac inactivated COVID-19 vaccine: A phase III randomized controlled trial.

Background: The emergence of variants of concerns of SARS-CoV-2 highlights the need for comprehensively elucidating the correlates of protection for different COVID-19 vaccine types. Inactivated COVID-19 vaccines are currently amongst the most widely administered vaccines globally. However, investigations into the correlates of protection for inactivated COVID-19 vaccines are relatively rare.

Evaluation of lymphovascular space invasion in endometrial carcinoma by APTw and mDixon-Quant.

Background: Lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) is a strong and independent risk factor that increases the probability of endometrial carcinoma (EC) recurrence and reduces the survival rate of patients.

Purpose: To investigate the value of amide proton transfer weighted (APTw) and mDixon-Quant techniques in evaluating EC lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI).

Material And Methods: Data of 50 EC patients (18 LVSI+ and 32 LVSI-) confirmed by surgery and pathology were retrospectively analyzed.

Dental Implant Placement in a Patient With Polycythemia Vera: A Case Report.

Polycythemia vera is a malignant myeloproliferative neoplasm. It is characterized by the proliferation of all 3 major hematopoietic cells, including erythrocytes, leucocytes, and platelets. The resultant hypervolemia and hyperviscosity cause patients with polycythemia vera to be at risk of bleeding and thrombotic complications.

A New Diffusion Strategy Using an Epidemic Spreading Model for Encryption.

The diffusion phenomenon that exhibits intrinsic similarities is pervasive in cryptography and natural systems, evident in liquid diffusion, epidemic spread, animal migration, and encryption techniques. In cryptography, bytes are systematically diffused in a sequential manner to encrypt the value of each byte in the plaintext in a linear fashion. In contrast, within an epidemic spreading model, the diffusion process can be represented within a complex, multilayered network, encompassing layers such as familial and social transmission dynamics.

Immunogenicity and safety of an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine (CoronaVac®) co-administered with an inactivated enterovirus type 71 vaccine (Inlive®): A phase 4, randomized, controlled trial.

NCT04993365 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

[Mechanism of Huangqi Simiao Decoction in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus based on network pharmacology and metabonomics].

This article analyzed the mechanism of Huangqi Simiao Decoction(HSD) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM). The component targets of HSD and the related disease targets of T2DM were screened through network pharmacology. The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of intersecting targets and the drug-component-intersecting target network were constructed to screen the potential active ingredients and targets.

Unpacking the Influence of Visual Density on Pizza Packaging: Sensory Expectations and Purchase Intentions.

Visual density, defined as the number of identifiable elements per unit area within a visual design, significantly influences consumer perceptions. This study investigates the effects of varying visual densities in pizza packaging, encompassing both food-related and decorative elements, on consumers' expectations regarding taste and texture, ultimately influencing their purchase decisions. We conducted a controlled experiment where participants were presented with pizza boxes of differing visual densities.

Proton-Driven Dynamic Behavior of Nanoconfined Water in Hydrophilic MXene Sheets.

Liquid water under nanoscale confinement has attracted intensive attention due to its pivotal role in understanding various phenomena across many scientific fields. MXenes serve an ideal paradigm for investigating the dynamic behaviors of nanoconfined water in a hydrophilic environment. Combining deep neural networks and an active learning scheme, here we elucidate the proton-driven dynamics of water molecules confined between VCT sheets using molecular dynamics simulation.

Efficacy, immunogenicity and safety of CoronaVac® in children and adolescents aged 6 months to 17 years: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III clinical trial.

Safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 for children and adolescents are needed. This international multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III clinical trial assessed the efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety of CoronaVac® in children and adolescents (NCT04992260). The study was carried out in Chile, South Africa, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Room-Temperature Synthesis of Covalently Bridged MOP@TpPa-CH Composite Photocatalysts for Artificial Photosynthesis.

The conversion of CO into useful chemicals via photocatalysts is a promising strategy for resolving the environmental problems caused by the addition of CO. Herein, a series of composite photocatalysts MOP@TpPa-CH based on MOP-NH and TpPa-CH through covalent bridging have been prepared via a facile room-temperature evaporation method and employed for photocatalytic CO reduction. The photocatalytic performances of MOP@TpPa-CH are greater than those of TpPa-CH and MOP-NH, where the CO generation rate of MOP@TpPa-CH under 10% CO still reaches 119.

Multilayer Fluorine-Free MoBT MBene with Hydrophilic Structural-Modulating for the Fabrication of a Low-Resistance and High-Resolution Humidity Sensor.

2D transition metal borides (MBenes) with abundant surface terminals hold great promise in molecular sensing applications. However, MBenes from etching with fluorine-containing reagents present inert -fluorine groups on the surface, which hinders their sensing capability. Herein, the multilayer fluorine-free MoBT MBene (where T represents O, OH, and Cl) with hydrophilic structure is prepared by a hydrothermal-assisted hydrochloric acid etching strategy based on guidance from the first-principle calculations.