Associations of Short-Term Ozone Exposure With Hypoxia and Arterial Stiffness.

Background: Epidemiological studies reported associations between ozone (O) exposure and cardiovascular diseases, yet the biological mechanisms remain underexplored. Hypoxia is a shared pathogenesis of O-associated diseases; therefore, we hypothesized that O exposure may induce changes in hypoxia-related markers, leading to adverse cardiovascular effects.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate associations of short-term O exposure with hypoxic biomarkers and arterial stiffness.

Dual-channel near-field holographic MIMO communications based on programmable digital coding metasurface and electromagnetic theory.

Holographic multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) method leverages spatial diversity to enhance the performance of wireless communications and is expected to be a key technology enabling for high-speed data services in the forthcoming sixth generation (6G) networks. However, the antenna array commonly used in the traditional massive MIMO cannot meet the requirements of low cost, low complexity and high spatial resolution simultaneously, especially in higher frequency bands. Hence it is important to achieve a feasible hardware platform to support theoretical study of the holographic MIMO communications.

Robust Diagnosis of Acute Bacterial and Viral Infections via Host Gene Expression Rank-Based Ensemble Machine Learning Algorithm: A Multi-Cohort Model Development and Validation Study.

Background: The accurate and prompt diagnosis of infections is essential for improving patient outcomes and preventing bacterial drug resistance. Host gene expression profiling as an approach to infection diagnosis holds great potential in assisting early and accurate diagnosis of infection.

Methods: To improve the precision of infection diagnosis, we developed InfectDiagno, a rank-based ensemble machine learning algorithm for infection diagnosis via host gene expression patterns.

Extracellular peroxiredoxin 6 released from alveolar epithelial cells as a DAMP drives macrophage activation and inflammatory exacerbation in acute lung injury.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is featured with acute lung inflammatory injury. Our prospective study found that higher levels of peroxiredoxin 6(PRDX6) were detected in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from ARDS patients. Elevated PRDX6 was also correlated with monocytic activation and poor prognosis in ARDS patients.

Mesoporous Single-Crystal FeFe(CN) Microspheres for Superior Potassium-Ion Storage.

Metal hexacyanoferrates (HCFs), also known as Prussian blue analogues, are ideal cathodes for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) due to their nontoxicity and cost-effectiveness. Nevertheless, obtaining metal HCF cathode materials with both long-term cycling stability and high rate performance remains a daunting challenge. In this study, we present mesoporous single-crystalline iron hexacyanoferrate (MSC-FeHCF) microspheres, featuring a single-crystalline structure that contains interconnected pores spanning the entire crystal lattice.

Polychlorinated biphenyls in aquatic products from Shandong, China.

PCBs were analysed in 110 samples, including marine fish, freshwater fish and marine bivalves. The levels of ∑PCBs in marine fish ranged from 0.18 to 5.

Identification of aberrant plasma vesicles containing AAK1 and CCDC18-AS1 in adolescents with major depressive disorder and preliminary exploration of treatment efficacy.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) during adolescence significantly jeopardizes both mental and physical health. However, the etiology underlying MDD in adolescents remains unclear.

Methods: A total of 74 adolescents with MDD and 40 health controls (HCs) who underwent comprehensive clinical and cognitive assessments were enrolled.

Effect of Different Probiotic Fermentations on the Quality of Plant-Based Hempseed Fermented Milk.

This study investigated the effects of three different single-strain probiotics XD117, LC-37, and LGG, on the quality of hempseed fermented milk. The main findings were that adding probiotics increased the inhibition rate of α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase in hempseed fermented milk significantly. Non-targeted metabolomic correlation analysis results confirmed that 14 substances, including three flavonoids, six amino acids and their derivatives, and five short peptides, were positively correlated with the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities of hempseed fermented milk.

Lysoglycerophospholipid metabolism alterations associated with ambient fine particulate matter exposure: Insights into the pro-atherosclerotic effects.

The biological pathways connecting ambient fine particulate matter (PM)-induced initial adverse effects to the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases are not fully understood. We hypothesize that lysoglycerophospholipids (LysoGPLs) are pivotal mediators of atherosclerosis induced by exposure to PM. This study investigated the changes of LysoGPLs in response to PM exposure and the mediation role of LysoGPLs in the pro-atherosclerotic effects of PM exposure.

Heterogeneity During the Formation of Waterborne Barrier Coating Revealed by Cryogenic Transmission Electron Microscopy.

Imaging the film formation process of waterborne barrier coatings in situ with nanoscopic resolution is very challenging, which limits the understanding of the underlying mechanisms and rational design of the materials. Here this challenge is tackled using in situ cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryoTEM) in combination with electron tomography (cryoET), which allows 3D imaging of the process with <1 nm resolution. By monitoring the film formation process of poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) (EMAA) ionomer dispersion, onion-like nano-aggregates are captured.

Insecticide chlorfenapyr confers induced toxicity in human cells through mitochondria-dependent pathways of apoptosis.

Pesticides are always used in the environment, the unexpected effects of pesticides on the environment and non-target organisms need to be continuously studied. Insecticide chlorfenapyr (Chl) is widely used in agriculture and also recommended for public health use (e.g.

A Comparative Analysis on Indoor and Outdoor PM and Their Hourly Associations with Acute Respiratory Inflammation Among College Students in Lhasa.

Ambient concentrations are commonly used as proxies for personal PM exposure in epidemiological studies, despite indoor settings being the places where people spend most of their time. In a panel study of 110 nonsmoking, healthy college students in Lhasa, Tibet, indoor PM was monitored using calibrated low-cost sensors for two multiweek periods, in over 40 dormitories where participants resided. We also repeatedly measured fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), an acute respiratory inflammation biomarker, for each participant.

Aggressive variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma: characteristics, influencing factors, and effectiveness of radioiodine therapy.

Purpose: To investigate the pathological characteristics of aggressive variants of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and evaluate the efficacy of radioiodine (RAI) therapy for these variants.

Methods: We analysed 129 patients with aggressive variants of PTC and compared them to those of 4460 patients with non-aggressive variants. And we examined the efficacy of RAI therapy in 70 eligible patients with aggressive variants of PTC and 2530 eligible patients with non-aggressive variants of PTC.

Predicting AKI in critical patients: An interpretable model based on albumin and fluid balance.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a clinically complex syndrome with a high incidence and mortality rate in the intensive care unit (ICU). Early identification of high-risk patients and timely intervention are crucial.

Objective: A local database was used to construct a model that predicts the incidence of AKI in ICU patients within 48 hours.

Development of metabolic signatures of plant-rich dietary patterns using plant-derived metabolites.

Background: Diet is an important modifiable lifestyle factor for human health, and plant-rich dietary patterns are associated with lower risk of non-communicable diseases in numerous studies. However, objective assessment of plant-rich dietary exposure in nutritional epidemiology remains challenging.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop and evaluate metabolic signatures of the most widely used plant-rich dietary patterns using a targeted metabolomics method comprising 108 plant food metabolites.

Protective Impact of Influenza Vaccination on Healthcare Workers.

Background: Influenza vaccine uptake among healthcare workers is crucial for preventing influenza infections, yet its effectiveness needs further investigation.

Objectives: This prospective observational study aimed to assess the protective effect of influenza vaccination among healthcare workers in Shenzhen.

Methods: We enrolled 100 participants, with 50 receiving the 2023-2024 quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) and 50 serving as unvaccinated controls.

Comparative analysis of polysaccharide and cell wall structure in Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus by solid-state NMR.

Invasive aspergillosis poses a significant threat to immunocompromised patients, leading to high mortality rates associated with these infections. Targeting the biosynthesis of cell wall carbohydrates is a promising strategy for antifungal drug development and will be advanced by a molecular-level understanding of the native structures of polysaccharides within their cellular context. Solid-state NMR spectroscopy has recently provided detailed insights into the cell wall organization of Aspergillus fumigatus, but genetic and biochemical evidence highlights species-specific differences among Aspergillus species.

Analysis of the Surgical Efficacy and Risk Factors of a One-stage Unilateral Approach for Clipping Bilateral MCA Mirror Aneurysms.

Background: Numerous microsurgical approaches are available for treating middle cerebral artery (MCA) mirror aneurysms. However, a definitive conclusion regarding which approach yields the best outcome has yet to be reached.

Methods: Thirty-three patients with MCA aneurysms were categorized into 2 groups: one-stage unilateral approach and other surgical approaches.

Heavy metal stabilization via copyrolysis of comodified vermiculite with municipal sludge/aged refuse: Comprehensive analysis of hazards and characteristics of multiple coexisting heavy metals.

Mg impregnation, intercalation-exfoliation, and thermal activation methods were employed to create various types of modified vermiculite (MV), with their combination creating linked-modified vermiculite (LMV). Copyrolysis of MV with municipal sludge (MS)/aged refuse (AF) in a fluidized bed improved heavy metal (HM) stability compared to copyrolysis of original vermiculite, with LMV demonstrating superior performance compared to other types of MV. The HM retention rate, potential ecological risk assessment, and form distribution analysis supported the efficacy of the approach.

Exploring Multi-Modal Contextual Knowledge for Open-Vocabulary Object Detection.

We explore multi-modal contextual knowledge learned through multi-modal masked language modeling to provide explicit localization guidance for novel classes in open-vocabulary object detection (OVD). Intuitively, a well-modeled and correctly predicted masked concept word should effectively capture the textual contexts, visual contexts, and the cross-modal correspondence between texts and regions, thereby automatically activating high attention on corresponding regions. In light of this, we propose a multi-modal contextual knowledge distillation framework, MMC-Det, to explicitly supervise a student detector with the context-aware attention of the masked concept words in a teacher fusion transformer.

Exploring mechanical properties and long-term environmental impact of ceramsites derived from diverse solid wastes.

The escalating global issue of soil pollution by heavy metals, particularly incinerated municipal solid waste fly ash (IMSWFA), necessitates effective remediation strategies. The prevailing approach for safely disposing and utilization of IMSWFA involves high-temperature sintering. In this work, we propose a cost-effective method to produce ceramsites by utilizing IMSWFA, municipal sludge (MS), contaminated soil (CS), and iron tail slag (ITS).