Clinical efficacy of efgartigimod combined with intravenous methylprednisolone in the acute phase of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders.

Background: Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders (NMOSD) comprise a group of autoimmune-mediated, inflammatory, demyelinating central nervous system diseases caused by aquaporin-4 (AQP4) IgG autoantibodies. Efgartigimod is a human IgG Fc fragment that reduces antibody titers by targeting the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). This study documents the efficacy of efgartigimod combined with intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) in the acute phase of NMOSD.

Functionalized cellulose nanocrystals reinforced polysaccharide matrix for the preparation of active packaging for perishable fruits preservation.

Polysaccharide-based films have received increasing attention as promising candidates for petrochemical plastics. However, they are highly brittle, poorly hydrophobic and without antibacterial activity, while current films used to address these issues often struggle to manage the balance between these properties. To achieve a balance of several performance indices of the films, functionalized dialdehyde cellulose nanocrystals (DCNCs) were prepared to activate pectin-based films.

Serum Galectin-9 mirrors immune-evasive microenvironment and predicts early recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: The precise role of Galectin-9, an immune checkpoint protein involved in immune responses, in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains elusive. Importantly, the prognostic value of serum Galectin-9 has not been clarified, and its association with infiltrating immune characteristics was unclear.

Methods: The association between serum Galectin-9 concentration and HCC recurrence was analyzed in two cohorts of HCC patients (training 133; validation 97) who received curative resection during 2018 and 2019.

Treatment and prediction of wastewater from waste transfer station in the eastern rural area of China by a combined system of anaerobic-oxic-anoxic-oxic, coagulation and adsorption.

In this study, a combined system of anaerobic-oxic-anoxic-oxic, coagulation and adsorption (AOAOCA) was used to treat the real waste transfer station (WTS) wastewater. The effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT), sludge reflux ratio (SRR), mixed liquid reflux ratio (MLRR), coagulant and zeolite on the contaminants removal efficiency were investigated. When the AOAOCA system was operated at the optimal conditions (HRT of 8 d, SRR of 70%, MLRR of 200%, PAFC as coagulant with dosage of 750 ppm and 1-3 mm zeolite with filling rate of 60%), the effluent COD, NH-N and TP could reach 82.

Empathy to Creativity: The Associations Between Empathy and Everyday Creativity.

Objective: Everyday creativity is fundamental to human existence and improved well-being. Beyond recent attention regarding how contextual, lifestyle, personality, and neurobiological differences might foster everyday creativity, empathy may also constitute an intriguing connection. However, this potential relationship has not yet been systematically assessed.

BIRDNN: Behavior-Imitation Based Repair for Deep Neural Networks.

The increasing utilization of deep neural networks (DNNs) in safety-critical systems has raised concerns about their potential to exhibit undesirable behaviors. Consequently, DNN repair/patching arises in response to the times, and it aims to eliminate unexpected predictions generated by flawed DNNs. However, existing repair methods, both retraining- and fine-tuning-based, primarily focus on high-level abstract interpretations or inferences of state spaces, often neglecting the outputs of underlying neurons.

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of Aberdeen Varicose Veins Questionnaire (AVVQ) in Patients With Varicose Veins of Lower Extremity: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Varicose veins in the lower extremities significantly impairs patients' quality of life, highlighting the importance of targeted quality of life assessments for specific diseases. The Aberdeen Varicose Vein Questionnaire (AVVQ) was specifically designed to assess the impact of lower extremity varicose veins on quality of life. This study comprised two phases: in the first phase, the AVVQ was translated and culturally adapted, and the second phase was an evaluation of the psychometric characteristics of the Chinese version of AVVQ in 328 patients with varicose veins of lower extremities.

MCoGCN-motif high-order feature-guided embedding learning framework for social link prediction.

Traditional social link prediction models primarily concentrate on the adjacency features of the network, overlooking the rich high-order structural information within. Therefore, the study of effective extraction and encoding of these high-order features, and their integration into prediction models, holds significant theoretical and practical value. To address this challenge, we propose a novel embedding learning framework guided by motif high-order features for social link prediction tasks.

Toward Transparent and Controllable Quantum Generative Models.

Quantum generative models have shown promise in fields such as quantum chemistry, materials science, and optimization. However, their practical utility is hindered by a significant challenge: the lack of interpretability. In this work, we introduce to enhance both the interpretability and controllability of quantum generative models.

Mapping Data to Concepts: Enhancing Quantum Neural Network Transparency with Concept-Driven Quantum Neural Networks.

We introduce the concept-driven quantum neural network (CD-QNN), an innovative architecture designed to enhance the interpretability of quantum neural networks (QNNs). CD-QNN merges the representational capabilities of QNNs with the transparency of self-explanatory models by mapping input data into a human-understandable concept space and making decisions based on these concepts. The algorithmic design of CD-QNN is comprehensively analyzed, detailing the roles of the concept generator, feature extractor, and feature integrator in improving and balancing model expressivity and interpretability.

High-temperature stimulation enhances polyhydroxyalkanoates accumulation in thermophile Aeribacillus pallidus BK1.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are intracellular storage polymers that enhance bacterial resistance in environments. While the role of PHAs regulation in thermophiles under high-temperature stimulation is understudied, this work investigates Aeribacillus pallidus BK1, a thermophile with heat resistance up to 155 °C. Our results showed that A.

Antibacterial activity and mechanism of rose essential oil against Aeromonas veronii isolated from Northern snakehead (Channa argus).

Aims: To investigate and identify the antibacterial action and mechanism of rose essential oil (REO) against Aeromonas veronii isolated from Northern snakehead for the first time by the phenotypic and metabolic analysis.

Methods And Results: The 2-fold broth microdilution and spread-plate method identified that the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of REO against A. veronii were 1.

Iron(II)-Catalyzed Synthesis of Nitrated Dihydropyrazole via a Nitrification and C-H Activation/Cyclization Cascade Reaction.

A route for nitrification and C-H activation/cyclization of ()--allyl-'-benzylidenebenzenesulfonohydrazide and cobalt nitrate via an iron(II)-catalyzed cascade reaction to synthesize nitrated dihydropyrazoles has been developed. The method features convenient operation and good functional group tolerance. In addition, it employs insensitive and inexpensive FeSO as the catalyst and provides a direct approach for the preparation of dihydropyrazoles.

A novel digital intervention for improving cognitive impairment in patients with chronic schizophrenia: A randomized clinical trial.

Background: There is an unmet need for stand-alone digital therapeutics for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of a novel digital therapeutic, IBT-SC02, for cognitive impairment in stable schizophrenia patients.

Methods: A randomized, parallel-group trial was conducted at the Sichuan Province Institute of Mental Health, China.

A Stratification Approach Based on Salivary Gland Ultrasonography for Assessing Secretory Function in Sjögren Disease.

Objective: Our aim was to develop an ultrasonographic scoring model for staging hypofunction of salivary glands (SGs) in patients with Sjögren disease (SjD).

Methods: The assessment of SG secretory hypofunction was conducted by measuring whole salivary flows. B-mode ultrasonography was performed bilaterally on the parotid and submandibular glands to quantitatively evaluate the gland score and Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) score.

Charge reversible hyaluronic acid-based drug delivery system with pH-responsive dissociation for enhanced drug delivery.

Improving the efficiency of drug delivery is one of the most important goals in the field of drug delivery. One strategy for drug delivery efficiency is to make the drug delivery system capable of charge reversal. In this study, we used hyaluronic acid (HA) as the skeleton to anchor dimethylmaleic anhydride-modified polylysine (PLL-DMMA) and N-(3-Aminopropyl)-imidazole (IMI) to construct a pH-sensitive (IMI/Zn)-HA-PLL-DMMA system via Zn coordination.

Trimetallic MOF-derived Fe-Mn-Sn oxide heterostructure enabling exceptional catalytic degradation of organic pollutants.

Developing efficient and environmentally benign heterogeneous catalysts that activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the degradation of persistent organic contaminants remains a challenge. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-derived metal oxide catalysts in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have received considerable attention research fraternity. Herein, we report an innovative magnetic trimetallic MOF-derived Fe-Mn-Sn oxide heterostructure (FeMnO@Sn) with adjustable morphology, size and Sn content, prepared through an impregnation-calcination strategy.

Bio-Inspired Nanodelivery Platform: Platelet Membrane-Cloaked Genistein Nanosystem for Targeted Lung Cancer Therapy.

Background: Genistein (Gen), a natural polyphenolic compound, has emerged as a promising candidate for lung cancer treatment. However, the potential clinical application of Gen is limited due to its poor solubility, low bioavailability, and toxic side effects. To address these challenges, a biomimetic delivery platform with cell membranes derived from natural cells as carrier material was constructed.

Resistance to linezolid in Staphylococcus aureus by mutation, modification, and acquisition of genes.

Linezolid binds to the 50S subunit of the bacterial ribosome, inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis by preventing the formation of the initiation complex. Oxazolidinone antimicrobial drugs represent the last line of defense in treating Staphylococcus aureus infections; thus, resistance to linezolid in S. aureus warrants high priority.

Acupuncture's Emergence as A Promising Non-Pharmacological Therapy for Appetite Management in Cancer Chemotherapy.

Objective: The primary objective of this investigation was to assess the impact of acupuncture intervention and explore the intricacies of acupoint selection as a therapeutic strategy for chemotherapy-induced Anorexia (CIA).

Method: Eight electronic databases were searched to identify relevant studies on the use of acupuncture for the treatment of CIA to conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis. Following this, the Apriori algorithm, correlation analysis, and cluster analysis were performed to identify correlations between the selection of acupoints.