Experimental Investigation on Macroscopic and Microscopic Mechanical Properties of Geopolymer-Stabilized Macadam.

Geopolymer, as a promising inorganic binding material, holds potential for use in constructing base layers for highway pavements. This study aims to evaluate the mechanical properties of geopolymer-stabilized macadam (GSM) at both the micro- and macro-scale by a series of tests, demonstrating that high-Ca GSM is a high-quality material for pavement base layers. The results demonstrated that GSM exhibits outstanding mechanical and fatigue properties, significantly surpassing those of cement-stabilized macadam (CSM).

Optimization of Flexible Rotor for Ultrasonic Motor Based on Response Surface and Genetic Algorithm.

The flexible rotor, as a crucial component of the traveling wave rotary ultrasonic motor, effectively reduces radial friction. However, issues such as uneven contact between the stator and rotor, as well as rotor-deformation-induced stress, still persist. This paper presents an optimization method that combines the Kriging response surface model with a multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA).

An adaptive Bayesian randomized controlled trial of traditional Chinese medicine in progressive pulmonary fibrosis: Rationale and study design.

Progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) is a progressive and lethal condition with few effective treatment options. Improvements in quality of life for patients with PPF remain limited even while receiving treatment with approved antifibrotic drugs. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has the potential to improve cough, dyspnea and fatigue symptoms of patients with PPF.

HPV E6/E7-Induced Acetylation of a Peptide Encoded by a Long Non-Coding RNA Inhibits Ferroptosis to Promote the Malignancy of Cervical Cancer.

Although a fraction of functional peptides concealed within long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is identified, it remains unclear whether lncRNA-encoded peptides are involved in the malignancy of cervical cancer (CC). Here, a 92-amino acid peptide is discovered, which is named TUBORF, encoded by lncRNA TUBA3FP and highly expressed in CC tissues. TUBORF inhibits ferroptosis to promote the malignant proliferation of CC cells.

Multifunctional metal-organic frameworks-mediated colorimetric/photothermal immunosensor for highly sensitivity detection of dibutyl phthalate.

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), a priority pollutant among phthalic acid esters (PAEs) exhibits significant reproductive and respiratory toxicity. In this study, a multifunctional metal-organic frameworks-mediated colorimetric/photothermal immunosensor was established for the quantitative detection of DBP. Firstly, a highly sensitive and specific monoclonal antibody (mAb), designated 3A5, was prepared with a sensitivity IC value of 16.

Exploring early postoperative core symptoms in Chinese patients with primary liver cancer: a cross-sectional and longitudinal network analysis.

Background: Patients with primary liver cancer (PLC) experience a range of symptoms in the early postoperative period. Symptoms include cancer-related symptoms and adverse effects of treatment. Exploring the core symptoms and their dynamics in the early post-hepatectomy patients may help provide better symptom management programs.

Lipopolysaccharide-induced active telocyte exosomes alleviate lipopolysaccharide-induced vascular barrier disruption and acute lung injury via the activation of the miRNA-146a-5p/caspase-3 signaling pathway in endothelial cells.

Background: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced apoptosis of lung microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) is the main reason of lung edema and acute lung injury (ALI) in septic conditions. Telocytes (TCs) are a distinct type of interstitial cells found around the lung microvasculature, which may protect ECs through the release of shed vesicles. However, whether TCs protect against LPS-induced EC apoptosis and ALI has not been determined.

Highly electroactive thiazolium [5,4-d]thiazol-2,5-dicarboxylic acid-silver electrochemiluminescent metal-organic frameworks: synthesis, properties and application in glutathione detection.

Thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (HThz), a thiazolothiazole (TTz) derivative with carboxylic acid groups, was synthesized as a ligand for the creation of five MOFs, each associated with distinct metal ions including Ag, Mn, Co, Zn, and Cu. The cathodic electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of HThz and the resulting MOFs was investigated. HThz was found to generate ECL signals, but this process was heavily reliant on potassium persulfate (KSO) as a co-reactant.

Acquisition of discrete immune suppressive barriers contributes to the initiation and progression of preinvasive to invasive human lung cancer.

Computerized chest tomography (CT)-guided screening in populations at risk for lung cancer has increased the detection of preinvasive subsolid nodules, which progress to solid invasive adenocarcinoma. Despite the clinical significance, there is a lack of effective therapies for intercepting the progression of preinvasive to invasive adenocarcinoma. To uncover determinants of early disease emergence and progression, we used integrated single-cell approaches, including scRNA-seq, multiplexed imaging mass cytometry and spatial transcriptomics, to construct the first high-resolution map of the composition, lineage/functional states, developmental trajectories and multicellular crosstalk networks from microdissected non-solid (preinvasive) and solid compartments (invasive) of individual part-solid nodules.

Evaluating the impact of media and feed combinations on CHO cell culture performance and monoclonal antibody (trastuzumab) production.

Unlabelled: The choice of media and feeds significantly influences the performance of Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) mammalian cell cultures in producing desired biologics like monoclonal antibodies (mAb). Sub-optimal nutrient feed/media composition can severely impact cell proliferation and the quality of the final mAb product. For instance, proper protein glycosylation, crucial for mAb stability, safety, and efficacy, heavily relies on cell culture conditions.

Effect of plaque micro-watershed changes on carotid atherosclerosis.

Objective: The study aims to elucidate the mechanisms underlying plaque growth by analyzing the variations in hemodynamic parameters within the plaque region of patients' carotid arteries before and after the development of atherosclerotic lesions.

Methods: The study enrolls 25 patients with common carotid artery stenosis and 25 with tandem carotid artery stenosis. Based on pathological analysis, three-dimensional models of the actual blood vessels before and after the lesion are constructed for two patients within a two-year period.

DNA palette code for time-series archival data storage.

The long-term preservation of large volumes of infrequently accessed cold data poses challenges to the storage community. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is considered a promising solution due to its inherent physical stability and significant storage density. The information density and decoding sequence coverage are two important metrics that influence the efficiency of DNA data storage.

Intelligent measurement of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis x-ray coronal imaging parameters based on VB-Net neural network: a retrospective analysis of 2092 cases.

Background: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a complex three-dimensional deformity, and up to now, there has been no literature reporting the analysis of a large sample of X-ray imaging parameters based on artificial intelligence (AI) for it. This study is based on the accurate and rapid measurement of x-ray coronal imaging parameters in AIS patients by AI, to explore the differences and correlations, and to further investigate the risk factors in different groups, so as to provide a theoretical basis for the diagnosis and surgical treatment of AIS.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 3192 patients aged 8-18 years who had a full-length orthopantomogram of the spine and were diagnosed with AIS at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2019 to March 2024.

Accelerated stochastic processes of plankton community assembly due to tidal restriction by seawall construction in the Yangtze River Estuary.

Seawall construction has complex ecological impacts. However, the ecological mechanisms within plankton communities under tidal restriction resulting from seawall construction remain unexplored. Using environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding, this study examined the impact of seawall construction on the assembly process of planktonic eukaryote and bacteria communities from the unrestricted area and the tide-restricted area in the Chongming Dongtan Nature Reserve of Yangtze River Estuary.

Progress in antileishmanial drugs: Mechanisms, challenges, and prospects.

Leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease caused by Leishmania parasites, continues to pose global health challenges. Current treatments face issues like resistance, safety, efficacy, and cost. This review covers the discovery, mechanisms of action, clinical applications, and limitations of key antileishmanial agents: pentavalent antimonials, amphotericin B, miltefosine, paromomycin, and pentamidine.

China's municipal wastewater policies enhanced seafood safety and offset health risks from atmospheric mercury emissions in the past four decades.

The neurotoxin methylmercury in seafood threatens food safety worldwide. China has implemented stringent wastewater policies, established numerous treatment facilities and enforced rigorous water quality standards to address pollution in its waterways. However, the impact of these policies on seafood safety and methylmercury exposure remains unknown.

First report of watermelon mosaic virus infecting faba bean ( L.) in China.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is the fourth most cultivated temperate legume (Lyu et al., 2021).

OCT as both a shape sensor and a tomographic imager for large-scale freeform robotic scanning.

To overcome the limitations of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in imaging large-scale freeform objects, we propose a methodological framework that utilizes OCT as both a shape sensor and a tomographic imager in robotic scanning. Our approach integrates a deep-learning-based surface detection algorithm to counter OCT artifacts and an adaptive robotic arm pose adjustment algorithm for sensing and imaging uneven objects. We demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of our method on various objects, achieving high-resolution, large-scale tomographic imaging that adeptly manages OCT artifacts and surface irregularities.

Strong and Tough Self-Healing Elastomers via BTA-Mediated Microstructure and Metal-ligand Coordination.

Creating elastomers with high strength, toughness, and rapid self-healing remains a key challenge. These seemingly contradictory properties require innovative design strategies. Herein, a novel approach is proposed by simultaneously incorporating a unique triple hydrogen bond unit, benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA), and imidazole-Zn dynamic coordination into the elastomer.

Comprehensive genetic analysis and predictive evaluation of milk electrical conductivity for subclinical mastitis in Chinese Holstein cows.

Background: Bovine mastitis significantly impacts the dairy industry, causing economic losses through reduced milk production, lower milk quality, and increased health risks, and early detection is critical for effective treatment. This study analyzed milk electrical conductivity data from 9,846 Chinese Holstein cows over a two-year period, collected during three daily milking sessions, alongside smart collar data and dairy herd improvement test results. The aim was to conduct a comprehensive genetic analysis and assess the potential of milk electrical conductivity as a biomarker for the early detection of bovine subclinical mastitis.

Causal Relationships Between Epilepsy, Anti-Epileptic Drugs, and Serum Vitamin D and Vitamin D Binding Protein: A Bidirectional and Drug Target Mendelian Randomization Study.

Aims: Previous studies suggest potential associations between epilepsy, anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), and levels of vitamin D and vitamin D-binding protein (VDBP). This study aims to investigate the causal relationships among these variables using Mendelian Randomization (MR) methods.

Methods: Using summary data from genome-wide association studies on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels (N = 417,580), VDBP concentrations (N = 65,589), and various types of epilepsy (Ncases = 27,559), MR analyses were conducted to determine bidirectional causal relationships among these variables.

Revolutionizing treatment for disorders of consciousness: a multidisciplinary review of advancements in deep brain stimulation.

Among the existing research on the treatment of disorders of consciousness (DOC), deep brain stimulation (DBS) offers a highly promising therapeutic approach. This comprehensive review documents the historical development of DBS and its role in the treatment of DOC, tracing its progression from an experimental therapy to a detailed modulation approach based on the mesocircuit model hypothesis. The mesocircuit model hypothesis suggests that DOC arises from disruptions in a critical network of brain regions, providing a framework for refining DBS targets.

Manipulation and Theoretical Modeling of the Luminescence Performance of Silver Clusters in LTA Zeolites by Adjusting Extra-framework Cations.

Luminescent silver clusters that are confined inside porous zeolites have attracted great research interest due to the combined advantages of high quantum yield, tunable emission, excellent chemical stability, and desirable adoption ability of this micronano-composite. In this research, a series of Ag-exchanged R-LTA/Ag (R = Li, Na, K) zeolites were synthesized, in which the silver clusters showed blue-shifted excitation in the UV region, red-shifted emission in the visible region, and decreased emission intensity when taking Li, Na, and K as the extra-framework cations, respectively. The [Ag(HO)R-sod] ( = 2, 4; R = Li, Na, K) structures were constructed, and the TD-DFT method was further carried out to study the influence of extra-framework cations on the luminescence performance of [Ag] clusters, in which the substitution of Al for Si and the reasonable hydrate levels were both taken into consideration.

Computer-generated holography enables high-uniformity, high-efficiency depth-of-focus extension in endoscopic OCT.

Fiber-form optics extends the high-resolution tomographic imaging capabilities of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to the inside of the human body, i.e., endoscopic OCT.

Timing of surgery for spinal deformity patients during the COVID‑19 pandemic: experience from a prospective cohort at Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the optimal timing and associated risks of spinal deformity surgery during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

Methods: All consecutive surgical cases for spinal deformity between November 2022 and April 2023 were included. The population was divided into several categories according to the time from diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection to the day of surgery: without infection (pre-COVID-19), infection at 0 to 4 weeks (peri-COVID-19), infection at 4 to 8 weeks (early post-COVID-19), and infection over 8 weeks (late post-COVID-19).