Pulmonary artery denervation by noninvasive stereotactic radiotherapy: a pilot study in swine models of pulmonary hypertension.

Catheter-based pulmonary artery denervation (PADN) has achieved promising outcomes to treat pulmonary hypertension (PH). We herein present stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) as a novel noninvasive approach for PADN. A single fraction of 15 Gy, 20 Gy or 25 Gy was delivered for PADN in a thromboxane A2 (TxA2) - induced acute PH swine model.

SEEG seizure onset patterns in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy: A cohort study with 76 patients.

Objectives: In the present study with a large cohort, we aimed to characterize intracerebral seizure onset patterns (SOP) of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE), with or without hippocampal sclerosis (HS) as identified via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 255 seizures of 76 consecutive patients with mTLE explored by stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG), including HS-mTLE (n = 52) and non-HS- mTLE (n = 24). Relevant results were obtained by a combination of spectral analysis and manual review.

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of hospitalized pediatric patients with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in China: a retrospective multicenter study.

Background: In China many respiratory pathogens stayed low activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic due to strict measures and controls. We here aimed to study the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of pediatric inpatients with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) after the mandatory COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, in comparison to those before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We here included 4,296 pediatric patients with MPP, hospitalized by two medical centers in Jiangsu Province, China, from January 2015 to March 2024.

Grazing increases the complexity of networks and ecological stochastic processes of mycorrhizal fungi.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form extensive symbiotic relationships with plants, which are critical for plant-driven biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem functions. Grazing and mowing, which are common grassland utilization patterns globally, significantly alter plant community characteristics as well as soil nutrients and structure, thereby potentially influencing AMF communities. However, the effects of these grassland managements on AMF community structure and ecological processes remain unclear.

Inhibition of Lymphangiogenesis: A Protective Role of microRNA 146a-5p in Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death and morbidity among women. A major challenge for clinical management of breast cancer is the dissemination of breast cancer cells from the primary tumor site via lymphatic drainage, resulting in metastatic tumor spread. Recent studies have found that high expression of the microRNA miR-146a-5p is associated with better survival outcomes for breast cancer patients.

Effect of biopolymers on morphology and functionality of low-sodium condiments containing Maillard reaction products.

The impact of various biopolymers on low-sodium condiments composed of salt, potassium chloride, sodium glutamate and Maillard reaction products with chicken flavor were evaluated in order to generate uniformly distributed low-sodium condiments. The addition of biopolymers reduced the sodium and potassium content of low sodium condiments, as well as improved the particle size, changed the particle morphology. The addition of different biopolymers had different effects on the color, flow characteristics, solubility, hygroscopicity and thermal stability of low sodium condiments.

Subthalamic γ Oscillation Underlying Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Abnormality in Parkinsonian Patients.

Background: Abnormal rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, including REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and reduced REM sleep, is common in Parkinson's disease (PD), highlighting the importance of further study on REM sleep. However, the biomarkers of REM disturbances remain unknown, leading to the lack of REM-specific neuromodulation interventions.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the neurophysiological biomarkers of REM disturbance in parkinsonian patients.

Ultrawide Bandgap Diamond/ε-GaO Heterojunction pn Diodes with Breakdown Voltages over 3 kV.

Robust bipolar devices based on exclusively ultrawide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors are highly desired for advanced power electronics. The heterojunction strategy has been a prevailing method for fabricating a bipolar device due to the lack of effective bipolar doping in the same UWBG material. Here, we demonstrate a unique heterojunction design integrating the p-type diamond and n-type ε-GaO that achieves remarkable breakdown voltages surpassing 3000 V.

Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation Platform for Translational Research.

Objective: This study aims to facilitate the translation of innovative closed-loop deep brain stimulation (DBS) strategies from theory to practice by establishing a research platform. The platform addresses the challenges of real-time stimulation artifact removal, low-latency feedback stimulation, and rapid translation from animal to clinical experiments.

Materials And Methods: The platform comprises hardware for neural sensing and stimulation, a closed-loop software framework for real-time data streaming and computation, and an algorithm library for implementing closed-loop DBS strategies.

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).

Bifuruzan skeleton: developing new high-energy and high-density energetic materials.

Context: High-energy density materials (HEDMs) are integral to modern society and are in high demand. Consequently, the design and synthesis of energetic material molecules have garnered significant research interest. This study focuses on the furazan ring system as a core for developing superior HEDMs.

A perfect ultra-wideband solar absorber with a multilayer stacked structure of Ti-SiO-GaAs: structure and outstanding characteristics.

In this paper, we introduce an entirely new solar absorber design-a multi-layer periodic stacked structure. Through coupling effects, this design has perfect ultra-wideband absorption characteristics. The absorber structure is composed of four absorption units with varying cycle lengths, which are cyclically stacked on the surface of the refractory metal Cr.

Anatomical categorization of insulo-opercular focal cortical dysplasia and the spatial patterns of stereoelectroencephalography.

Objective: This study was undertaken to anatomically categorize insulo-opercular focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) lesions according to their location and extent, and to summarize corresponding stereoelectroencephalographic (SEEG) patterns to guide preoperative evaluation and surgical planning.

Methods: Patients who underwent epilepsy surgery for insulo-opercular FCD between 2015 and 2022 were enrolled. FCD lesions were categorized into insular, peri-insular, opercular, and complex types based on their location and extent, as ascertained from electroclinical and neuroimaging data.

Laser interstitial thermal therapy in the management of bottom-of-sulcus dysplasia-related epilepsy.

Objective: This study assessed the efficacy and safety of magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT) versus open surgery (OS) for the treatment of patients with bottom-of-sulcus dysplasia (BOSD)-related epilepsy.

Methods: Twenty-two patients underwent MRgLITT, while 39 underwent OS. Postoperative seizure-free rates were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves.

A Multi-Omics View of Maize's ( L.) Response to Low Temperatures During the Seedling Stage.

Maize ( L.) is highly sensitive to temperature during its growth and development stage. A 1 °C drop in temperature can delay maturity by 10 days, resulting in a yield reduction of over 10%.

Producing D-Ribose from D-Xylose by Demonstrating a Pentose Izumoring Route.

D-Ribose plays fundamental roles in all living organisms and has been applied in food, cosmetics, health care, and pharmaceutical sectors. At present, D-ribose is predominantly produced by microbial fermentation based on the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). However, this method suffers from a long synthetic pathway, severe growth defect of the host cell, and carbon catabolite repression (CCR).

The Expanding Burden of Neurodegenerative Diseases: An Unmet Medical and Social Need.

Neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease and other dementias as well as Parkinson's disease, are emerging as profoundly significant challenges and burdens to global health, a trend highlighted by the most recent Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 studies. This growing impact is closely linked to the demographic shift toward an aging population and the potential long-term repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, both of which have intensified the prevalence and severity of these conditions. In this review, we explore several critical aspects of this complex issue, including the increasing global burden of neurodegenerative diseases, unmet medical and social needs within current care systems, the unique and amplified challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and potential strategies for enhancing healthcare policy and practice.

Effects of tannin-tolerant lactic acid bacteria in combination with tannic acid on the fermentation quality, protease activity and bacterial community of stylo silage.

Background: Proteolysis during ensiling primarily occurs due to undesirable microbial and plant protease activities, which reduce the protein supply to ruminant livestock and cause a series of environmental problems. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the tannin-tolerant lactic acid bacterium strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 4 (LABLP4) in combination with tannic acid (TA) on protein preservation in stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis) silage. The stylos were either ensiled without additives (control) or treated with LABLP4 (10 colony-forming units per gram of fresh matter), 1% (fresh matter basis) TA, 2% TA, LABLP4 + 1% TA and LABLP4 + 2% TA.

Adjusting the Coordination Configuration by Changing Electrostatic Potential: Introducing N/O/S Heteroatoms Based on the Electronic Effect.

Energetic coordination compounds (ECCs) have demonstrated unique advantages in regulating the physicochemical properties of energetic materials through the design of organic ligands. The fundamental approach involves altering the electron cloud density distribution of organic ligands to modify the characteristics of coordination sites and, thus, achieve new coordination configurations. In this study, Mulliken charge distribution and surface electrostatic potential analysis were used to elucidate the effects of pyridinic N, pyrrolic N, oxazolic O, and thiazolic S on the electron cloud density of carbohydrazide groups through the induction effect and conjugate effect.