Microwave-optical interaction and its effective utilization are vital technologies at the frontier of classical and quantum sciences for communication, sensing, and imaging. Typically, state-of-the-art microwave-to-optical converters are realized by fiber and circuit approaches with multiple processing steps, and external powers are necessary, which leads to many limitations. Here, we propose a programmable metasurface that can achieve direct and high-speed free-space microwave-to-laser conversion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSilver nitroprusside complex nanoparticles (AgN NPs) have garnered significant attention for their antimicrobial properties. However, challenges such as toxicity and limited biocompatibility often hinder their practical applications. Therefore, this study introduces a combined approach to fabricating AgN NPs with chitosan (CS), resulting in CS-AgN nanocomposites (CS-AgN NCs) with cytocompatibility.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Magn Reson Imaging
January 2025
Background: Pancreatic damage is a common digestive system disease with no specific drugs. Static magnetic field (SMF), the key component of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has demonstrated prominent effects in various disease models.
Purpose: To study the effects of 0.
Background: Recent research has identified the Low-Carbohydrate Diet (LCD) score as a novel biomarker, with studies showing that LCDs can reduce carbon dioxide retention, potentially improving lung function. While the link between the LCD score and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been explored, its relevance in the US population remains uncertain. This study aims to explore the association between the LCD score and the likelihood of COPD prevalence in this population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: HJIG is a potential treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) that has been used in China for over 20 years. We conducted a multi-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the Chinese Herbal Medicine, Hongjing I granule (HJIG), in patients with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction (ED).
Methods: This study is structured as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, executed across multiple centers.
Nucleotide availability is crucial for DNA replication and repair; however, the coordinating mechanisms in vivo remain unclear. Here, we show that the circadian clock in the liver controls the activity of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) to support de novo nucleotide biosynthesis for DNA synthesis demands. We demonstrate that disrupting the hepatic clock by genetic manipulation or mistimed feeding impairs PPP activity in male mice, leading to nucleotide imbalance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The transmembrane protein T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing molecule 3 (TIM-3) is an immune checkpoint receptor that is expressed by a variety of leukocyte subsets, particularly in the tumor microenvironment. An effective TIM-3-targeting therapy should account for multiple biological factors, including the disease setting, the specific cell types involved and their varying sensitivities to the four putative TIM-3 ligands (galectin-9, phosphatidylserine, high mobility group protein B1 and carcinoembryonic antigen cell adhesion molecule 1), each of which engages a unique binding site on the receptor's variable immunoglobulin domain. The primary objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence and function of TIM-3 natural killer (NK) cells in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), determine whether the four TIM-3 ligands differentially affect TIM-3 NK cell functions, identify the most immunosuppressive ligand, and evaluate whether targeting ligand-mediated TIM-3 signaling enhances NK cell effector functions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe strain data acquired from structural health monitoring (SHM) systems of large-span bridges are often contaminated by a mixture of temperature-induced and vehicle-induced strain components, thereby complicating the assessment of bridge health. Existing approaches for isolating temperature-induced strains predominantly rely on statistical temperature-strain models, which can be significantly influenced by arbitrarily chosen parameters, thereby undermining the accuracy of the results. Additionally, signal processing techniques, including empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and others, frequently yield unstable outcomes when confronted with nonlinear strain signals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPierid species of the group are among the largest Sino-Himalayan members of genus , with four conventionally recognised species, namely , , , and . Recent publications indicated that some of these species may contain more than one species despite their similar morphological characters. The present research analysed this group of butterflies using mitogenomic data, and proved that , , , and should be recognised as distinct species, while , and should be subspecies of .
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: To identify risk factors for central nervous system infection (CNSI) following glioma resection and develop a predictive model. : Retrospective analysis of 435 glioma resection cases was conducted to assess CNSI risk factors. A nomogram predictive model was constructed and validated internally and externally.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBanana crop ranks among the most crucial fruit and food crops in tropical and subtropical areas. Despite advancements in production technology, diseases such as cordana leaf spot, caused by , remain a significant challenge, reducing productivity and quality. Traditional chemical controls are becoming less effective due to the development of resistance in target pathogens, which pose significant environmental and health concerns.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAfr J Reprod Health
December 2024
Elevated serum uric acid (SUA) levels in pregnancy are linked to adverse outcomes, including preterm birth, preeclampsia, and low birth weight. To assess the predictive value of SUA levels in early pregnancy for adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). A cohort of 4,240 pregnant women admitted for delivery from January 2021 to December 2022 was analyzed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The emergence of telesurgery has received global interest, with secure network transmission identified as a crucial determinant of its success. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and viability of employing quantum cryptography communication in remote partial nephrectomy.
Methods: The surgeon operated on the patient from a distance of over 260 km using remote control of a surgical robot.
Herein, we present a visible-light-induced protocol for the synthesis of highly functionalized oxo-bridged oxocine skeletons. This method generates carbenes via visible-light-induced ortho-acyl diazo compounds, which are rapidly intercepted by the oxygen atom of an intermolecular acyl group to form a cyclic 1,3-dipole. The in situ generated highly reactive 1,3-dipole undergoes a facile formal [4 + 3] cycloaddition with alkenyl pyrazolinone, yielding [4.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProsociality tends to increase with age, but whether older adults (OA) are more willing than younger adults (YA) to extend their prosocial behaviors beyond close social circles remains a topic of debate. This study aimed to address this controversy and explore the underlying mechanisms of age-related differences in prosociality through the lens of social discounting and gain-and-loss framing. One hundred twenty-three younger adults and 135 older adults participated in a social discounting task (measuring prosocial tendencies toward various social relationships) with various framings (self-oriented framing, other-oriented framing, and control condition).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite significant advances in targeted therapies and immunotherapies, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) continues to present a global health challenge, with a modest five-year survival rate of 28 %, largely due to the emergence of treatment-resistant and metastatic tumors. In response, we synthesized a novel bioactive compound, ethyl 6-chlorocoumarin-3-carboxylyl L-theanine (TClC), which significantly inhibited NSCLC growth, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration, and invasion and tumor growth and metastasis without inducing toxicity. TClC disrupts autocrine loops that promote tumor progression, particularly in stem-like CD133-positive NSCLC (CD133+ LC) cells, which are pivotal in tumor metastasis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRhinitis is one of the most common respiratory diseases, influenced by various environmental factors such as green space, air pollution and indoor microbiomes. However, their interactions and combined effects have not been reported. We recruited 1121 preschool children from day care centers in a northern city of China.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTire wear particles (TWP) are one of the main sources of microplastic (MP) pollution in the marine environment, causing adverse effects on marine life and attracting increasing attention. This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition of TWP (particles and leachate) and their toxic effects on Brachionus plicatilis. The results showed that Zn and acenaphthene were the most frequently detected compounds in the three TWP treatments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDue to the sulfur's atoms' propensity to form molecules and/or polymeric chains of various sizes and configuration, elemental sulfur possesses more allotropes and polymorphs than any other element at ambient conditions. This variability of the starting building blocks is partially responsible for its rich and fascinating phase diagram, with pressure and temperature changing the states of sulfur from insulating molecular rings and chains to semiconducting low- and high-density amorphous configurations to incommensurate superconducting metallic atomic phase. Here, using a fast compression technique, we demonstrate that the rapid pressurisation of liquid sulfur can effectively break the molecular ring structure, forming a glassy polymeric state of pure-chain molecules (Am-S).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Primary hypertension (PH) poses significant risks to children and adolescents. Few prediction models for the risk of PH in children and adolescents currently exist, posing a challenge for doctors in making informed clinical decisions.
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors of PH in Chinese children and adolescents.
Solar-driven dry reforming of methane (DRM) offers a milder, more cost-effective, and promising environmentally friendly pathway compared to traditional thermal catalytic DRM. Numerous studies have extensively investigated inexpensive Ni-based catalysts for application in solar-driven DRM. However, these catalysts often suffer from activity loss due to carbon accumulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Optimal electrode configuration of Electroencephalograms (EEG) systems for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) detection and monitoring in non-clinical settings, i.e. number of electrodes and the positions of the electrodes, remains to be explored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFYes-associated protein (YAP) activation confers resistance to chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Methionine participates in cellular processes by converting to methyl donor for the methylation of DNA, RNA and protein. However, it remains unclear whether methionine affects drug resistance by influencing YAP activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPathogenic bacteria are the source of many serious health problems, such as foodborne diseases and hospital infections. Timely and accurate detection of these pathogens is of vital significance for disease prevention, control of epidemic spread, and protection of public health security. Rapid identification of pathogenic bacteria has become a research focus in recent years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe control and industrial application of chaotic systems is a major obstacle limiting the diffusion of chaos theory. In this study, we proposed a novel, universally applicable methodology for constructing an offset boosting function for chaotic systems. By integrating this approach with traditional techniques, a four-dimensional chaotic system with two-dimensional offset boosting was developed and successfully implemented by a real chaotic circuit for manganese metal electrolysis, replacing conventional DC.
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