Identifying SNP threshold from P2 sequences for investigating norovirus transmission.

Noroviruses are a group of non-enveloped single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus belonging to Caliciviridae family. They can be transmitted by the fecal-oral route from contaminated food and water and cause mainly acute gastroenteritis. Outbreaks of norovirus infections could be difficult to detect and investigate. In this study, we developed a simple threshold detection approach based on variations of the P2 domain of the capsid protein. We obtained sequences from the norovirus hypervariable P2 region using Sanger sequencing, including 582 pairs of epidemiologically-related strains from 35 norovirus outbreaks and 6402 pairs of epidemiologically-unrelated strains during the four epidemic seasons. Genetic distances were calculated and a threshold was performed by adopting ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve which identified transmission clusters in all tested outbreaks with 80% sensitivity. In average, nucleotide diversity between outbreaks was 67.5 times greater than the diversity within outbreaks. Simple and accurate thresholds for detecting norovirus transmissions of three genotypes obtained here streamlines molecular investigation of norovirus outbreaks, thus enabling rapid and efficient responses for the control of norovirus.

EASIX is an effective marker in predicting mortality of traumatic brain injury patients.

BACKGROUND: The Endothelial Activation and Stress Index (EASIX) is a novel marker of endothelial injury and correlates with survival of various patients. The endothelial dysfunction plays an important role on the pathophysiological process of traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study was designed to explore the prognostic value of EASIX on TBI patients. METHODS: 358 TBI patients hospitalized in the West China hospital between October 2018 and October 2022 were enrolled for this study. The EASIX was calculated based on the formula: lactate dehydrogenase (U/L) × creatinine (mg/dL)/platelets (109 cells/L). The univariate and multivariate logistic regression with forward method was performed to explore the association between EASIX and mortality. A prognostic model was developed combining significant risk factors in the multivariate logistic regression. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to compare the predictive accuracy of the EASIX and the developed model. RESULTS: The 30-day mortality of enrolled 358 TBI patients was 51.1%. Non-survivors had higher EASIX than survivors (p < 0.001). The multivariate logistic regression confirmed seven risk factors for mortality of TBI including injury mechanism (p = 0.010), GCS (p < 0.001), glucose (p < 0.001), EASIX (p = 0.017), subdural hematoma (p = 0.012), coagulopathy (p = 0.001). The AUC of EASIX, SOFA, GCS was 0.747, 0.748 and 0.774, respectively. The AUC of developed predictive model was 0.874 with the sensitivity of 0.913 and specificity of 0.686. CONCLUSIONS: The EASIX is a reliable marker for predicting mortality of TBI patients. The predictive model incorporating EASIX is helpful for clinicians to evaluate the mortality risk of TBI patients.

Retinol-binding protein 4 as a promising serum biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is universally poor. Early diagnosis plays a pivotal role in determining the outcome of HCC. METHODS: We employed a comparative proteomics approach to identify potential biomarkers and validated the application of retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) as a biomarker for HCC. RBP4 protein expression was examined in liver tissues from 80 HCC patients through immunohistochemical analysis. Serum RBP4 concentrations were measured by ELISA in a cohort comprising 290 HCC patients, matched 202 chronic hepatitis B patients and 269 healthy controls. Survival data were collected from HCC patients. The diagnostic and prognostic values of RBP4 were evaluated using receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: The validation results demonstrated a significant reduction in RBP4 levels in both liver tissues and serum samples from HCC patients. ROC analysis of the diagnostic value of RBP4 revealed an AUC of 0.879 (95 % CI: 0.854∼0.903) for HCC. When combined with AFP, the AUC increased to 0.919, with a sensitivity of 87.9 % and specificity of 80 %. Survival analysis revealed significantly reduced overall survival time in individuals with low-expression of RBP4 compared to those with high-expression. The joint prognostic model exhibited an AUC of 0.926 (95 % CI: 0.888∼0.964), which was significantly higher than that of AFP alone (AUC=0.809; P <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: RBP4 shows a great potential as a biomarker with appreciable diagnostic value, complementing the AFP in HCC diagnosis. Additionally, it holds promise as a prognostic biomarker that, when integrated into a combined prognostic model, could greatly improve HCC prognosis efficiency.

Heatstroke: a multicenter study in Southwestern China.

Background: An increase in Heatstroke cases occurred in southwest China in 2022 due to factors like global warming, abnormal temperature rise, insufficient power supply, and other contributing factors. This resulted in a notable rise in Heatstroke patients experiencing varying degrees of organ dysfunction. This descriptive study aims to analyze the epidemiology and clinical outcomes of Heatstroke patients in the ICU, providing support for standardized diagnosis and treatment, ultimately enhancing the prognosis of Heatstroke. Methods: A retrospective, multicenter, descriptive analysis was conducted on Heatstroke patients admitted to ICUs across 83 hospitals in southwest China. Electronic medical records were utilized for data collection, encompassing various aspects such as epidemiological factors, onset symptoms, complications, laboratory data, concurrent infections, treatments, and patient outcomes. Results: The dataset primarily comprised classic heatstroke, with 477 males (55% of total). The patient population had a median age of 72 years (range: 63-80 years). The most common initial symptoms were fever, mental or behavioral abnormalities, and fainting. ICU treatment involved respiratory support, antibiotics, sedatives, and other interventions. Among the 700 ICU admissions, 213 patients had no infection, while 487 were diagnosed with infection, predominantly lower respiratory tract infection. Patients presenting with neurological symptoms initially (n = 715) exhibited higher ICU mortality risk compared to those without neurological symptoms (n = 104), with an odds ratio of 2.382 (95% CI 1.665, 4.870) (p = 0.017). Conclusion: In 2022, the majority of Heatstroke patients in southwest China experienced classical Heatstroke, with many acquiring infections upon admission to the ICU. Moreover, Heatstroke can result in diverse complications.

A versatilely high fidelity electric machines emulator for rapid testing of motor controller.

Electric machines emulators (EMEs) based on hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), which effectively act as emulators to mimic the actual motor behavior of Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM) machines. EME is frequently used to evaluate motor controller and motor control methodologies prior to development. The inverse magnetization motor model, which is used as the basis for real-time simulation in this paper's proposal for an electric machine emulator system based on HIL, uses FEA to create the motor model data. The nonlinear features of the motor may be successfully replicated with this motor model, and the accuracy of the electric machine emulator can be enhanced by using a straightforward and trustworthy motor controller. The real-time simulation tool typhoon HIL is used in the study to develop a hardware-in-the-loop simulation platform for an IPM electric machines emulator.

Exogenous Indole-3-Acetic Acid Suppresses Rice Infection of Magnaporthe oryzae by Affecting Plant Resistance and Fungal Growth.

Auxin is an important phytohormone that regulates diverse biologic processes, including plant growth and immunity. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), known as one of the main forms of auxin, is able to activate plant immunity. However, it is unknown whether IAA enhances plant resistance and/or suppresses the growth of the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae. Here, we found that IAA could induce expression levels of pathogenesis-related genes to enhance disease resistance and could control the development of blast disease through inhibiting M. oryzae infection. Exogenous IAA suppressed mycelial growth and delayed spore germination by inhibiting fungal endogenous IAA biosynthesis and impairing redox homeostasis, respectively. When applied to a field test, two IAA analogues, 1-naphthaleneacetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid, can effectively control rice blast disease. Our study advances the understanding of IAA in controlling rice blast disease through suppressing pathogen growth and enhancing plant resistance.

Evaluation of Cordyceps sinensis Quality in 15 Production Areas Using Metabolomics and the Membership Function Method.

Cordyceps sinensis is a precious medicinal and edible fungus, which is widely used in body health care and disease prevention. The current research focuses on the comparison of metabolite characteristics between a small number of samples and lacks a comprehensive evaluation of the quality of C. sinensis in a large-scale space. In this study, LC-MS/MS, principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and the membership function method were used to comprehensively evaluate the characteristics and quality of metabolites in 15 main producing areas of C. sinensis in China. The results showed that a total of 130 categories, 14 supercategories, and 1718 metabolites were identified. Carboxylic acids and derivatives, fatty acyls, organo-oxygen compounds, benzene and substituted derivatives, prenol lipids, and glycerophospholipids were the main components of C. sinensis. The HCA analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of 559 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) showed that the accumulation models of fatty acids and conjugates and carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates in glycerophospholipid metabolism and arginine and proline metabolism may be one of the reasons for the quality differences in C. sinensis in different producing areas. In addition, a total of 18 biomarkers were identified and validated, which had a significant discrimination effect on the samples (p < 0.05). Overall, YS, BR, and ZD, with the highest membership function values, are rich and balanced in nutrients. They are excellent raw materials for the development of functional foods and provide scientific guidance for consumers to nourish health care.

Metabolomic Profiling of Floccularia luteovirens from Different Geographical Regions Proposes a Novel Perspective on Their Antioxidative Activities.

Floccularia luteovirens, an endemic resource of the Tibetan Plateau, possesses significant medicinal and ecological values. However, the understanding of antioxidant capacity and metabolic profiling of F. luteovirens from diverse regions remains elusive due to limited resources. Therefore, to comprehensively comprehend the antioxidant capacity and metabolite diversity of F. luteovirens, we conducted a rounded analysis of its antioxidant capacity from three distinct regions using both untargeted and targeted metabolomics. Determination of antioxidant indices, such as ferric ion-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), total phenolic content (TPC), and flavonoid content (FC), revealed the robust antioxidant capacity of F. luteovirens. QL F. luteovirens (QLFL) exhibited no significant difference compared to ZD F. luteovirens (ZDFL); however, both were significantly distinct from XH F. luteovirens (XHFL) across multiple indices. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between FRAP and flavonoid content. A total of 5782 metabolites were identified and chemically classified. Metabolites of F. luteovirens varied significantly at different regions and eight key differential metabolites were screened. Phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, and cyanoamino acid metabolism were the main different regulatory pathways. Consequently, the disparities in the antioxidant activity of F. luteovirens may primarily be ascribed to the biosynthesis and metabolism of phenylalanine, while vanillic acid could potentially serve as a pivotal metabolite influencing the antioxidative capacity of F. luteovirens by targeted metabolomics. These findings enhance our understanding of the composition of F. luteovirens and provide valuable resources for its comprehensive utilization and targeted development.

Evaluation of tubal patency based on peak injection pressure in four-dimensional hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography among infertile females: a preliminary study.

Background: Although the application of four-dimensional hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography (4D-HyCoSy) has relatively good diagnostic accuracy for assessing the patency of the fallopian tubes, the evaluation process mainly relies on morphological findings of the fallopian tubes and pelvic cavity. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of peak injection pressure during 4D-HyCoSy and tubal patency to provide a quantitative indicator for the evaluation of fallopian tube patency. Methods: This study included infertile patients who underwent 4D-HyCoSy and laparoscopic chromopertubation (LC) between 2020 and 2022, with LC serving as the reference test for assessing tubal patency. For the HyCoSy procedure, the ultrasound contrast agent was injected automatically using a liquid injection machine, and real-time pressure values were recorded. Patients were classified based on tubal patency status in LC as bilaterally patent, unilaterally patent, or bilaterally nonpatent. The average peak injection pressure and contrast agent volume of different groups were compared. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to determine the cutoff value. Results: A total of 268 infertile patients were enrolled in the study. With LC as the standard examination, the sensitivity and specificity of 4D-HyCoSy in diagnosing nonpatent fallopian tubes were 91.1% and 95.1%, respectively. In general, peak injection pressure was observed to gradually increase as tubal patency decreased (P<0.001), with average peak injection pressures of 233.5±66.3, 338.8±99.8, and 469.6±63.1 mmHg in the bilaterally patent, unilaterally patent, and bilaterally nonpatent groups, respectively. The volume of contrast agent used in patients in the bilaterally nonpatent group was significantly lower than that in the other two groups (P<0.01), with average volumes of 22.7±6.3, 24.3±9.3, and 18.9±9.2 mL, respectively. When one fallopian tube was patent, the area under the curve (AUC) for distinguishing obstruction from patency of the other fallopian tube was 0.827, with a sensitivity of 79.8% and a specificity of 74.3% (cutoff value: 254.3 mmHg). Similarly, when one fallopian tube was nonpatent, the AUC was 0.866, with a sensitivity of 90.6% and a specificity of 78.3% (cutoff value: 401.3 mmHg). Conclusions: Peak injection pressure during 4D-HyCoSy demonstrates promising diagnostic performance in evaluating fallopian tube patency in infertile patients.

Differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into Leydig-like cells with testicular extract liquid in vitro.

Differentiation of Leydig cells plays a key role in male reproductive function. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have emerged as a potential cell source for generating Leydig-like cells due to their multipotent differentiation capacity and accessibility. This study aimed to investigate the morphological and genetic expression changes of BMSCs during differentiation into Leydig-like cells. Testicular extract liquid, which simulates the microenvironment in vivo, induced the third passage BMSCs differentiated into Leydig-like cells. Changes in cell morphology were observed by microscopy, the formation of lipid droplets of androgen precursor was identified by Oil Red Staining, and the expression of testicular specific genes 3ß-HSD and SF-1 in testicular stromal cells was detected by RT-qPCR. BMSCs isolated from the bone marrow of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were cultured for 3 generations and identified as qualified BMSCs in terms of morphology and cell surface markers. After 14 days of induction with testicular tissue lysate, lipid droplets appeared in the cytoplasm of P3 BMSCs by Oil Red O staining. RT-qPCR detection was performed on BMSCs on the 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 21st day after induction. Relative expression levels of 3ß-HSD mRNA significantly increased after 14 days of induction, while the relative expression of SF-1 mRNA increased after 14 days of induction but was not significant. BMSCs can differentiate into testicular interstitial cells with reserve androgen precursor lipid droplets after induction by testicular tissue lysate. The differentiation ability of BMSCs provides the potential to reconstruct the testicular microenvironment and is expected to fundamentally improve testicular function and provide new treatment options for abnormal spermatogenesis diseases.

Ethanol responsive lnc171 promotes migration and invasion of HCC cells via mir-873-5p/ZEB1 axis.

BACKGROUNDS: Long nonconding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to be a vital regulatory factor in the development process of human cancer, and could regarded as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers for human cancers. Here, we aim to confirm the expression and molecular mechanism of RP11-171K16.5 (lnc171) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Screening of differentially expressed lncRNAs by RNA sequencing. Expression level of gene was studied by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The effects of lnc171, mir-873-5p, and ethanol on migration and invasion activity of cells were studied used transwell assay, and luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the binding site. RESULTS: RNA sequencing showed that lnc171 was markedly up-regulated in HCC. siRNA-mediated knockdown of lnc171 repressed the migration and invasion ability of HCC cells. Bioinformatic analysis, dual luciferase reporter assay, and qRT-PCR indicated that lnc171 interacted with mir-873-5p in HCC cells, and Zin-finger E-box binding homeobox (ZEB1) was a downstream target gene of mir-873-5p. In addition, lnc171 could enhance migration and invasion ability of HCC cells by up-regulating ZEB1 via sponging mir-873-5p. More interestingly, ethanol stimulation could up-regulate the increase of lnc171, thereby regulating the expression of competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network factors which lnc171 participated in HCC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our date demonstrates that lnc171 was a responsive factor of ethanol, and plays a vital role in development of HCC via binding of mir-873-5p.

The association between ondansetron use and mortality risk of traumatic brain injury patients: a population-based study.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients suffer high risks of mortality. Ondansetron has been verified to be effective in improving the prognosis of some kinds of critically ill patients. We design this study to explore whether ondansetron use is associated with lower risks of mortality among TBI patients. Methods: TBI patients from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-III were collected. The usage of ondansetron, including intravenous injection and oral tablet, since admission to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center between 2001 and 2012 was identified. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were performed to analyze the relationship between the ondansetron use and mortality of TBI patients. Propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized to generate balanced cohorts of the non-ondansetron use group and ondansetron use group. Sub-group analysis was performed to verify the association between the ondansetron use and mortality of TBI patients in different TBI severity levels after PSM. Results: In TBI cohorts before PSM, the usage incidence of ondansetron was 37.2%. The 30-day mortality was significantly lower in the ondansetron group (p < 0.001). The multivariate logistic regression showed that ondansetron was associated with the lower mortality of TBI patients (p = 0.008). In TBI cohorts after PSM, the 30-day mortality of the ondansetron group was lower than that of the non-ondansetron group, although without statistical significance (p = 0.079). Logistic regression indicated ondansetron use was significantly associated with the lower mortality of moderate-to-severe TBI (p < 0.001) but not mild TBI (p = 0.051). In addition, Cox regression also presented that ondansetron use was significantly associated with the lower mortality of moderate-to-severe TBI (p < 0.001) but not mild TBI (p = 0.052). Conclusion: Ondansetron usage is associated with a lower mortality risk of moderate-to-severe TBI but not mild TBI patients. Ondansetron may be a novel adjunctive therapeutic strategy to improve the prognosis of moderate-to-severe TBI patients.

Objectivization study of acupuncture Deqi and brain modulation mechanisms: a review.

Deqi is an important prerequisite for acupuncture to achieve optimal efficacy. Chinese medicine has long been concerned with the relationship between Deqi and the clinical efficacy of acupuncture. However, the underlying mechanisms of Deqi are complex and there is a lack of systematic summaries of objective quantitative studies of Deqi. Acupuncture Deqi can achieve the purpose of treating diseases by regulating the interaction of local and neighboring acupoints, brain centers, and target organs. At local and neighboring acupoints, Deqi can change their tissue structure, temperature, blood perfusion, energy metabolism, and electrophysiological indicators. At the central brain level, Deqi can activate the brain regions of the thalamus, parahippocampal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, insular, middle temporal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, etc. It also has extensive effects on the limbic-paralimbic-neocortical-network and default mode network. The brain mechanisms of Deqi vary depending on the acupuncture techniques and points chosen. In addition, Deqi 's mechanism of action involves correcting abnormalities in target organs. The mechanisms of acupuncture Deqi are multi-targeted and multi-layered. The biological mechanisms of Deqi are closely related to brain centers. This study will help to explore the mechanism of Deqi from a local-central-target-organ perspective and provide information for future clinical decision-making.

Rapid Correction of the Hypoglycemia State in Nonhuman Primates Using a Glucagon Long-Dissolving Microneedle Patch.

The timely administration of glucagon is a standard clinical practice for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia. However, the process involves cumbersome steps, including the reconstitution of labile glucagon and filling of the syringe, which cause considerable delays in emergency situations. Moreover, multiple dosages are often required to prevent the recurrence of the hypoglycemic episode because of the short half-life of glucagon in plasma. Herein, we develop a glucagon-loaded long-dissolving microneedle (GLMN) patch that exhibits the properties of fast onset and sustained activity for the effective treatment of severe hypoglycemia. Three types of MN patches were fabricated with different dimensions (long, medium, and short). The longer MN patch packaged a higher dosage of glucagon and exhibited supreme mechanical strength compared to the shorter one. Additionally, the longer MN patch could insert more deeply into the skin, resulting in higher permeability of glucagon across the skin tissue and more rapid systemic absorption as compared with the shorter MN patch. The GLMN patch was observed to reverse the effects of hypoglycemia within 15 min of application in animal models (specifically, rat and rhesus monkey models) and maintained long-term glycemic control, owing to highly efficient drug permeation and the drug reservoir effect of the MN base. The current study presents a promising strategy for the rapid reversal of severe hypoglycemia that exhibits the desirable properties of easy use, high efficiency, and sustained action.

Study on the inhibition activity and mechanism of Tanreqing against Klebsiella pneumoniae biofilm formation in vitro and in vivo.

Objective: To evaluate the antibacterial effect of Tanreqing (TRQ) against K. pneumoniae and its inhibition activity on bacterial biofilm formation in vitro and in vivo, and to explore the mechanism of the inhibitory effects of TRQ on K. pneumoniae biofilm formation. Methods: An in vitro biofilm model of K. pneumoniae was established, and the impact of TRQ on biofilm formation was evaluated using crystal violet staining and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the clearance effect of TRQ against K. pneumoniae in the biofilm was assessed using the viable plate counting method; q-RT PCR was used to evaluate the inhibitory effect of different concentrations of TRQ on the expression of biofilm-related genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae; The activity of quorum sensing signal molecule AI-2 was detected by Vibrio harveyi bioluminescence assay; Meanwhile, a guinea pig lung infection model of Klebsiella pneumoniae was constructed, and after treated with drugs, pathological analysis of lung tissue and determination of bacterial load in lung tissue were performed. The treatment groups included TRQ group, imipenem(IPM) group, TRQ+IPM group, and sterile saline group as the control. Results: The formation of K. pneumoniae biofilm was significantly inhibited by TRQ in vitro experiments. Furthermore, when combined with IPM, the clearance of K. pneumoniae in the biofilm was notably increased compared to the TRQ group and IPM group alone. q-RT PCR analysis revealed that TRQ down-regulated the expression of genes related to biofilm formation in K. pneumoniae, specifically luxS, wbbm, wzm, and lsrK, and also inhibited the activity of AI-2 molecules in the bacterium. In vivo experiments demonstrated that TRQ effectively treated guinea pig lung infections, resulting in reduced lung inflammation. Additionally, when combined with IPM, there was a significant reduction in the bacterial load in lung tissue. Conclusion: TRQ as a potential therapeutic agent plays a great role in the treatment of K. pneumoniae infections, particularly in combination with conventional antibiotics. And TRQ can enhanced the clearance effect on the bacterium by inhibiting the K. pneumoniae biofilm formation, which provided experimental evidence in support of clinical treatment of TRQ against K. pneumoniae infections.

One-pot hydrothermal synthesis of FeNbO4 microspheres for effective sonocatalysis.

FeNbO4 sonocatalysts were successfully synthesized by a simple hydrothermal route at pH values of 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, XPS, TEM, SEM, N2 adsorption and DRS to analyse the effect of pH parameters on the physicochemical properties of the materials during hydrothermal synthesis. The sonocatalytic activity of FeNbO4 microspheres was evaluated by using acid orange 7 (AO7) as the simulated contaminant. The experimental results showed that the best sonocatalytic degradation ratio (97.45%) of organic dyes could be obtained under the conditions of an initial AO7 concentration of 10 mg L-1, an ultrasonic power of 200 W, a catalyst dosage of 1.0 g L-1, and a pH of 3. Moreover, the sonocatalysts demonstrated consistent durability and stability across multiple test cycles. After active species capture experiments and calculation of the energy band, a possible mechanism was proposed based on the special Fenton-like mechanism and the dissociation of H2O2. This research shows that FeNbO4 microspheres can be used as sonocatalysts for the purification of organic wastewater, which has a promising application prospect.

A Coarse-Fine Collaborative Learning Model for Three Vessel Segmentation in Fetal Cardiac Ultrasound Images.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most frequent birth defect and a leading cause of infant mortality, emphasizing the crucial need for its early diagnosis. Ultrasound is the primary imaging modality for prenatal CHD screening. As a complement to the four-chamber view, the three-vessel view (3VV) plays a vital role in detecting anomalies in the great vessels. However, the interpretation of fetal cardiac ultrasound images is subjective and relies heavily on operator experience, leading to variability in CHD detection rates, particularly in resource-constrained regions. In this study, we propose an automated method for segmenting the pulmonary artery, ascending aorta, and superior vena cava in the 3VV using a novel deep learning network named CoFi-Net. Our network incorporates a coarse-fine collaborative strategy with two parallel branches dedicated to simultaneous global localization and fine segmentation of the vessels. The coarse branch employs a partial decoder to leverage high-level semantic features, enabling global localization of objects and suppression of irrelevant structures. The fine branch utilizes attention-parameterized skip connections to improve feature representations and improve boundary information. The outputs of the two branches are fused to generate accurate vessel segmentations. Extensive experiments conducted on a collected dataset demonstrate the superiority of CoFi-Net compared to state-of-the-art segmentation models for 3VV segmentation, indicating its great potential for enhancing CHD diagnostic efficiency in clinical practice. Furthermore, CoFi-Net outperforms other deep learning models in breast lesion segmentation on a public breast ultrasound dataset, despite not being specifically designed for this task, demonstrating its potential and robustness for various segmentation tasks.

Energy Transfer-Dominated Quasi-2D Blue Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes.

The bromide-chloride mixed quasi-two-dimensional (2D) perovskite, with a natural quantum well structure and tunable exciton binding energy, has gained significant attention for high-performance blue perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs). However, the relative importance of having a low trap state density or efficient exciton transfer for high-efficiency electroluminescence (EL) performance remains elusive. Here, two molecules with the benzoic acid group, sodium 4-fluorobenzoate (SFB) and 3,5-dibromobenzoic acid (DBA), are used to modulate the phase distribution and trap state to explore the effect between energy transfer and defect passivation. As a result, when the n = 1 phase is inhibited in both films, the DBA@SFB-modified perovskite films achieve a higher photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) than the SFB-modified perovskite films due to effective defect passivation. However, DBA@SFB-modified PeLEDs exhibit lower external quantum efficiency (EQE) compared to SFB-modified PeLEDs due to the poor exciton transfer between the low-dimensional phase. This demonstrates that passivation strategies may enhance photoluminescence through reducing nonradiative recombination, but the effect of phase distribution is pivotal for EL performance by efficient energy transfer in quasi-2D perovskites. Femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption measurements confirm the fastest carrier dynamics in SFB-modified perovskite films, further corroborating the above result. This work provides useful information about phase modulation and defect passivation for high-efficiency blue quasi-2D PeLEDs.

L-AP Alleviates Liver Injury in Septic Mice by Inhibiting Macrophage Activation via Suppressing NF-κB and NLRP3 Inflammasome/Caspase-1 Signal Pathways.

Liver injury and progressive liver failure are severe life-threatening complications in sepsis, further worsening the disease and leading to death. Macrophages and their mediated inflammatory cytokine storm are critical regulators in the occurrence and progression of liver injury in sepsis, for which effective treatments are still lacking. l-Ascorbic acid 6-palmitate (L-AP), a food additive, can inhibit neuroinflammation by modulating the phenotype of the microglia, but its pharmacological action in septic liver damage has not been fully explored. We aimed to investigate L-AP's antisepticemia action and the possible pharmacological mechanisms in attenuating septic liver damage by modulating macrophage function. We observed that L-AP treatment significantly increased survival in cecal ligation and puncture-induced WT mice and attenuated hepatic inflammatory injury, including the histopathology of the liver tissues, hepatocyte apoptosis, and the liver enzyme levels in plasma, which were comparable to NLRP3-deficiency in septic mice. L-AP supplementation significantly attenuated the excessive inflammatory response in hepatic tissues of septic mice in vivo and in cultured macrophages challenged by both LPS and ATP in vitro, by reducing the levels of NLRP3, pro-IL-1ß, and pro-IL-18 mRNA expression, as well as the levels of proteins for p-I-κB-α, p-NF-κB-p65, NLRP3, cleaved-caspase-1, IL-1ß, and IL-18. Additionally, it impaired the inflammasome ASC spot activation and reduced the inflammatory factor contents, including IL-1ß and IL-18 in plasma/cultured superannuants. It also prevented the infiltration/migration of macrophages and their M1-like inflammatory polarization while improving their M2-like polarization. Overall, our findings revealed that L-AP protected against sepsis by reducing macrophage activation and inflammatory cytokine production by suppressing their activation in NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome signal pathways in septic liver.