Heterogeneous Structures Consisting of Rod-like ZnO Interspersed with Ce2S3 Nanoparticles for Photo-Sensitive Supercapacitors with Enhanced Capacitive Performance.

Photosensitive supercapacitors incorporate light-sensitive materials on capacitive electrodes, enabling solar energy conversion and storage in one device. In this study, heterogeneous structures of rod-shaped ZnO decorated with Ce2S3 nanoparticles on nickel foam (ZnO@Ce2S3/NF) are synthesized using a two-step hydrothermal method as photosensitive supercapacitor electrodes for capacitance enhancement under visible light. The formation of ZnO@Ce2S3 heterogeneous structures is confirmed using various structural characterization techniques. The area-specific capacitance of the ZnO@Ce2S3/NF composite electrode increased from 1738.1 to 1844.0 mF cm-2 after illumination under a current density of 5 mA cm-2, which is 2.4 and 2.8 times higher than that of ZnO and Ce2S3 electrodes under similar conditions, respectively, indicating the remarkable light-induced capacitance enhancement performance. The ZnO@Ce2S3/NF electrode also exhibits a higher photocurrent and photovoltage than the two single electrodes, demonstrating its excellent photosensitivity. The improved capacitance performance and photosensitivity under illumination are attributed to the well-constructed energy-level structure, which stimulates the flow of photogenerated electrons from the outer circuit and the involvement of photogenerated holes in the resulting surface-controlled capacitance. In addition, the assembled ZnO@Ce2S3/NF-based hybrid supercapacitor exhibits a great energy density of 145.0 mWh cm-2 under illumination. This study provides a novel strategy for the development of high-performance solar energy conversion/storage devices.

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is a potential biomarker for the occurrence of atrial fibrillation in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: A BIOMARKER OF AF IN OSA PATIENTS.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects the occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and usually coexists with AF. Chronic inflammation has been identified as an important factor in the development of AF, and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been identified as a biomarker that positively correlates with the degree of inflammation. However, little information regarding how NLR correlates with AF in OSA patients. METHODS: Our study enrolled 368 patients with OSA between September 2018 and April 2023. All data were collected after admission. Independently associated factors were assessed by multivariate logistic regression and then constructed a nomogram to predict AF risk. Nomogram's calculation model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). The correlation between CHA2DS2-VASc scores and NLR was assessed using Spearman correlation. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression showed that high level log-transformed NLR (OR, 1.664; 95% CI, 1.026-2.699; P = 0.039) was independently associated with the presence of AF in patients with OSA. The concordance index (0.817, 95% CI, 0.770-0.864), ROC curve, calibration curve, and DCA of the nomogram indicated this model had well clinical utility. Also, the nomogram's calculation model could identify patients who are at a higher risk of developing AF, and the CHA2DS2-VASc score was positively correlated with NLR in patients with AF (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The elevated NLR may serve as a promising biomarker for assessing the risk of AF in individuals with OSA. The nomogram's calculation model may be utilized as a tool to estimate the probability of AF occurrence in OSA patients.

Porous prussian blue analogs derived nickel-iron bimetallic phosphide nanocubes on conductive hollow mesoporous carbon nanospheres for stable and flexible high-performance supercapacitor electrode.

Nickel-iron bimetallic phosphide (Ni-Fe-P) is the ideal battery-type materials for supercapacitor in virtue of high theoretical specific capacitance. Nevertheless, its actual adhibition is astricted on account of inferior rate capability and cyclic stability. Herein, we constructed hierarchical core-shell nanocomposites with hollow mesoporous carbon nanospheres (HMCS) packaged via prussian blue analogs derived Ni-Fe-P nanocubes (Ni-Fe-P@HMCS), as a positive electrode for hybrid supercapacitor (HSC). Profiting from the cooperative effects of Ni-Fe-P nanocubes with small size and good dispersibility, and HMCS with continuously conductive network, the Ni-Fe-P@HMCS composite electrode with abundantly porous architectures presents an ultrahigh gravimetric specific capacity for 739.8 C g-1 under 1 A g-1. Specially, the Ni-Fe-P@HMCS electrode presents outstanding rate capability of 78.4% (1 A g-1 to 20 A g-1) and cyclic constancy for 105% after 5000 cycles. Density functional theory implies that the composite electrode possesses higher electrical conductivity than bare Ni-Fe-P electrode by reason of the incremental charge density, and the electrons transferring from NiFe3P4 to HMCS layers. Additionally, the assembled Ni-Fe-P@HMCS//HMCS HSC facility delivers the high energy density for 64.1 Wh kg-1, remarkable flexibility and mechanical stability. Thus, this work proffers a viable and efficacious measure to construct ultra-stability electrode for high-performance portable electronic facilities.

Gut microbiota and cardiac arrhythmia.

One of the most prevalent cardiac diseases is cardiac arrhythmia, however the underlying causes are not entirely understood. There is a lot of proof that gut microbiota (GM) and its metabolites have a significant impact on cardiovascular health. In recent decades, intricate impacts of GM on cardiac arrythmia have been identified as prospective approaches for its prevention, development, treatment, and prognosis. In this review, we discuss about how GM and its metabolites might impact cardiac arrhythmia through a variety of mechanisms. We proposed to explore the relationship between the metabolites produced by GM dysbiosis including short-chain fatty acids(SCFA), Indoxyl sulfate(IS), trimethylamine N-oxide(TMAO), lipopolysaccharides(LPS), phenylacetylglutamine(PAGln), bile acids(BA), and the currently recognized mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias including structural remodeling, electrophysiological remodeling, abnormal nervous system regulation and other disease associated with cardiac arrythmia, detailing the processes involving immune regulation, inflammation, and different types of programmed cell death etc., which presents a key aspect of the microbial-host cross-talk. In addition, how GM and its metabolites differ and change in atrial arrhythmias and ventricular arrhythmias populations compared with healthy people are also summarized. Then we introduced potential therapeutic strategies including probiotics and prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and immunomodulator etc. In conclusion, the GM has a significant impact on cardiac arrhythmia through a variety of mechanisms, offering a wide range of possible treatment options. The discovery of therapeutic interventions that reduce the risk of cardiac arrhythmia by altering GM and metabolites is a real challenge that lies ahead.

Mediterranean diet lowers all-cause and cardiovascular mortality for patients with metabolic syndrome.

A Mediterranean-style diet (MED) can promote people lengthen the span of life and avoid atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in primary prevention. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) can significantly reduce life expectancy and increase the risk of ASCVD. However, few studies have focused on the role of the Mediterranean diet in patients with MetS. Participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with MetS (N = 8301) from 2007 to 2018 were examined. A 9-point evaluation scorewas used to measure the degree of adherence to the MED diet. In order to compare the various levels of adherence to the MED diet and the effects of the specific MED diet components on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, Cox regression models were utilized. Among the 8301 participants with MetS, about 13.0% (1080 of 8301) died after a median follow-up of 6.3 years. In this study, participants with MetS with adherence to high-quality and moderate-quality Mediterranean diet were significantly associated with lower all-cause mortality as well as cardiovascular mortality during the follow-up period. Futhermore, in joint analysis of the Mediterranean diet and sedentary behavior or depression, we found that high-quality or moderate-quality Mediterranean diet could attenuate, even reverse the adverse effects of sedentary behavior and depression on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in participants with MetS. Among the components of the MED diet, greater intakes of vegetables, legumes, nuts and high MUFA/SFA ratio were significantly associated with lower all-cause mortality and greater vegetables intake was significantly associated with lower cardiovascular mortality, while more red/processed meat intake was significantly associated with higher cardiovascular mortality in participants with MetS.

Sleep disorder, Mediterranean diet, and all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: There is a bidirectional effect between sleep disorders and Mediterranean diet (MED), but the joint effect of MED and sleep disorders on mortality is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a synergistic effect of adherence to MED and sleep disorders on all-cause and cause-specific mortality. METHODS: The study included 23,212 individuals in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2005 to 2014. A 9-point evaluation score, alternative Mediterranean diet (aMED) index was used to assess adherence to MED. Sleep disorder and hours of sleep were assessed by structured questionnaires. Cox regression models were used to assess the relationship between sleep disorders, aMED and all-cause mortality, cause-specific mortality (cardiovascular-related death, cancer-related death). The interaction effect of sleep disorders with aMED on mortality was further assessed. RESULTS: Results showed that participants with lower aMED and presence of sleep disorders had significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular-related mortality (HR, 2.16, 95% CI, 1.49-3.13, P < 0.0001; HR, 2.68, 95% CI, 1.58-4.54, P = 0.0003). A significant interaction effect was found between aMED and sleep disorders on cardiovascular mortality (p for interaction = 0.033). No significant interaction existed between aMED and sleep disorders on all-cause mortality (p for interaction = 0.184) and cancer-related mortality (p for interaction = 0.955). CONCLUSIONS: Poorer adherence to MED and sleep disorders synergistically increased long-term all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in NHANES population.

The monocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein ratio is associated with the occurrence of atrial fibrillation among NAFLD patients: A propensity-matched analysis.

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have a significantly high risk of incident atrial fibrillation (AF). Systemic inflammation, metabolic disorders and oxidative stress could be the potential mechanisms by which NAFLD drives AF. Monocyte-to- high-density lipoprotein ratio (MHR) has emerged as a novel biomarker of inflammation and oxidative stress that has not been studied in AF with NAFLD patients. We aimed to investigate the relationship between MHR and the risk of AF among NAFLD patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of the patients with NAFLD in the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from January 2019 to October 2022, among whom 204 patients with AF were enrolled as NAFLD+AF group and 613 patients without AF were enrolled as NAFLD control, and 152 patients were selected from each group based on propensity score matching (PSM) at a ratio of 1:1 to balance the covariates between groups. The t-test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the independent predictor for occurrence of AF among NAFLD patients. Trend chi-square test to analyze the prevalence of AF among MHR tertiles, and then the correlation between MHR and the risk of AF confirmed by restricted cubic splines (RCS). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the optimum MHR cutoff value to predict AF. Results: Univariate analysis showed that AF patients had higher MHR than non-AF patients (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, compared with pure NAFLD patients, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that MHR remained to be an independent risk factor for AF after adjusting for confounding risk factors (OR = 10.67, 95% CI 2.17-52.37, P = 0.004). TC、HDL-C were also independent risk factors for AF. Among them, TC and HDL-C are protective factors for AF. The trend chi-square test showed that the risk of AF increased with an increase in MHR (P < 0.05). However, the RCS showed a nonlinear and J-shaped relationship between MHR and the risk of AF (P for non-linearity = 0.023). The occurrence of AF increased with increasing MHR only when MHR > 0.44. The ROC curve showed that MHR combined with traditional risk factors can improve the ability to predict AF. Conclusion: MHR is an independently associated with incident AF in patients with NAFLD and show a certain predictive value.

Microbiome Signature of Endophytes in Wheat Seed Response to Wheat Dwarf Bunt Caused by Tilletia controversa Kühn.

Wheat dwarf bunt leads to the replacement of seeds with fungal galls containing millions of teliospores of the pathogen Tilletia controversa Kühn. As one of the most devastating internationally quarantined wheat diseases, wheat dwarf bunt spreads to cause distant outbreaks by seeds containing teliospores. In this study, based on a combination of amplicon sequencing and isolation approaches, we analyzed the seed microbiome signatures of endophytes between resistant and susceptible cultivars after infection with T. controversa. Among 310 bacterial species obtained only by amplicon sequencing and 51 species obtained only by isolation, we found 14 overlapping species by both methods; we detected 128 fungal species only by amplicon sequencing, 56 only by isolation, and 5 species by both methods. The results indicated that resistant uninfected cultivars hosted endophytic communities that were much more stable and beneficial to plant health than those in susceptible infected cultivars. The susceptible group showed higher diversity than the resistant group, the infected group showed more diversity than the uninfected group, and the microbial communities in seeds were related to infection or resistance to the pathogen. Some antagonistic microbes significantly suppressed the germination rate of the pathogen's teliospores, providing clues for future studies aimed at developing strategies against wheat dwarf bunt. Collectively, this research advances the understanding of the microbial assembly of wheat seeds upon exposure to fungal pathogen (T. controversa) infection. IMPORTANCE This is the first study on the microbiome signature of endophytes in wheat seed response to wheat dwarf bunt caused by Tilletia controversa Kühn. Some antagonistic microbes suppressed the germination of teliospores of the pathogen significantly, which will provide clues for future studies against wheat dwarf bunt. Collectively, this research first advances the understanding of the microbial assembly of wheat seed upon exposure to the fungal pathogen (T. controversa) infection.

Development of real-time PCR and droplet digital PCR based marker for the detection of Tilletia caries inciting common bunt of wheat.

This is the first study reporting droplet digital PCR and quantitative real time PCR for detection of Tilletia caries (syn. T. tritici), which causes common bunt of wheat and leads to yield losses of 80% in many wheat growing areas worldwide. To establish an accurate, rapid and quantifiable detection method, we tested 100 inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) primers and obtained a species-specific fragment (515 bp) generated by ISSR 827. Then, a specific 266 bp band for the sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker was produced from T. caries. The detection limit reached 50 pg/µL. Based on the SCAR marker, we further developed a higher sensitivity of quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) with a detection limit of 2.4 fg/µL, and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) with a detection limit of 0.24 fg/µL. Both methods greatly improved the detection sensitivity of T. caries, which will be contribute a lot for quickly and accurately detection of T. caries, which causes wheat common bunt.

TyG index is positively associated with risk of CHD and coronary atherosclerosis severity among NAFLD patients.

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance (IR), endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, glucose and lipid metabolism disorders, and thrombosis are believed involved in coronary heart disease (CHD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a new IR indicator, is correlated with NAFLD occurrence and severity, but its relationship with CHD risk remains unclear. This study investigated the correlation between TyG index and CHD risk among NAFLD patients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 424 patients with NAFLD and chest pain in the Department of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, from January 2021 to December 2021. The TyG index was calculated and coronary angiography performed. All individuals were divided into NAFLD + CHD and NAFLD groups and then by TyG index level. The t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, or one-way analysis of variance compared differences in continuous variables, while the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test compared differences in categorical variables. Logistic regression analysis determined the independent protective or hazardous factors of NAFLD with CHD. The receiver operating characteristic curve evaluated the ability of different TyG index rule-in thresholds to predict CHD. The relationship between Gensini score and TyG index was evaluated using linear correlation and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: CHD was detected in 255 of 424 patients. Compared to NAFLD group, multivariate logistic regression showed that TyG index was a risk factor for CHD among NAFLD patients after adjustment for age, sex, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus with the highest odds ratio (OR, 2.519; 95% CI, 1.559-4.069; P < 0.001). TG, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, FBG and TYG-body mass index were also risk factors for CHD among NAFLD patients. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was a protective factor for CHD events in patients with NAFLD. In an in-depth analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that each 1-unit increase in TyG index was associated with a 2.06-fold increased risk of CHD (OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.16-3.65; P = 0.013). The multifactor linear regression analysis showed each 0.1-unit increase in TyG in the NAFLD-CHD group was associated with a 2.44 increase in Gensini score (ß = 2.44; 95% CI, 0.97-3.91; P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The TyG index was positively correlated with CHD risk in NAFLD patients and reflected coronary atherosclerosis severity.

Highly sensitive metal ion sensing by graphene oxide functionalized micro-tapered long-period fiber grating.

An accurate as well as highly sensitive label-free chemical sensing platform for the detection of various metal ions was demonstrated. The chemical sensor was derived from the micro-tapered long-period fiber grating (MLPG) by depositing graphene oxide (GO) by chemical-bonding and optical-tweezer effects. The enhancement in refractive index (RI) sensitivity as well as reusability was obtained by evaluating the deposition thickness in the range of approximately 97.7 to 158.9 nm. Based on the analysis of adsorption principles, the enhanced RI sensitivity leads to a limit of detection as low as 3.2 ppb. The highest sensitivities for the cases studied using sodium and manganese ions in a wide concentration range of 1 ppb to 1 × 106 ppb are respectively 2.2 × 10-3 dB per ppb and 3.2 × 10-3 dB per ppb. Mixture samples were also studied to evaluate the properties of sensing the doped ions. This demonstration of GO modified MLPG is bound to find potential applications that require sensing of mixed samples and illustrates significant importance in developing cost-effective, label-free, reusable, and real-time chemical sensors.

Ultra-high harmonic mode-locking with a micro-fiber knot resonator and Lyot filter.

We report on ultra-high harmonic mode-locking with a repetition rate of up to ∼1 THz by combining a microfiber knot resonator (MKR) and a Lyot filter. The harmonic mode-locked pulses are tunable by changing the diameter of MKR, which agrees well with the theoretical calculation. Our results indicate that the ultrafast pulse generation mechanism is due to the dissipative four-wave mixing mode-locking technique. This work provides a simple and efficient scheme to generate tunable ultrafast pulses with a high repetition rate for various applications, such as THz generation and ultrafast data communication.

Transcriptomics Analysis of Wheat Tassel Response to Tilletia laevis Kühn, Which Causes Common Bunt of Wheat.

Tilletia laevis Kühn [synonym T. foetida (Wallr.) Liro] can lead to a wheat common bunt, which is one of the most serious diseases affecting kernels, a serious reduction in grain yield, and losses can reach up to 80% in favorable environments. To understand how wheat tassels respond to T. laevis, based on an RNA-Seq technology, we analyzed a host transcript accumulation on healthy wheat tassels and on tassels infected by the pathogen. Our results showed that 7,767 out of 15,658 genes were upregulated and 7,891 out of 15,658 genes were downregulated in wheat tassels. Subsequent gene ontology (GO) showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are predominantly involved in biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions. Additionally, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that 20 pathways were expressed significantly during the infection of wheat with T. laevis, while biosynthesis of amino acids, carbon metabolism, and starch and sucrose metabolism pathways were more highly expressed. Our findings also demonstrated that genes involved in defense mechanisms and myeloblastosis (MYB) transcription factor families were mostly upregulated, and the RNA-seq results were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). This is the first report on transcriptomics analysis of wheat tassels in response to T. laevis, which will contribute to understanding the interaction of T. laevis and wheat, and may provide higher efficiency control strategies, including developing new methods to increase the resistance of wheat crops to T. laevis-caused wheat common bunt.

Supervised and weakly supervised deep learning models for COVID-19 CT diagnosis: A systematic review.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision (CV) methods become reliable to extract features from radiological images, aiding COVID-19 diagnosis ahead of the pathogenic tests and saving critical time for disease management and control. Thus, this review article focuses on cascading numerous deep learning-based COVID-19 computerized tomography (CT) imaging diagnosis research, providing a baseline for future research. Compared to previous review articles on the topic, this study pigeon-holes the collected literature very differently (i.e., its multi-level arrangement). For this purpose, 71 relevant studies were found using a variety of trustworthy databases and search engines, including Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, and Scopus. We classify the selected literature in multi-level machine learning groups, such as supervised and weakly supervised learning. Our review article reveals that weak supervision has been adopted extensively for COVID-19 CT diagnosis compared to supervised learning. Weakly supervised (conventional transfer learning) techniques can be utilized effectively for real-time clinical practices by reusing the sophisticated features rather than over-parameterizing the standard models. Few-shot and self-supervised learning are the recent trends to address data scarcity and model efficacy. The deep learning (artificial intelligence) based models are mainly utilized for disease management and control. Therefore, it is more appropriate for readers to comprehend the related perceptive of deep learning approaches for the in-progress COVID-19 CT diagnosis research.

All-optical Ti3C2Tx modulator based on a sandwich structure.

All-optical modulators based on a MXene-Ti3C2Tx have recently garnered much attention due to their broadband light-matter interactions and ultrafast carrier dynamics. To investigate the modulation characteristics of pump intensity and pump light modulation frequency, we establish an all-optical modulator with a sandwich structure based on MXene-Ti3C2Tx/PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) film. The result shows that this modulator can achieve a high modulation depth of 12.55 dB and a modulation frequency of 50 kHz corresponding to a response time at the microsecond scale. The successful preparation of the modulator is attributed to the saturable absorption characteristics of the MXene-Ti3C2Tx. This modulator has great potential in all-optical communications and ultrafast optical signal processing.

Review and classification of AI-enabled COVID-19 CT imaging models based on computer vision tasks.

This article presents a systematic overview of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision strategies for diagnosing the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) using computerized tomography (CT) medical images. We analyzed the previous review works and found that all of them ignored classifying and categorizing COVID-19 literature based on computer vision tasks, such as classification, segmentation, and detection. Most of the COVID-19 CT diagnosis methods comprehensively use segmentation and classification tasks. Moreover, most of the review articles are diverse and cover CT as well as X-ray images. Therefore, we focused on the COVID-19 diagnostic methods based on CT images. Well-known search engines and databases such as Google, Google Scholar, Kaggle, Baidu, IEEE Xplore, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus were utilized to collect relevant studies. After deep analysis, we collected 114 studies and reported highly enriched information for each selected research. According to our analysis, AI and computer vision have substantial potential for rapid COVID-19 diagnosis as they could significantly assist in automating the diagnosis process. Accurate and efficient models will have real-time clinical implications, though further research is still required. Categorization of literature based on computer vision tasks could be helpful for future research; therefore, this review article will provide a good foundation for conducting such research.

Elevated stress hyperglycemia and the presence of intracranial artery stenosis increase the risk of recurrent stroke.

Background: Stress hyperglycemia has served as a reliable biomarker to predict poor outcomes after ischemic stroke. However, recent studies have reported some contrary conclusions. Different stroke subtypes may respond inconsistently to stress hyperglycemia. The progression of intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) is tightly related to hyperglycemia. Thus, this study aims to determine the relationship between stress hyperglycemia and recurrent stroke in ischemic stroke patients with or without intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis. Methods: This is a multicenter retrospective observational cohort study. Patients with acute minor ischemic stroke and eligible computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging data were enrolled. The severity of stress hyperglycemia is measured by the stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR). SHR was calculated based on fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels. The primary outcome was stroke recurrence during hospitalization. The interaction of SHR levels with the presence of ICAS on the primary outcome was investigated using univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Restricted cubic splines were applied to determine the nonlinear relationship between SHR and primary outcome. A two-piecewise linear regression model was used to identify the threshold of SHR. Results: A total of 610 participants were included in the study. The average age of the patients was 61.4 ± 12.9 years old, and approximately 70% of participants were males. A total of 189 (30.98%) patients had ICAS. The patients were categorized into 3 groups based on the tertiles of SHR. Compared with the group with a lower SHR, a higher SHR was significantly associated with the risk of stroke recurrence in the ICAS group (hazard ratio [HR], 8.52, 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.16-22.96, P<0.001). When SHR was treated as a continuous variable, each 0.1-unit increase in SHR in the ICAS group was associated with a 1.63-fold increase in the risk of recurrence (HR, 1.63, 95% CI, 1.39-1.9, P<0.001) with a threshold of 0.75. FPG but not HbA1c was associated with stroke recurrence in ICAS patients (HR, 1.17, 95% CI, 1.08-1.26, P<0.001). Sensitive analyses showed consistent results after adjusting for previous diabetes mellitus, oral hypoglycemic agents and insulin injection. Conclusions: SHR represents a better biomarker to predict the risk of stroke recurrence in patients with ICAS than FPG and HbA1c regardless of previous diabetes mellitus. Trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=125817; Identifier, [ChiCTR2100046958].

A Cuproptosis-Related lncRNAs Signature Could Accurately Predict Prognosis in Patients with Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common subtype of kidney cancers. As cuproptosis, a new cell death mechanism proposed recently, differs from all other known mechanisms regulating cell death, we aimed to create prognostic markers using cuproptosis-related long non-coding ribonucleic acids (RNAs; lncRNAs) and elucidate the molecular mechanism. Methods: Data from transcriptome RNA sequencing of ccRCC samples and the relevant clinical data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas, and Pearson's correlation analysis was implemented to obtain the cuproptosis-related lncRNAs. Then, univariate Cox, multivariate Cox, and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator Cox analyses were performed to construct the risk signatures. The cuproptosis-related lncRNAs predictive signature was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic curves and subgroup analysis. Finally, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA), tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), and immune checkpoints were performed to explore the relationship between immunity and patient prognosis. Results: Five cuproptosis-related lncRNAs, including FOXD2-AS1, LINC00460, AC091212.1, AC007365.1, and AC026401.3, were used to construct the signature. In the training and test sets, low-risk groups (as identified by a risk score lower than the median) demonstrated a better prognosis with an area under the curve for 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival being 0.793, 0.716, and 0.719, respectively. GSEA analysis suggested significant enrichment of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and metabolism-related pathways in the low-risk group. Besides, both ssGSEA and TIME suggested that the high-risk group exhibited more active immune infiltration. Conclusion: We proposed a cuproptosis-related lncRNAs signature, which had the potential for prognoses and prediction. Our findings might contribute to elucidating potential genomic biomarkers and targets for future therapies in the cuproptosis-related signaling pathways.

Characteristics of the Infection of Tilletia laevis Kühn (syn. Tilletia foetida (Wallr.) Liro.) in Compatible Wheat.

Tilletia laevis Kühn (syn. Tilletia foetida (Wallr.) Liro.) causes wheat common bunt, which is one of the most devastating plant diseases in the world. Common bunt can result in a reduction of 80% or even a total loss of wheat production. In this study, the characteristics of T. laevis infection in compatible wheat plants were defined based on the combination of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and laser scanning confocal microscopy. We found T. laevis could lead to the abnormal growth of wheat tissues and cells, such as leakage of chloroplasts, deformities, disordered arrangements of mesophyll cells and also thickening of the cell wall of mesophyll cells in leaf tissue. What's more, T. laevis teliospores were found in the roots, stems, flag leaves, and glumes of infected wheat plants instead of just in the ovaries, as previously reported. The abnormal characteristics caused by T. laevis may be used for early detection of this pathogen instead of molecular markers in addition to providing theoretical insights into T. laevis and wheat interactions for breeding of common bunt resistance.

Dual modulation of the morphology and electric conductivity of NiCoP on nickel foam by Fe doping as a superior stability electrode for high energy supercapacitors.

Nickel-cobalt bimetallic phosphide (NiCoP) is a potential electrode material for supercapacitors on account of its high theoretical specific capacitance. However, its practical application is restricted because of its relatively poor cycling stability and rate performance. Herein, we constructed self-standing NiCoP nanowires and Fe doped NiCoP nanoarrays with different iron ion concentrations on nickel foam (Fe-NiCoP/NF-x%, x = 4, 6.25, 12.5, 25) as a positive electrode for asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs). The morphological result reveals that the nanostructure of the material evolves from nanowires to nanosheets with the iron doping concentration, and the Fe-NiCoP/NF-12.5% nanosheets possess a more stable structure than NiCoP/NF nanowires. The density functional theory analysis implies that the conductivity of the material enhances after Fe doping because of the increased charge density and electron states. The combination of multicomponents and structural advantages endows the optimal Fe-NiCoP/NF-12.5% electrode with an ultrahigh areal capacitance of 9.93 F cm-2 (2758.34 F cm-3) under 1 mA cm-2, excellent rate capability (82.58% from 1 mA cm-2 to 50 mA cm-2) and superior cycling stability (95.72% retention over 5000 cycles under 20 mA cm-2), and the areal capacitance of Fe-NiCoP/NF-12.5% is 2.27 times higher than that of the pristine NiCoP/NF electrode at 1 mA cm-2. Moreover, the assembled Fe-NiCoP/NF-12.5%//activated carbon ASC device delivers a high energy density of 0.327 mW h cm-2 (60.43 mW h cm-3) at 1.10 mW cm-2 (202.54 mW cm-3). Therefore, this strategy may provide a novel route for the application of NiCoP with its intrinsic advantages in the energy storage field.