Weighted ultrasound entropy imaging for HIFU ablation monitoring with improved sensitivity and contrast.

BACKGROUND: Although B-mode imaging has been widely used in ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment, challenges remain in improving its quality and sensitivity for monitoring the thermal dose. Recently, quantitative ultrasound (QUS) imaging has been recognized with the potential to better sense the changes in the microstructure of ablated tissues. PURPOSE: This study proposed to use a QUS method called weighted ultrasound entropy (WUE) imaging to monitor the HIFU ablation. METHODS: Based on ex-vivo and in-vivo experiments, WUE images reflecting tissue changes during HIFU treatment under different acoustic power levels (174-308 W) were reconstructed with a newly established imaging framework. The performance of the proposed WUE imaging in the monitoring of HIFU treatment was compared with the corresponding B-mode images in terms of their contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) between the focal region and the background. RESULTS: It was found that HIFU irradiation with higher power generated larger WUE values in the focal region, and the bright spots grew in size as the acoustic sonication proceeded. Compared with the in-situ B-mode images, the WUE images had higher image quality in indicating lesion formation, with a 39.2%-53.4% improvement in the CNR at different stages. Meanwhile, a correlation (R = 0.84) between the damage area estimated in WUE images and that measured from the dissected ex-vivo tissue samples was found. CONCLUSIONS: WUE imaging is more sensitive and accurate than B-mode imaging in monitoring HIFU therapy. These findings suggest that WUE imaging could be a promising technique for assisting ultrasound-guided HIFU ablation.

Efficacy of hip abductors exercise training combined with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis is a common degenerative joint disease where a single treatment method often fails to fully alleviate symptoms. Hence, finding effective non-invasive combined treatment approaches is particularly crucial. OBJECTIVE: The efficacy of treating knee osteoarthritis with hip abductors exercise training combined with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation was assessed through functional scales and objective evaluation methods. METHODS: In this four-week randomized clinical trial, 160 patients meeting inclusion criteria were randomly assigned 1:1 to group A to receive oral celecoxib and group B to receive a combination of hip abductors exercise training and repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation. The primary outcome was the western Ontario and McMaster universities osteoarthritis index. The secondary outcomes include Visual Analogue Scale, knee outcome survey activities of daily living scale, Active Range of Motion, and the Quadriceps Angle, the tibiofemoral angle, peak adductor moment, the integrated electromyography and root mean square of the surface electromyography of the lower extremity muscles. Paired sample t test was used for Within-Group comparison of outcome indicators, and independent sample t test was used for Between-Group comparison. RESULTS: Of the 160 randomly assigned patients, 150 completed the study. After 4 weeks, the WOMAC index decreased from 61 ± 10.83 to 40.55 ± 7.58 in the combined treatment group and from 60.97 ± 10.18 to 47.7 ± 10.13 in the celecoxib group. The effect of the combined treatment group was significantly higher than that in the celecoxib group (P< 0.001). In the combined treatment group, the score of knee joint daily living scale increased (P< 0.001), the active range of motion increased (P< 0.001), the quadriceps angle decreased (P< 0.001), the tibiofemoral angle increased (P< 0.001), and the peak adduction moment decreased (P< 0.001), integrated electromyography and root mean square increased (P< 0.001), and the effect was better than that of celecoxib group (P< 0.001). The visual analog scale score in celecoxib group was lower (P< 0.001) and knee outcome survey activities of daily living scale was higher (P< 0.001). The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was 10% in the celecoxib group and 2.5% in the combined treatment group, all of which were mild. CONCLUSIONS: Hip abductors exercise training combined with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can enhance abduction muscle strength, improve mobility, reduce joint pain, and enhance quality of life. This combined approach shows superior clinical effectiveness compared to oral celecoxib.

A Nanocapsule System Combats Aging by Inhibiting Age-Related Angiogenesis Deficiency and Glucolipid Metabolism Disorders.

Insufficient angiogenic stimulation and dysregulated glycolipid metabolism in senescent vascular endothelial cells (VECs) constitute crucial features of vascular aging. Concomitantly, the generation of excess senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and active immune-inflammatory responses propagates within injured vessels, tissues, and organs. Until now, targeted therapies that efficiently rectify phenotypic abnormalities in senescent VECs have still been lacking. Here, we constructed a Pd/hCeO2-BMS309403@platelet membrane (PCBP) nanoheterostructured capsule system loaded with fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) inhibitors and modified with platelet membranes and investigated its therapeutic role in aged mice. PCBP showed significant maintenance in aged organs and demonstrated excellent biocompatibility. Through cyclic tail vein administration, PCBP extended the lifespan and steadily ameliorated abnormal phenotypes in aged mice, including SASP production, immune and inflammatory status, and age-related metabolic disorders. In senescent ECs, PCBP mediated the activation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling and glycolysis and inhibition of FABP4 by inducing the synthesis of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, thereby reawakening neovascularization and restoring glycolipid metabolic homeostasis. In conclusion, the PCBP nanocapsule system provides a promising avenue for interventions against aging-induced dysfunction.

Vitamin D and Heart Failure Risk among Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes: Observational and Mendelian Randomization Studies.

BACKGROUND: Evidence is limited and inconsistent regarding vitamin D and heart failure (HF) risk in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D), among whom vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency is common. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the associations of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) with HF risk among individuals with T2D, in observational and Mendelian randomization (MR) frameworks. METHODS: Observational analyses were performed among 15,226 T2D participants aged 40-72 from the UK Biobank. HF incidence was ascertained through electronic health records. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between serum 25(OH)D and HF risk among people with T2D. MR analyses were conducted among 11,260 unrelated participants with T2D. A weighted genetic risk score (GRS) for genetically predicted 25(OH)D concentration was instrumented using 62 confirmed genome-wide variants. RESULTS: The mean ± standard deviation of serum 25(OH)D was 43.4 ± 20.4 nmol/L. During a median follow-up of 11.3 years, 836 incident HF events occurred. Serum 25(OH)D was nonlinearly and inversely associated with HF and the decreasing risk tended to plateau at around 50 nmol/L. Comparing those with 25(OH)D <25 nmol/L, the multivariable-adjusted HR (95% CI) was 0.67 (0.54, 0.83) for participants with 25(OH)D of 50.0-74.9 nmol/L and was 0.71 (0.52, 0.98) for 25(OH)D >75 nmol/L. In MR analysis, each 7% increment in genetically predicted 25(OH)D was associated with 36% lower risk of HF among people with T2D (HR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.99). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Higher serum 25(OH)D was associated with lower HF risk among individuals with T2D and the MR analysis suggested a potential causal relationship. These findings indicate a role of maintaining adequate vitamin D status in the prevention of HF among individuals with T2D.

The conformational modification of myofibrillar protein by magnetic field improves its emulsification properties.

This study investigated the effect of different magnetic field treatments (0, 3, 6, 9, 12 mT) on the structure and emulsification properties of myofibrillar protein (MP). The results showed that the emulsion stabilized by MP with 3, 6, 9 mT magnetic field treatments possessed higher emulsifying ability, storage stability and apparent viscosity, since magnetic field induced the structural unfolding of MP and exposed the hydrophobic groups (the surface hydrophobic increased from 30.10 to 43.73 µg). Meanwhile, the magnetic field treatments decreased the MP particle size from 1752.00 to 1278.67 nm, which was favorable for the diffusion and adsorption of proteins at the oil-water interface, thus improving the MP emulsification ability and stability. Furthermore, the 9 mT magnetic field-treated MP had the best ability to emulsify oil droplets with a more uniform and smaller emulsion size from 28.593 to 23.443 µm. However, high-intensity magnetic field treatment (12 mT) caused MP particles to aggregate and the hydrophobic binding sites to be buried, which was not conducive to encapsulating oil droplets.

Histogenetic insights and genetic landscape of fibromatosis-like undifferentiated gastric carcinoma: a focused study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to elucidate the histogenesis and genetic underpinnings of fibromatosis-like undifferentiated gastric carcinoma (FLUGC), a rare pathological entity. METHOD: Through a detailed analysis of seven cases, including histopathological evaluation, CTNNB1 gene mutation screening, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) protein level quantification, and HER2 gene amplification assessment to identify the pathological and molecular characteristics of FLUGC. RESULTS: Of the seven patients in this study, five were male and two were female (age: 39-73 years). Four patients presented with lesions in the gastric antrum and three had lesions in the lateral curvature of the stomach. Histopathologically, over 90% of the tumor consisted of aggressive fibromatosis-like tissue, including proliferating spindle fibroblasts and myofibroblasts and varying amounts of collagenous fibrous tissues. Undifferentiated cancer cells, accounting for less than 10%, were dispersed among the aggressive fibromatosis-like tissues. These cells were characterized by their small size and were relatively sparse without glandular ducts or nested mass-like structures. Immunophenotyping results showed positive expression of CKpan, CDX2, villin, and p53 in undifferentiated cancer cells; positive expression of vimentin in aggressive fibromatosis-like tissue; positive cytoplasmic expression of ß-catenin; and focal cytoplasmic positive expression of smooth muscle actin (SMA). Genetic analysis did not reveal any mutations in the CTNNB1 gene test, nor was there amplification in the HER2 gene fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) test. Additionally, the Epstein-Barr encoding region (EBER) of in situ hybridization was negative; and the mismatch repair (MMR) protein was positive. Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) was < 1-5%; programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1): TPS = 1-4%, CPS = 3-8. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the significance of CTNNB1, HER2, EBER, and MMR as pivotal genetic markers in FLUGC, underscoring their relevance for diagnosis and clinical management. The rarity and distinct pathological features of FLUGC emphasize the importance of accurate diagnosis to prevent underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis and to raise awareness within the medical community.

Assessment of the influence of levees along Yangtze River on Oncomelania hupensis, the intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum.

BACKGROUND: Oncomelania hupensis is the exclusive intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum in China. Snail control is an essential component of schistosomiasis elimination programme. With 70 years of continuous efforts, the range of O. hupensis had reduced significantly, but slowed down in last decades. A large number of levees against flooding were constructed along Yangtze River and its affiliated lakes in the middle and lower reaches, which influenced the hydrology and ecology in the alluvial plains. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of levees on the distribution of O. hupensis in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. METHODS: The snail habitats were digitalised by hand-held GPS system. The years for discovery and elimination of snail habitats were extracted from historical records. The accumulated snail-infested range for each habitat was calculated on the basis of annual reports. The current distribution of O. hupensis was determined by systematic and environmental sampling. The geographical distribution of levees was obtained from satellite imagery. To assess the impact of levees, the data pertaining to O. hupensis were divided into two parts: inside and outside the Yangtze River. Joinpoint regression was utilised to divide the study time span and further characterise the regression in each period. The 5-year-period moving averages of eliminated area infested by snails were calculated for the habitats inside and outside Yangtze River. The moving routes of corresponding geographical median centres were simulated in ArcGIS. Hotspot analysis was used to determine the areas with statistical significance clustering of O. hupensis density. RESULTS: Three periods were identified according to Joinpoint regression both inside and outside Yangtze River. The area infested by O. hupensis increased in the first two periods. It decreased rapidly outside Yangtze River year over year after 1970, while that inside the Yangtze River did not change significantly. Furthermore, the latter was significantly higher than the former. It was observed that the present density of O. hupensis inside Yangtze River was lower than outside the Yangtze River. The median centre for eliminated ranges inside Yangtze River wavered between the east (lower reach) and the west (middle reach). In contrast, the median centre for eliminated ranges continuously moved from the east to the west. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that the levees had a considerable negative impact on the distribution of O. hupensis outside Yangtze River. Some hotspots observed in the irrigation areas need a sluice system at the inlet of branch for snail control. The major distribution of O. hupensis located in Hubei might be caused by severe waterlogging. The intensive surveillance should be implemented there. The biggest two freshwater lakes, the major endemic regions historically, were identified as cold spots. The long-term impact of Three Gorges Dam on the distribution of O. hupensis in the lakes should be monitored and evaluated.

Preparation and evaluation of germanium concentrate by ultrasonic purification of tannin germanium residue.

Germanium (Ge) is a dispersed metal primarily recovered from secondary Ge-containing resources. The traditional treatment method is hindered by incomplete impurity removal, resulting in a low grade of tannin germanium residue (TGR) and Ge concentrate, high production costs, and significant hazardous waste. This study proposes a new technology involving ultrasonic pre-purification of TGR to enhance the quality of Ge concentrate prepared by roasting. Under optimal conditions (ultrasonic power 225 W, liquid-solid ratio 7:1, H2SO4 concentration 20 g/L, reaction time 30 min, and reaction temperature 40 °C), the removal efficiencies of impurities Zn, Mg, Fe, As, and S from purified tannin germanium residue (PTGR) increased by 4.2%, 4.2%, 17.4%, 8.7%, and 2.9% respectively. Moreover, the Ge content in PTGR increased from 2.9% to 4.1%. The mechanism of ultrasonic action indicated the ultrasonic energy reduced the particle size of the reactants from 67.698 µm to 31.768 µm, thereby accelerating impurity removal. Roasting ultrasonic-purified tannin germanium residue (U-PTGR) at 650 °C with 40 L/h air flow for 120 min produced Ge concentrate with a Ge grade of 33.26%, which is 6.11% higher than the regular method. Analysis using XRD and HRTEM, combined with crystallite size calculation, revealed that the Ge concentrate prepared by U-PTGR exhibited low sintering degree, good crystal properties, and high crystallinity. Implementing this technology could save enterprises approximately $57,412 annually in production costs. Additionally, it holds significant practical importance in reducing hazardous waste emissions and promoting the high-quality development of the Ge industry.

High energy barrier hydroxyl radical dissociation mechanism of a low shock sensitivity dihydroxylammonium 5,5'-bistetrazole-1,1'-diolate (TKX-50) explosive.

As a representative of the new generation of high-energy explosives, TKX-50 has attracted widespread attention due to its remarkably low sensitivity toward shock. However, the reported decomposition barriers of TKX-50 (∼37 kcal mol-1) are comparable to those of commonly used explosives. The mechanism of its low shock sensitivity remains unclear. In this study, using an ab initio molecular dynamics method combined with a multiscale shock simulation technique and transition state calculations (at the B2PLYP-D3/Def2TZVP level), we discovered an unconventional reaction pathway of TKX-50 under shock, and its rate-controlling step is the dissociation of the hydroxyl radical (OH) from the anion ring after proton transfer, followed by ring rupture and the production of H2O and N2. The barrier for this OH dissociation reaction is as high as 51.9 kcal mol-1. In contrast, under thermal stimuli, TKX-50 prefers to open rings directly after proton transfer without losing the OH. The corresponding barrier is 35.4 kcal mol-1, which is in good agreement with previous studies. The reason for the unconventional reaction pathway of TKX-50 under shock may be the suppression of anion ring opening in thermal decomposition by steric hindrance upon shock compression. In addition, the dominant N2 generation pathway under shock releases less energy than pyrolysis which further explains the low shock sensitivity of TKX-50. This study comprehensively elucidates the different reaction mechanisms of TKX-50 under thermal and shock conditions and proposes a crucial reaction pathway leading to its low shock sensitivity. These findings will contribute to the understanding and application of tetrazole anionic energetic salts.

Metabolomics reveals dysregulated all-trans retinoic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism contribute to PXR-induced hepatic steatosis in mice.

Activation of pregnane X receptor (PXR) by xenobiotics has been associated with metabolic diseases. This study aimed to reveal the impact of PXR activation on hepatic metabolome and explore novel mechanisms underlying PXR-mediated lipid metabolism disorder in the liver. Wild-type and PXR-deficient male C57BL/6 mice were used as in vivo models, and hepatic steatosis was induced by pregnenolone-16α-carbonitrile, a typical rodent PXR agonist. Metabolomic analysis of liver tissues showed that PXR activation led to significant changes in metabolites involved in multiple metabolic pathways previously reported, including lipid metabolism, energy homeostasis, and amino acid metabolism. Moreover, the level of hepatic all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), the main active metabolite of vitamin A, was significantly increased by PXR activation, and genes involved in ATRA metabolism exhibited differential expression following PXR activation or deficiency. Consistent with previous research, the expression of downstream target genes of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) was decreased. Analysis of fatty acids by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer further revealed changes in polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism upon PXR activation, suggesting inhibition of PPARα activity. Taken together, our findings reveal a novel metabolomic signature of hepatic steatosis induced by PXR activation in mice.

Case report: TP53 c.848G>A germline mutation as a possible screening target at initial diagnosis for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

BACKGROUD: Li-Fraumeni syndrome is a hereditary tumor syndrome characterized by an elevated risk of malignancy, particularly acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which can be caused by the heterozygous germline mutation. TP53 gene germline mutation is considered a potential risk factor and crucial prognostic parameter for acute leukemia development and diagnosis, but rarely occurs in adults, and its specific pathogenic significance in acute leukemia is unclear. CASE PRESENTATION: We describes a case of a 45-year-old woman diagnosed with ALL. Whole-exome sequencing approach identified one of the TP53 germline mutations from her bone marrow sample with possible pathogenic significance, c.848G>A (p.Arg283His) heterozygous missense mutation located on exon 8, which was further verified in her hair, oral mucous and nail samples. Family pedigree screening revealed that the same TP53 genetic variant was present in the patient's father and non-donor son, whereas not in the donor. Digital PCR observed that this point mutation frequency dropped post-transplantation but remained low during maintenance therapy when the patient was leukemia-free. CONCLUSION: This suspected Li-Fraumeni syndrome case report with a likely pathogenic heterozygous TP53 variant expands the cancer genetic spectrum. Screening her family members for mutations facilitates identifying the optimal relative donor and avoids unnecessary treatment by monitoring TP53 germline mutations for minimal residual disease following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Its potential roles in hematological malignant tumor development and clinical pathogenic implications necessitate further probing.

MiPRIME: an integrated and intelligent platform for mining primer and probe sequences of microbial species.

MOTIVATION: Accurately detecting pathogenic microorganisms requires effective primers and probe designs. Literature-derived primers are a valuable resource as they have been tested and proven effective in previous research. However, manually mining primers from published texts is time-consuming and limited in species scop. RESULTS: To address these challenges, we have developed MiPRIME, a real-time Microbial Primer Mining platform for primer/probe sequences extraction of pathogenic microorganisms with three highlights: (i) comprehensive integration. Covering >40 million articles and 548 942 organisms, the platform enables high-frequency microbial gene discovery from a global perspective, facilitating user-defined primer design and advancing microbial research. (ii) Using a BioBERT-based text mining model with 98.02% accuracy, greatly reducing information processing time. (iii) Using a primer ranking score, PRscore, for intelligent recommendation of species-specific primers. Overall, MiPRIME is a practical tool for primer mining in the pan-microbial field, saving time and cost of trial-and-error experiments. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The web is available at {{https://www.ai-bt.com}}.

Carotid revascularisation versus medical treatment for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis.

OBJECTIVES: This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To compare the safety and efficacy of carotid revascularisation plus best medical treatment with best medical treatment alone in people with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis.

Suppressing the HIFU interference in ultrasound guiding images with a diffusion-based deep learning model.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In ultrasound guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) surgery, it is necessary to transmit sound waves at different frequencies simultaneously using two transducers: one for the HIFU therapy and another for the ultrasound imaging guidance. In this specific setting, real-time monitoring of non-invasive surgery is challenging due to severe contamination of the ultrasound guiding images by strong acoustic interference from the HIFU sonication. METHODS: This paper proposed the use of a deep learning (DL) solution, specifically a diffusion implicit model, to suppress the HIFU interference. We considered the images contaminated with HIFU interference as low-resolution images, and those free from interference as high-resolution. While suppressing HIFU interference using the diffusion implicit (HIFU-Diff) model, the task was transformed into generating a high-resolution image through a series of forward diffusion steps and reverse sampling. A series of ex-vivo and in-vivo experiments, conducted under various parameters, were designed to validate the performance of the proposed network. RESULTS: Quantitative evaluation and statistical analysis demonstrated that the HIFU-Diff network achieved superior performance in reconstructing interference-free images under a variety of ex-vivo and in-vivo conditions, compared to the most commonly used notch filtering and the recent 1D FUS-Net deep learning network. The HIFU-Diff maintains high performance with 'unseen' datasets from separate experiments, and its superiority is more pronounced under strong HIFU interferences and in complex in-vivo situations. Furthermore, the reconstructed interference-free images can also be used for quantitative attenuation imaging, indicating that the network preserves acoustic characteristics of the ultrasound images. CONCLUSIONS: With the proposed technique, HIFU therapy and the ultrasound imaging can be conducted simultaneously, allowing for real-time monitoring of the treatment process. This capability could significantly enhance the safety and efficacy of the non-invasive treatment across various clinical applications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first diffusion-based model developed for HIFU interference suppression.

[Practice and exploration of "scientific research back-feeding teaching" in Medical Immunology teaching].

Medical immunology is an important link between basic experiments and clinical applications, and it is also the intersection of many cutting-edge disciplines. At present, there are still limitations in immunology teaching such as single teaching methods and insufficient scientific research training for students. Department of Immunology has implemented practice and exploration of "scientific research back-feeding teaching" in medical immunology course. By incorporating scientific research into teaching activities, the team has carried out teaching practice through scientific research platforms, enriched teaching content with scientific research progress, conducted scientific research activities to stimulate students' interest, which not only increase students' inner drive, improves teaching efficiency, and leads to a "win-win" situation of teaching and scientific research, but also contributes to training medical innovative talents who can shoulder the heavy responsibility of the country.

Dysrhythmic saliva microbiota in mobile phone addicts with sleep disorders and restored by acupuncture.

Background: Mobile phone addiction (MPA) greatly affects the biological clock and sleep quality and is emerging as a behavioral disorder. The saliva microbiota has been linked to circadian rhythms, and our previous research revealed dysrhythmic saliva metabolites in MPA subjects with sleep disorders (MPASD). In addition, acupuncture had positive effects. However, the dysbiotic saliva microbiota in MPASD patients and the restorative effects of acupuncture are unclear. Objectives: To probe the circadian dysrhythmic characteristics of the saliva microbiota and acupunctural restoration in MPASD patients. Methods: MPASD patients and healthy volunteers were recruited by the Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale (MPATS) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Saliva samples were collected every 4 h for 72 h. After saliva sampling, six MPDSD subjects (group M) were acupuncturally treated (group T), and subsequent saliva sampling was conducted posttreatment. Finally, all the samples were subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. Results: Significantly increased MPATS and PSQI scores were observed in MPDSD patients (p< 0.01), but these scores decreased (p<0.001) after acupuncture intervention. Compared with those in healthy controls, the diversity and structure of the saliva microbiota in MPASD patients were markedly disrupted. Six genera with circadian rhythms were detected in all groups, including Sulfurovum, Peptostreptococcus, Porphyromonas and Prevotella. There were five genera with circadian rhythmicity in healthy people, of which the rhythmicities of the genera Rothia and Lautropia disappeared in MPASD patients but effectively resumed after acupuncture intervention. Conclusions: This work revealed dysrhythmic salivary microbes in MPASD patients, and acupuncture, as a potential intervention, could be effective in mitigating this ever-rising behavioral epidemic.

Linearly Arranged Multi-π-Stacked Structure for Efficient Through-Space Charge-Transfer Emitters.

Noncovalent spatial interaction has become an intriguing and important tool for constructing optoelectronic molecules. In this study, we linearly attached three conjugated units in a multi π-stacked manner by using just one trident bridge based on indeno[2,1-b]fluorene. To achieve this structure, we improved the synthetic approach through double C-H activation, significantly simplifying the preparation process. Due to the proximity of the C10, C11, and C12 sites in indeno[2,1-b]fluorene, we derived two novel donor|acceptor|donor (D|A|D) type molecules, 2DMB and 2DMFB, which exhibited closely packed intramolecular stacking, enabling efficient through-space charge transfer. This molecular construction is particularly suitable for developing high-performance thermally activated delayed fluorescence materials. With donor(s) and acceptor(s) constrained and separated within this spatially rigid structure, elevated radiative transition rates, and high photoluminescence quantum yields were achieved. Organic light-emitting diodes incorporating 2DMB and 2DMFB demonstrated superior efficiency, achieving maximum external quantum efficiencies of 28.6% and 16.2%, respectively.

A fast adaptive spatio-temporal fusion method to enhanced Fit-FC.

Space-time fusion is an economical and efficient way to solve "space-time contradiction". Among all kinds of space-time fusion methods, Fit-FC space-time fusion method based on weight Function is widely used. However, this method is based on the linear model to depict the phase change, but the phase change in the real scene is complicated, and the linear model is difficult to accurately capture the phase change, resulting in the spectral distortion of the fusion image. In addition, pixel-by-pixel scanning with moving Windows leads to inefficiency issues, limiting its use in large-scale and long-term tasks. To overcome these limitations, this paper developed a simple and fast adaptive remote sensing image Spatio-Temporal fusion method based on Fit-FC, called Adapt Lasso-Fit-FC (AL-FF). Firstly, the sparse characteristics of time phase change between images are explored, and a time phase change estimation model based on sparse regression is constructed, which overcomes the fuzzy problem of fusion image caused by the failure of linear regression to capture complex nonlinear time phase transition in the weighted Function method, making the algorithm better at capturing details. Secondly, an adaptive window selection Function is established to overcome the problem of manually setting parameters on different data sets, improve the convenience of the algorithm and robustness of the application on different data sets, and make the algorithm simpler and more efficient. Finally, the improved AL-FF algorithm is compared with other algorithms to verify the performance improvement. Compared with the current advanced Spatio-Temporal fusion methods, AL-FF algorithm has stronger detail capture ability and can generate more accurate fusion results. In addition, the computational efficiency is significantly improved, and the efficiency is increased by more than 20 times compared with the current mainstream method.

Non-invasive ventral cervical magnetoneurography as a proxy of in vivo lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation.

Maintenance of autonomic homeostasis is continuously calibrated by sensory fibers of the vagus nerve and sympathetic chain that convey compound action potentials (CAPs) to the central nervous system. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intravenous challenge reliably elicits a robust inflammatory response that can resemble systemic inflammation and acute endotoxemia. Here, we administered LPS intravenously in nine healthy subjects while recording ventral cervical magnetoneurography (vcMNG)-derived CAPs at the rostral Right Nodose Ganglion (RNG) and the caudal Right Carotid Artery (RCA) with optically pumped magnetometers (OPM). We observed vcMNG RNG and RCA neural firing rates that tracked changes in TNF-α levels in the systemic circulation. Further, endotype subgroups based on high and low IL-6 responders segregate RNG CAP frequency (at 30-120 min) and based on high and low IL-10 response discriminate RCA CAP frequency (at 0-30 min). These vcMNG tools may enhance understanding and management of the neuroimmune axis that can guide personalized treatment based on an individual's distinct endophenotype.