Browse Articles

Long-term multidimensional health status of individuals with and without post COVID-19 condition: A cross-sectional study

Post COVID-19 condition (PCC) significantly affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL), but involvement and interconnectivity of different health dimensions is still underexplored. This study aims to characterize the multidimensional health status of individuals with and without PCC after at least one year follow-up. Hospitalized and non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients were included from three hospitals in the Netherlands. HRQoL, pulmonary and metabolic health, muscle strength, physical capability, symptoms, psychological- and social wellbeing, and cognitive function were measured using validated objective and subjective methodology. Presence of PCC was based on self-report. 139 participants were included, of which 87 with PCC and 52 without PCC. HRQoL was lower in the PCC group compared to the non-PCC group (EQ-5D: p  = 0.005; VAS: p  < 0.001). Individuals with PCC also more frequently reported fatigue, anxiety/depression, stress and loneliness, alongside lower subjective cognitive functioning and sleep quality ( p  < 0.05). Inspiratory muscle strength and exercise capacity ( p  = 0.024 and p  = 0.007) were lower in the PCC group than the non-PCC group. Pulmonary function and residual CT-abnormalities, body composition, cardiometabolic risk, expiratory- and peripheral muscle strength, mobility, physical activity, and cognitive function tests were not different between groups. Perceived health burden in PCC is reflected by lower health status, more frequently reported symptoms of fatigue and poor sleep quality, and lower psychological- and social wellbeing and subjective cognitive functioning compared to non-PCC. These differences are only partially reflected in objectively assessed dimensions of muscle strength and physical capability, but not in pulmonary/metabolic health and cognitive function. The findings indicate a discordance between subjective health burden and currently available objective assessments in individuals with PCC.

A Wagner–Meerwein‐Like Rearrangement Generates a Vinyl Group in the Biosynthesis of the Polychlorinated Lipopeptides Fischerazoles

ABSTRACT The discovery of structurally unusual natural products is a major inspiration in the search for novel enzymatic transformations. In this study, we employ stable isotope‐labeled precursor feeding and metabolomics to reveal highly unusual cyanobacterial lipopeptides—fischerazoles A‐C. These metabolites contain a polychlorinated fatty acyl‐derived moiety with a vinyl branch and an N ‐methylated carboxamide‐thiazole terminus. Most strikingly, stable‐isotope‐labeled precursor supplementation showed that during fischerazole biosynthesis, a linear, hexadecanoic acid‐derived intermediate is processed to yield the ultimately branched alkyl moiety. The branched carbon becomes part of the vinyl group together with an S ‐adenosyl methionine (SAM)‐derived carbon. A candidate polyketide synthase/non‐ribosomal peptide synthetase (PKS/NRPS) fischerazoles biosynthetic gene cluster— fsh —was identified in the genome of the producing strain, Fischerella sp. PCC 9431. In vitro assays experimentally connected fsh genes to fischerazole biosynthesis and revealed that the SAM‐dependent methyltransferase FshF catalyzes a Wagner–Meerwein‐like rearrangement to generate the vinyl group from an ACP‐tethered unsaturated fatty acid. The discovery of FshF, which is related to the well‐characterized cyclopropane fatty acid synthases (CFASs), brings to light a new biocatalytic strategy for alkyl chain functionalization.

An edge-IoT water quality index (IoT-WQI) for first-line screening: accelerating computation via deterministic mathematical equations and grouped AHP

Author Correction: Hydrogel dressing integrating FAK inhibition and ROS scavenging for mechano-chemical treatment of atopic dermatitis

Association between hemoglobin-to-red cell distribution width ratio and occurrence of sepsis during ICU stay in inflammatory bowel disease patients who died: a retrospective study using the EICU-CRD database

Background The hemoglobin-to-red cell distribution width ratio (HRR) is a biomarker associated with systemic inflammation and outcomes in critical illness. Within clinical databases, there exists an extreme-prognosis subgroup of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, those who all died within 30 days of ICU admission. Due to limitations in the database, this study can only analyze this specific subgroup. Objective This study aims to explore and describe the association between admission HRR and the occurrence of sepsis during ICU stay in this specific subgroup of IBD patients. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the eICU Collaborative Research Database (2014–2015), including 229 eligible patients. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the independent association, adjusting for confounders. The dose-response relationship was examined using restricted cubic spline (RCS) models. Subgroup and interaction analyses were performed across age, sex, and race. Results The sepsis group had a significantly lower admission HRR than the non-sepsis group (6.04 ± 1.66 vs. 6.77 ± 2.0, P = 0.008). After full adjustment, each 1-unit increase in HRR was associated with 20.3% lower odds of sepsis (P = 0.007). Compared to the lowest quartile (HRR < 5.1), patients in the highest quartile (HRR ≥ 7.85) had 66.8% lower adjusted odds of sepsis (P = 0.015). RCS analysis indicated a linear, inverse relationship between HRR and sepsis (P for non-linearity = 0.42). Subgroup analysis revealed the negative association was more pronounced in patients aged <65, males, and White patients. However, formal interaction tests were not statistically significant (all P for interaction >0.05), indicating the association did not differ meaningfully across these subgroups. Conclusions In this specific cohort, a lower admission HRR was associated with the occurrence of sepsis. Due to inherent selection bias, this finding describes an association within this specific subgroup and cannot be generalized. This exploratory study generates the hypothesis that HRR may reflect a unique pathophysiological state in end-stage IBD, a hypothesis that requires validation in prospective, unbiased cohorts.

Quantitative Active Hydrogen Modulation via Mastering Interfacial Water Over Single Rare Earth Atom on Copper for NO ₃ ⁻ ‐to‐NH ₃ Electroreduction

ABSTRACT Electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia offers a sustainable route for NH 3 synthesis, where active hydrogen (H*) plays a pivotal role. However, the quantitative modulation of H* and its atomic‐scale impact on catalytic performance remains largely unexplored. Herein, we engineer single‐atom rare earth in copper matrix encapsulated within carbon (CuYb SA @C and CuLa SA @C) for efficient NO 3 − ‐to‐NH 3 conversion. In situ Raman spectroscopy, electrochemical measurements, and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the isolated rare earth atoms master the interfacial water structure to enrich K·H 2 O at the catalyst surface, promoting H* generation and utilization. A quantitative positive correlation has been established between interfacial K·H 2 O population, H* utilization rate and catalytic performance via single‐atom site modulation. Impressively, the CuYb SA @C catalyst delivers exceptional NH 3 yield rate of 39.75 ± 1.03 mg·h −1 ·mg cat −1 and FE of 94.5 ± 2.46% at –0.6 V vs. RHE. Mechanistic studies further elucidate a tandem dual‐site mechanism, wherein the Yb single atoms facilitate water adsorption and dissociation, enable directional H* spillover, modulate the electronic structure, and lower the energy barrier for the hydrogenation of N‐containing intermediates on Cu site. This work shifts the paradigm from active‐site‐centric catalyst design toward a quantitative H* concept that prioritizes its spatiotemporal distribution and atomic‐level utilization.

Design and analysis of nonlinear observer to reduce torsional vibrations in shaft of wind energy conversion systems

Engineering all-organic electrocatalysts with asymmetric dual-active sites for uncommon oxygen-evolving pathway

Effects of LED spectral compositions on yield, growth, and nutritional quality of basil microgreens in indoor vertical farming

Light quality, particularly the spectral composition emitted by LEDs, modulate growth dynamics, physiological processes, and the nutritional attributes of microgreens cultivated under controlled environments. In this study, the effects of three distinct LED spectra on growth performance, pigmentation, and nutritional composition of basil ( Ocimum basilicum L.) microgreens were assessed within an indoor vertical farming system. The lighting treatments included: (LED1) 70% red (660 nm) + 30% blue (450 nm), (LED 2) a full-spectrum PAR range (400–700 nm), and (LED 3) 65% red (660 nm), 25% blue (450 nm), 5% white (broad spectrum around 400–700 nm), and 5% far-red (730 nm). Key parameters assessed were plant height, hypocotyl length, stem diameter, individual plant fresh weight, yield, color values (L* = luminosity, a* = red-green axis, b* = blue-yellow axis), dry matter content, macro and micronutrient levels, pH (hydrogen ion concentration) and titratable acidity (total acidity), soluble solid content (SSC), electrical conductivity (EC), and concentrations of oil, total phenols, flavonoids, and vitamin C. Among the treatments, LED 3 significantly enhanced plant height, hypocotyl length, yield, total phenol content, acidity, EC, and color brightness (L*), highlighting its superior overall performance. LED 2 was most effective in increasing vitamin C, flavonoid, and oil content, while LED 1 promoted higher dry matter and mineral contents. These findings emphasize the importance of optimizing LED spectra to improve both productivity and nutritional quality. Based on its consistent advantages across multiple parameters, LED 3 is the most advantageous in terms of yield, biomass accumulation, and visual quality, highlighting its potential suitability for commercial microgreen cultivation in controlled environment systems. Further research is needed to validate these findings across different cultivar-specific responses and environmental conditions.

A G‐Quadruplex‐Activated Near‐Infrared Chemiluminescent Probe for In Situ Hepatic Imaging of the Hepatitis C Virus Genome

ABSTRACT Real‐time monitoring of viral replication is essential for infectious disease diagnosis and antiviral drug development. The G‐quadruplex (G4), a conserved regulatory element within viral genomes, represents a significant endogenous biomarker for tracking viral activity. However, imaging viral G4s in deep tissues remains a challenge for current optical technologies due to severe photon attenuation and autofluorescence. Herein, we report Lumin680, the first near‐infrared (NIR) chemiluminescent probe directly activated by conserved viral G4 conformations. Its chemiluminescence was triggered by parallel G4, emitting in the NIR optical window (680 nm) with a 104.6‐fold signal enhancement. Notably, the luminescence of Lumin680 could penetrate up to 1.2 cm of biological tissue, outperforming traditional G4 fluorescent probe. In vivo, Lumin680 enabled the rapid visualization of orthotopic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome RNA‐presenting mini‐organ within 5 min post‐intravenous administration. Furthermore, the chemiluminescent intensity of Lumin680 quantitatively mapped the therapeutic efficacy of clinical direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs) at both the cellular and whole‐animal levels, exhibiting high concordance with the gold‐standard quantitative RT‐PCR (qPCR). This study not only provides a powerful G4 specific chemiluminescent tool but also establishes a novel paradigm for the non‐invasive, in situ diagnosis and precise therapeutic monitoring of viral infections.

Physics-constrained multimodal reinforcement learning for local UAV Navigation in complex static obstacle environments

Meso-electron-withdrawing pentamethine cyanines achieve large anti-Stokes blue-emitting triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion

Respiratory and bloodstream coinfections and antimicrobial use in hospitalised patients with moderate to severe COVID-19: An Australian retrospective cohort study

Background COVID-19 remains a leading infectious cause of death and hospitalisation globally. Coinfections with SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens may result in more severe illness, however the prevalence of coinfection in Australia is unknown. Aims This Australian study aimed to determine the prevalence and microbiology of respiratory and bloodstream coinfections, antimicrobial use, and outcomes in hospitalised patients with moderate to severe COVID-19. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with moderate to severe COVID-19, admitted at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital from February to July 2022. Data regarding patient characteristics, comorbidities, microbiological results, hospital length of stay, intensive care unit admission, and mortality were compared between the coinfection and no-coinfection groups. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with coinfection. Results Coinfection was documented in 23 (12%) of the 190 patients admitted with moderate-severe COVID-19. Bacterial infections were the most common (54% of coinfection episodes), followed by fungal (32%), and viral (14%). Antibiotics were prescribed for 74% of patients, for a median duration of 6 days (IQR 4–8 days). Patients with coinfection had a median length of stay of 9 days (IQR: 4–19.5) compared to 6 days in the no-coinfection group (IQR: 3–9; p  = 0.047). There was no mortality difference between the two groups. Patients admitted to intensive care had higher odds of coinfection compared to patients not admitted to intensive care (OR 3.39, 95% CI 1.19–9.66, p  = 0.02). Severe COVID-19 and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent were also associated with coinfection. The causal nature of these relationships requires further interrogation. Conclusions The prevalence of respiratory and bloodstream coinfection was low in our cohort of hospitalised COVID-19 patients. Despite non-standardised microbiological testing, antibiotic use was disproportionately high. Further work is required to define risk factors and improve diagnosis of COVID-19-associated coinfection, to better inform antimicrobial stewardship.

Divergent Synthesis of Möbius and Hückel N‐Heterocycloarenes From a Common Macrocyclic Backbone

ABSTRACT We report the divergent synthesis of a Möbius N‐heterocycloarene ( 1 ) and a Hückel N‐heterocycloarene ( 2 ) from a common macrocyclic precursor. The topology is governed by the annulation reaction: the Scholl reaction yields the Möbius topology, while InCl 3 ‐mediated alkyne annulation gives the Hückel topology. In acyclic models, both reactions favor C4/C5 over C2/C7 bond formation, but this regioselectivity reverses in the constrained macrocycle. The Scholl reaction forms three bonds at C2, one at C7, and two at C5—one inducing the 180° twist for the Möbius topology and the other accompanied by a skeletal rearrangement, whereas alkyne annulation exclusively forms C2/C7 bonds to afford the Hückel topology. Crystal structure analysis and computational studies show uneven contortion in 1 and localized aromatic ring currents in both 1 and 2 . Compound 2 adopts a saddle‐shaped geometry with high conformational flexibility and binds tetrafluoroborate via C–H···F hydrogen bonds in solution.

Exposure to particulate matter induces health and developmental abnormalities in the Drosophila model

Scaling biodiversity-stability relationships from populations to meta-communities across trophic levels

Abstract Ecological stability is essential for maintaining ecosystem functioning, but may be imperiled by biodiversity loss. Although the scaling of diversity-stability relationships from populations to communities and metacommunities has been studied within single trophic levels, it remains poorly understood when considering interactions between trophic levels. Here, we utilize data collected from a large-scale forest biodiversity experiment to investigate the scaling of temporal stability from populations, to communities, and meta-communities in a plant-herbivore system, allowing us to disentangle the relative role of top-down and bottom-up regulation. We observe that biodiversity has generally stabilizing effects within and between trophic levels. Specifically, species diversity of herbivores shows strong stabilizing top-down effects by enhancing species stability and asynchrony of plants that cascade to higher levels of organization. In contrast, bottom-up effects play a much smaller role. Our study therefore highlights the importance of top-down processes in safeguarding plant stability across levels of organization, while simultaneously providing a framework that allows the investigation of the multi-layered nature of stability mechanisms that needs to be considered for a successful and sustainable ecosystem management.

Clinical relevance of hyperamylasemia and pancreatitis-like imaging linked with accidental hypothermia

Background Elevated pancreatic enzymes and pancreatitis-like imaging findings have been reported in patients with accidental hypothermia; however, their clinical significance remains unclear. This study aimed to explore a serum amylase threshold that may support consideration of computed tomography (CT) for evaluating pancreatitis-like findings in accidental hypothermia and describe the clinical course of affected patients. Methods We conducted a retrospective single-center observational study of adult patients with accidental hypothermia admitted to a tertiary emergency and critical care center in Japan between November 2011 and April 2023. Accidental hypothermia was defined as a core body temperature <35°C. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to evaluate the ability of serum amylase levels to identify pancreatitis-like CT findings. Patients with hyperamylasemia and pancreatitis-like CT findings were descriptively analyzed. Results Among 169 patients included in the study, 36 (21.3%) had hyperamylasemia. Pancreatitis-like CT findings were observed in 14 patients, of whom 13 had hyperamylasemia. ROC analysis among patients who underwent CT evaluation identified 428 IU/L as a serum amylase threshold associated with pancreatitis-like CT findings (area under the curve, 0.91; sensitivity, 93%; specificity, 86%). The positive and negative predictive values were 44.8% and 99.0%, respectively. Most CT abnormalities consisted of localized peripancreatic fat stranding, fluid collection, or pancreatic enlargement. No patients developed pancreatic necrosis or required invasive pancreatic intervention. Most patients were managed conservatively with fluids and nutritional support, and short-term outcomes were generally favorable. Conclusions In patients with accidental hypothermia, serum amylase levels ≥428 IU/L may support consideration of CT evaluation of pancreatitis-like findings. Although hyperamylasemia alone showed limited positive predictive value, most patients with pancreatitis-like CT findings had favorable short-term outcomes with conservative management.

Twin‐Boundary Cu ₂ ‐Pair Pockets Drive Spatial Proximity of Key Intermediates for Efficient Urea Electrosynthesis

ABSTRACT Electrocatalytic urea synthesis from carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and nitrate (NO 3 − ) offers an alternative to the energy‐intensive Bosch‐Meiser process but is limited by poor selectivity and Faradaic efficiency (FE). Herein, we proposed a defect engineering strategy by constructing ordered Cu nanowire electrocatalysts enriched with abundant twin boundaries (TBs) that can drive spatial proximity between the key intermediates derived from asymmetric activation of CO 2 and optimized adsorption of NO 3 − . Specifically, it could achieve a high FE of 61.81% and a peak yield rate of 5.80 mg h −1 cm −2 for urea production under a three‐electrode configuration. The underlying mechanism can be described as the TB‐induced compression shortening the Cu–Cu bond, creating Cu 2 ‐pair pockets that geometrically matched CO 2 adsorption and enabled asymmetric activation to *CO, further strengthening Cu → CO π back‐donation and building a *CO reservoir. Smoluchowski smoothing rendered ridge Cu sites electron‐deficient, enriching NO 3 − near Cu 2 ‐pair pockets for C–N coupling.

Circulating inflammatory, redox, and apoptosis-related alterations in drug-naive idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: an exploratory case–control study

Two-dimensional pixel-level addressable mid-infrared metasurface spatial light modulator

Abstract Active metasurfaces enable dynamic control of light for applications in beam steering, pixelated holography, and adaptive optics, but demonstrations of two-dimensional electrically addressable arrays have so far been limited. Here we introduce a scalable two-dimensional architecture based on phase-change materials integrated metasurfaces and apply it to realize the first transmissive mid-infrared amplitude-only spatial light modulator. The device is fabricated through standard silicon photonic foundry processing combined with backend-of-line integration and employs multilayer backend metal interconnects to implement a crossbar addressing scheme. Each pixel is integrated with a silicon diode selector to suppress sneak-path currents, a feature essential for scaling to large arrays. The result establishes a foundry-compatible route to high-density, large-area active metasurfaces with independently tunable pixels.