Browse Articles

Immune characteristics and SALL1 methylation as prognostic biomarkers in primary and metastasis colorectal cancer

Deep reinforcement learning-based mechanism to improve the throughput of EH-WSNs

An experimental study on the detection mechanism of 2-CEES using SAW sensors under various temperature conditions

Antibiotic carry over is a confounding factor for cell-based antimicrobial research applications

Abstract Chronic wounds often host pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus, prompting interest in developing new antimicrobial and wound healing strategies, including the utilisation of extracellular vesicles (EVs). Whilst there has been a recent emphasis within the EV community to ensure standardization of characterization and isolation techniques, there has been less focus placed on the upstream tissue culture methodologies used for collection of vesicle-containing conditioned medium (CM). Hence, this study investigated the antimicrobial properties of the CM used for EV enrichment. CM exhibited bacteriostatic effects against penicillin-sensitive S. aureus NCTC 6571, but not penicillin-resistant S. aureus 1061 A. Further analysis revealed that the antimicrobial activity was due to residual antibiotics rather than cell-secreted factors, specifically the retention and release of penicillin to tissue culture plastic surfaces. Pre-washing cells and minimizing antibiotic concentrations in basal medium reduced this carry-over effect. These findings emphasize the importance of controlling antibiotic use in tissue culture to avoid misleading conclusions about the antimicrobial potential of CM or EVs. Researchers should carefully consider medium selection and supplementation during method development as accurately determining the antimicrobial mechanisms of any CM is essential for validating future cell-based therapeutic applications.

The association between glycemic indicators and bone mineral density and osteoporosis: a cross-sectional study

Impact of anthropogenic disturbance and climate on bamboo distribution in shifting cultivation landscapes of Northeast India

The transcriptome of the olm provides insights into its evolution and gene expression

Abstract The olm (Proteus anguinus), with a predicted maximum lifespan of more than 100 years, is the longest-lived amphibian, which in addition possesses a range of unique adaptations to its dark, subterranean cave habitat. To assess the underlying molecular signatures, we present the first comprehensive transcriptome of the olm. Our study provides gene expression data across six organs and comparative genomics analyses, accessible via an interactive web server: http://comp-pheno.de/olm. The data uncover significant organ-specific gene expression, with the brain showing the highest number of organ-specific expressed genes. Our findings reveal significantly more genes under strong negative selection than positive selection, particularly in brain-specific expressed genes. Processes under positive selection in the olm resemble those in other long-lived species.

Baseline isotopic variability in plants and animals and implications for the reconstruction of human diet in 1 st century AD Pompeii

Abstract While Pompeii has long captured the imagination with its history and tragic end, recent efforts have shifted towards unveiling everyday lifeways. Our study seeks to explore agricultural and husbandry practices in Pompeii, aiming to explore isotopic variability of different food categories available to the Romans within this unique “snapshot” scenario. To do so, we deploy stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of plants and animals. Our findings suggest a diversity of practices, with isotopic variation in C3 cereals and legumes pointing to the use of a greater variety of cultivation techniques compared to arboreal crops. We highlight distinct management regimes utilised for different animal species and we uncover a spectrum of aquatic environments, indicative of diversity of fishing practices. These findings provide direct support of archaeological evidence and textual interpretations of Roman food systems in Pompeii. However, our dataset also reveals the limitations of bulk isotope approaches in detecting this dietary diversity when we use it to interpret the local human diet through mixing models. Together, our results show that a broad and well-contextualised isotopic baseline can help us understanding ancient food systems, while also revealing the challenges of disentangling dietary complexity using bulk stable isotope data alone.

Coxiella burnetii and HIV infection in people experiencing homelessness

Abstract This study has investigated Coxiella burnetii and HIV infection among the persons experiencing homelessness of São Paulo city, Brazil, and assessed correspondent associated risk factors. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 203 individuals performing serological tests for anti-C. burnetii and anti-HIV antibodies. A prevalence of 14.8% (30/203) was found for anti-C. burnetii IgG antibodies, with titers ranging from 64 to 1024, while anti-HIV seroprevalence was 6.4% (13/203). No statistical association was found between C. burnetii and HIV seropositivity, or between seropositivity and assessed clinical and epidemiological variables. The findings herein highlight the high homelessness exposure to Q fever, possibly influenced by environmental factors such as dust aerosols, stray animal interactions and unsanitary living conditions. To the authors knowledge, this is the first serosurvey of C. burnetii in persons experiencing homelessness to date. The study herein has emphasized the importance of public health strategies targeting vulnerable populations, particularly in Brazilian major cities. Further C. burnetii surveys should be conducted to establish whether transmission may occur in other persons experiencing homelessness worldwide.

In vitro biological activities of silver nanoparticles using methanolic leaf extract of Plumeria rubra

Evaluation of university student education management effect based on data augmentation and transfer learning for remote sensing applications

Abstract Evaluating the effectiveness of education management requires the integration of multi-source data and information. Based on data modeling technology, combined with data enhancement and transfer learning methods, this paper analyzes the differences in the allocation of education management resources in six universities in different semesters, and systematically explores the actual effectiveness of university education management. By combining data enhancement technology, we expanded the training data, simulated various real-life scenarios, and ensured that the model is more robust to various data changes. This study mainly used two models: simulation-verification model and BP (back propagation) neural network model, and analyzed their management efficiency, prediction accuracy, stability and time cycle. This study proposed two models: simulation-verification model (evaluating the effect by simulating the consistency of management conditions and verification results) and BP neural network model (prediction model based on data enhancement and transfer learning). Experiments show that the BP neural network model is superior to the simulation model in management efficiency (ratio of resource input to actual effect) and stability (volatility of model prediction results), with an average management efficiency of 85.9%, prediction accuracy of 93.1%, and stability of 72.3%. The BP neural network model is superior to the simulation verification model in terms of management efficiency, prediction accuracy, and stability, demonstrating the potential of integrating advanced data processing technologies such as data enhancement and transfer learning into the education management system.

Cross-subject EEG signals-based emotion recognition using contrastive learning

Assessment of serum parameters caused by the outbreak of mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children after COVID-19

Investigation mechanical properties and on surface roughness during WEDM machining of nano Cr2C3-MoS2 hybrid metal matrix composites

Evaluating the impact of contrast agents on micro and nano mechanics of soft-to-hard tissue interface

Abstract Transmission of strain across the tendon-bone interface otherwise known as the enthesis, is crucial to the movement of the skeleton. Imaging the inner structure and understanding the way that strain is transmitted across this interface is crucial to understanding the way it responds to load, how it becomes injured through trauma and how intervention and materials can be used to repair the enthesis after injury. Micro-CT imaging and digital volume correlation (DVC) have been widely used for musculoskeletal biomechanics analysis. However, there are limitations for soft tissue visualization. Contrast agents (CA) are used to address this, but understanding their potential effects is essential to ensure accurate and reliable characterization of musculoskeletal tissues biomechanics. In this research, four different contrast-enhanced staining solutions (CESS) including Iodine (I2) in Dulbecco’s modified eagle medium (DMEM), Phosphotungstic acid (PTA) in deionized water, PTA in ethanol, and Mercury II Chloride (HgCl2) in deionized water were used to visualize the tendon-to-bone interface using a combination of high resolution in-situ micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging. The imaging was combined with DVC, nanoindentation, and quantitative 3D structural analysis to evaluate the effects of the CESS on the mechanical properties of the enthesis. The findings revealed significant alterations in mechanical behaviour and structural features of soft-to-hard tissue interfaces treated by CESS. The findings suggest that I₂ in DMEM provides a better balance between visualization and mechanical analysis. However, none of the CESSs completely preserved both structural and mechanical integrity.

RGB-D camera and graph neural network-based SLAM for dynamic and low-texture environments

The effect of soil physicochemical properties on intraspecific variability of pollen morphology in Staphylea pinnata L.

The relationship between sperm secretion and the Hippo signaling pathway in the rat seminiferous tubules

Modelling and simulation of the block pouring construction system considering spatial–temporal conflict of construction machinery in arch dams

Abstract The spatial–temporal conflicts in the construction process may cause a series of construction quality, safety and schedule problems. The outbreak of mechanical spatial–temporal conflict in the construction process of the arch dam pouring block is random and uncertain. Scientific simulation and preview of the pouring construction process and analysis of the level, time, and influence degree of the outbreak of spatial–temporal conflict are significant means to optimize the construction organization and management. According to the degree of spatial–temporal conflict and its effect on security and efficiency, the subsidiary space scope of construction machinery is divided into three levels from inside to outside. The quantification algorithm of spatial–temporal conflict is proposed based on the three-layered space and time–space microelement model. The discrete system theory is employed to develop a simulation framework that systematically incorporates four core components: simulation objectives, construction machinery operational cycles, resource allocation mechanisms, and modeling assumptions. Combined with the typical pouring block in Baihetan arch dam, the construction process is simulated and the visualization system is developed, which achieves the information integration such as the quantification of the spatial–temporal conflict, the analysis of the influence effects, and the visualization of conflict information. The system simulation results show that the spatial–temporal conflict problem always exists in the pouring construction process, the problems of security risk and efficiency loss are inevitable. And the reasonable unloading point planning and mechanical trajectory setting can effectively reduce the risk of spatial–temporal conflict. Those studies provide a reference for the rational organization and scientific decision-making of pouring construction activities, and new ideas and methods for the safe and efficient construction, as well as the scientific and refined management, of arch dams.

The risk of heart-specific death in breast cancer patients

Abstract With the improvement of comprehensive anti-cancer treatment for breast cancer (BC), more and more BC survivors will die from non-cancer diseases, including cardiovascular disease dominated by heart disease (HD). Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the risk of heart-specific death (HSD) in patients with BC by using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The eligible patients diagnosed with BC between 2000 and 2019 were exported from the SEER database. The standard mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated to compare the difference in HSD between patients with BC and the general population. The Cox Proportional hazard model was used to estimate the risk factors for HSD in BC patients and the 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Overall, 655,552 eligible patients were included in our study, and 149,708 (22.8%) patients died. Among the deaths, 22,718 (15.2%) cases were attributed HD which was the second cause of death for BC patients. With the extension of follow-up (> 10 years), HD surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of death for BC (22.3% vs. 20.2%). The SMR for HD was 8.14 (95%CI: 8.04–8.25) in the whole cohort. Multivariate analysis showed that race, age, marital status, median household income, grade, stage and subtype were independent risk factors for HSD in BC patients. The risk of HSD is significantly higher in BC patients than in the general population and closely related to demographic characteristics and tumor clinicopathological factors. Medical approaches are needed to reduce the risk of HD among patients with BC.