Browse Articles

Evaluation of color perception in cataract patients bilateral implanted with presbyopia-correcting intraocular lenses

Abstract To evaluates postoperative color perception in cataract patients implanted with various yellow-tinted intraocular lenses (Y-IOL) and clear intraocular lenses (C-IOL), including extended depth of focus (EDOF) and trifocal lenses, using the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue test. An observational clinical study was conducted on patients undergoing cataract surgery with bilateral implantation of either Y-IOL or C-IOL at Guangzhou Aier Eye Hospital. Patients were categorized into Y-IOL and C-IOL groups based on lens tint and further subcategorized by design (EDOF vs. trifocal, Y-trifocal vs. C-trifocal). The FM-100 Hue test assessed total error score root mean square (TES RMS), angle, C-Index, S-Index, and total test duration three months postoperatively. Statistical analyses included Kruskal-Wallis, ANOVA, and Mann-Whitney U tests. Among 54 patients (108 eyes), no significant differences in TES, angle, C-Index, S-Index, or test duration were observed between Y-IOL and C-IOL groups or between EDOF and trifocal IOL groups (all P > 0.05). However, a significant difference in the S-Index was noted between the Y-trifocal and C-trifocal IOL subgroups (P < 0.05), indicating differing color axis scatter tendencies. The implantation of blue-light filtering IOLs does not significantly affect color perception when compared to clear IOLs. The design differences between presbyopia-correcting IOLs, such as extended depth of focus and trifocal IOLs, also had minimal impact on patients’ postoperative color vision, except for a notable difference in scatter index between two trifocal IOLs.

Recreational substance use is linked with difficulty in recalling personal experiences

Abstract Recreational use of substances such as cannabis, MDMA and cocaine is thought to harm the neurotransmitter communication networks that coordinate many memory processes that support autobiographical memory (AM). Research on the impact of substance use on AM is limited and primarily focused on cannabis use or individuals with substance dependence. Additionally, previous studies mainly examined broad AM characteristics (e.g., specific vs. non-specific memories) without exploring the specific characteristics of recalled memories. In the present study, the possible consequences of recreational substance use on AM were investigated to provide a better understanding of the specific aspects of AM that are most vulnerable to substance use. The study included 100 participants aged 18–55, consisting of 47 individuals who did not use substances and 53 individuals who reported substance use. All participants completed self-report questionnaires and participated in a lab-based autobiographical memory test. The results revealed that participants who reported recreational substance use recalled significantly fewer specific personal event memories than participants who did not use substances and were also more likely to omit a response within the time limit. The results remained significant after controlling for covariates, such as general health, sleep routine, alcohol use and age. This research contributes to the body of knowledge on substance-related impairments in AM and suggests that even occasional recreational substance use may impair specific AM retrieval.

Umbilical cord blood infusion in the treatment of aplastic anemia: A single center prospective study

Abstract The current standard first-line therapy for aplastic anemia (AA) consists of antithymocyte globulin (ATG), cyclosporine, and thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs). A subset of patients exhibit treatment intolerance or develop refractory/relapsed disease, for whom treatment options are limited. Umbilical cord blood exhibits immunomodulatory effects, regulates the bone marrow microenvironment, and promotes hematopoietic reconstitution, thereby demonstrating therapeutic potential for AA. In this prospective clinical study, cord blood infusion was administered in combination with cyclosporine and hetrombopag for the treatment of AA (n = 11). The primary endpoint was the hematologic response at 3 months post-treatment. By 3 months, 8 of 11 patients achieved at least one lineage hematologic response. By 6 months, 3 patients attained complete response (CR), 5 achieved partial response (PR), yielding an overall response rate (ORR) of 8/11. After a median follow-up of 23 months, 5 patients maintained sustained CR and 3 sustained PR, with the ORR remaining at 8/11. The median time to trilineage response was 112 days (range: 18–168 days) among 8 responsive patients. Two patients with SAA refractory to treatment succumbed to pulmonary infections and pneumorrhagia. No significant adverse reactions were observed in cord blood-treated patients. This small-scale study introduces a novel regimen combining umbilical cord blood infusion, cyclosporine, and hetrombopag for treating aplastic anemia. With a median follow-up of 23 months, the overall response rate reached 8/11 and the CR rate 5/11. The safety and efficacy of this regimen were preliminarily assessed, suggesting a potential therapeutic alternative for patients ineligible for standard immunosuppressive therapy.

Biochemical mechanisms of flonicamid resistance and its transgenerational effects in Bemisia tabaci mitotype Asia-II-1

Light spectrum modulates stress and defense gene expression in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) shoot tips during post-cryopreservation recovery

A hybrid mode semi circular shaped frequency reconfigurable antenna for multiband communication

Abstract This paper presents a hybrid mode semi-circular-shaped frequency reconfigurable antenna for ultra-wideband (UWB) and multiband communication. The proposed antenna is designed on a FR-4 substrate with a thickness of 1.6 mm, a relative permittivity of 4.2, and a compact size of 40 mm x 30 mm. Re-configurability is enabled by four PIN diodes, allowing the antenna to switch between UWB and various modes. The antenna operates in five different modes. In Mode 1 (all diodes OFF), the antenna operates as a UWB antenna covering  3.89 – 12.94 GHz with a peakgain of 6.93 dBi.It exhibits an axial ratio (AR) below 3 dB at 10.7 GHz, achieving a circular polarization bandwidth (AR BW) of 330 MHz from (10.53–10.86) GHz. Activating specific PIN diode combinations allows the antenna to function in different multiband configurations, supporting frequencies for 5G sub-6 GHz, WiMAX, and radar applications. This antenna’s versatility, through its frequency re-configurability, makes it an ideal candidate for modern communication systems.

Dimensionality reduction in hyperspectral imaging using standard deviation-based band selection for efficient classification

Abstract Hyperspectral imaging generates vast amounts of data containing spatial and spectral information. Dimensionality reduction methods can reduce data size while preserving essential spectral features and are grouped into feature extraction or band selection methods. This study demonstrates the efficiency of the standard deviation as a band selection approach combined with a straightforward convolutional neural network for classifying organ tissues with high spectral similarity. To evaluate the classification performance, the method was applied to eleven groups of different organ samples, consisting of 100 datasets per group. Using the standard deviation is an effective method for dimensionality reduction while maintaining the characteristic spectral features and effectively decreasing data size by up to 97.3%, achieving a classification accuracy of 97.21% compared to 99.30% without any processing. Even in comparison with mutual information– and Shannon entropy–based band selection methods, the standard deviation exhibited superior stability and efficiency while maintaining equally high classification accuracy. The results highlight the potential of dimensionality reduction for hyperspectral imaging classification tasks that require large datasets and fast processing speed without sacrificing accuracy.

Mitotic DNA repair by TMEJ suppresses replication stress-induced nuclear envelope reassembly defect

Portable 3D-printed electrochemiluminescence sensor for simultaneous glucose and lactate monitoring

Abstract Fast and reliable monitoring of metabolic biomarkers, including glucose and lactate, is critical for chronic diseases, sepsis, and other scenarios involving physiological stress. However, most diagnostic options depend on multiple serial tests, require complicated testing apparatus, and are too expensive to be useful in the point-of-care arena. To address these limitations, we present a portable, low-cost, and 3D-printed (3DP) electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor capable of simultaneously detecting glucose and lactate in a single step. The biosensor incorporates interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) within a bipolar electrode (BPE) electrochemical system to enhance electron transfer and signal amplification. Through careful optimization of voltage, luminol concentration, and pH, strong and reproducible ECL signals were achieved, with detection limits of 0.1 mM for glucose (linear range 0.1 mM to 5.0 mM) and 80 µM for lactate (linear range 0.1 mM to 4.0 mM). Real serum analysis yielded 95–102% recovery rates, validating the device’s clinical relevance. Combining an inexpensive smartphone-based readout and fabricated with low-cost carbon and polylactic acid (PLA) filaments, this device offers a scalable and field-deployable approach to real-time, decentralized diagnostics. The proposed prototype fills a critical void between laboratory analysis and standard healthcare needs and promotes accessible and affordable metabolic monitoring for underserved populations.

Observation of multiple time crystals in a driven-dissipative system with Rydberg gas

Exploiting deep transfer learning based precise classification and grading of renal cell carcinoma using histopathological images

Bayesian analyses of radiocarbon dates suggest multiple origins of ceramic technology in Early Holocene Africa

Abstract Ceramic technology emerged and spread in Saharan Africa between the end of the 11th and the beginning of the 10th millennium cal BP during the so-called African Humid Period. This innovation is linked to hunter-gatherer-fisher groups adapting to changing and increased ecological productivity. Several putative points of origin and the resulting corridors of diffusion of this technology have been suggested in the literature, but there is currently no consensus on whether ceramics in this region originated as a single or multiple independent episodes of innovation. Here, we synthesise the available radiocarbon evidence associated with the presence and absence of ceramic technology in Early Holocene Africa and statistically model spatio-temporal diffusion processes using different combinations of putative origin points. The result of our model comparison provides support for either a dual or triple-origin model, with core areas potentially in the Central Sahara, Nile Valley and West Africa. These findings refine current debates on early pottery innovation, highlighting the role of localized technological choices, environmental factors and interregional interactions in shaping its spread.

The dynamic changes of eco-environmental quality in Dongting lake wetland during 1990–2020, China

Plasma-electrocatalytic synthesis of urea from air and CO2

Coprevalence of modifiable gastric cancer risk factors and gastric health among Chinese high-risk groups

Membrane-free redox flow battery with polymer electrolytes

Tunable band gap and ionic conductivity in PMMA and PANI blend with WO₃ nanocomposites for optoelectronics and energy storage devices

The inner nuclear membrane protein LEMD3 organizes the 3D chromatin architecture to maintain vascular smooth muscle cell identity

Multi-domain O-GlcNAcase structures reveal allosteric regulatory mechanisms

Abstract Nucleocytoplasmic protein O-GlcNAcylation is a dynamic modification catalysed by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and reversed by O-GlcNAc hydrolase (OGA), whose activities are regulated through largely unknown O-GlcNAc-dependent feedback mechanisms. OGA is a homodimeric, multi-domain enzyme containing a catalytic core and a pseudo-histone acetyltransferase (pHAT) domain. While a catalytic structure has been reported, the structure and function of the pHAT domain remain elusive. Here, we report a crystal structure of the Trichoplax adhaerens pHAT domain and cryo-EM data of the multi-domain T. adhaerens and human OGAs, complemented by biophysical analyses. Here, we show that the eukaryotic OGA pHAT domain forms catalytically incompetent, symmetric homodimers, projecting a partially conserved putative peptide-binding site. In solution, OGA exist as flexible multi-domain dimers, but catalytic core-pHAT linker interactions restrict pHAT positional range. In human OGA, pHAT movements remodel the active site environment through conformational changes in a flexible arm region. These findings reveal allosteric mechanisms through which the pHAT domain contributes to O-GlcNAc homeostasis.

A safe, T cell-inducing heterologous vaccine against elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus in a proof-of-concept study

Abstract We report the results of the world’s first trial of a vaccine against elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) in elephants. EEHV-induced haemorrhagic disease is a major threat to juvenile Asian elephants. A vaccine preventing severe disease and death would support conservation efforts for this endangered species. We developed a heterologous, recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara prime and adjuvanted protein boost vaccine, containing regulatory protein EE2 and major capsid protein. Vaccine design targeted Th1 and cytotoxic T cell responses, crucial for herpesvirus immunity. In a proof-of-concept trial, safety and immunogenicity were tested in adult elephants. A modified interferon-γ release (IFNG) point-of-care vaccine-specific whole blood assay was established to avoid sample transport-related loss of immune readouts and determine T cell responses by RT-qPCR first. Subsequently, RNA sequencing was utilised to investigate transcriptomic changes post-vaccination. No adverse reactions were observed following heterologous vaccination. IFNG responses to candidate antigens were detected against the pre-existing latent immunity in adult elephants. Over-representation analysis revealed induction of T cell-associated pathways. Thus, we show that the vaccine has a favourable safety profile and stimulates EEHV-specific T cell-biased immune responses, warranting further evaluation.