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Author Response: Postoperative Recovery from a Cardiac Anesthesiologists’ Perspective

Retraction: Structure-based virtual screening of Trachyspermum ammi metabolites targeting acetylcholinesterase for Alzheimer’s disease treatment

El Niño was a key driver of anomalous ocean warming in Southeast Asia in 2023

Abstract In 2023, global ocean heat content reached unprecedented values since records began in 1960. The translation of global ocean heat into regional and local-scale ocean warming remains poorly understood because of limited observational data, particularly within Southeast Asia. Here, we investigate the 2023 ocean warming event in Southeast Asia using near-continuous 41-month in-situ ocean temperature observations from the Singapore Strait, satellite sea surface temperature (SST) measurements, and high-resolution reanalysis products. We document anomalous ocean warming across the Singapore Strait and surrounding South China Sea and Indonesian Seas to depths of at least 40 m. Peak SSTs of 1.8 °C above the climatological mean were recorded in the central Sunda Shelf in November 2023 for the first time in > 40 years. Concurrent anomalous freshening of the Singapore Strait was observed, with average salinity below the climatological mean from October to December. We identify a southward migration of warm temperature anomalies beginning with the onset of the El Niño in July 2023 near the Luzon Strait. This occurred alongside southward shifts in mean sea-level pressure and near-surface ocean currents in the region. We attribute these observations to the southward shift of the North Equatorial Current bifurcation latitude, which permitted the intrusion of Pacific western boundary currents into the South China Sea and Indonesian seas. Compared to the oceanic drivers, atmospheric forcings played a limited role in driving the ocean warming in 2023. Our study highlights El Niño as the key driver of the ocean warming in Southeast Asia in 2023, and emphasises the need for expanded continuous, in-situ ocean temperature monitoring to enhance understanding of evolving ocean-atmosphere dynamics and impacts in Southeast Asia under a warming climate.

Author Response: High-dose Vitamin D may Have No Effect on Mortality in Vitamin D-deficient Pediatric ICU Patients because the Study Design is Inappropriate

Why men are the minority: The perceptions of young men in UK post-primary education about studying psychology at university

Psychology is categorised as a science by most higher education authorities internationally. As with many science, mathematics and engineering fields, women are underrepresented in psychology at senior levels (the ‘leaky pipeline’). However, it is men who are underrepresented within the discipline overall, meaning that the psychology workforce does not reflect the population it aims to serve. It is important to understand why fewer men are opting to enter the profession, beginning with their choices regarding higher education. The current study is one of the first to qualitatively examine the perceptions and motivations of adolescent and young adult men in post-primary education of the study of psychology at university undergraduate level. Twelve focus groups were conducted with young men (n = 64) studying AS or A2-Levels, between 16 and 18 years of age, in post-primary schools in a UK region, Northern Ireland (NI). Thematic analysis demonstrated that psychology was viewed in a gendered way as a ‘feminine’, ‘soft’ subject dealing with emotions, and was not perceived as an ‘objective’, ‘fact-based’ science. The lack of male role models in psychology was a barrier to young men pursuing psychology at university level. Young men, whether currently studying psychology at school or not, expressed gendered career expectations and motivations. There are opportunities for targeted efforts with young men to promote psychology as a science and a multi-faceted discipline. Findings will inform the efforts of those in post-primary and higher education level in making psychology inclusive in terms of gender and improving the diversity of psychology as a field.

Association between resolved hepatitis B virus infection and depression in American adults : a cross-sectional study

Evaluating the Role of Serum Beta-D-glucan Testing in Safely Reducing Antifungal Therapy in Critically Ill Patients: A Retrospective Study

Small-scale protocols to characterize mitochondrial Complex V activity and assembly in peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Complex V of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system is an ATP synthase that plays a pivotal role in the cell’s energy transduction. Mutations in genes encoding the multiple protein subunits that constitute complex V cause severe metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. We present here three complementary assays to assess Complex V activity and assembly in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The assays involve spectrophotometric and in-gel activity measurements, cytochemical assessment of the mitochondrial transmembrane electrochemical gradient (∆Ѱm) to determine if the enzyme acts forward as an ATP synthase or in reverse as an ATPase, and western blot analysis of clear native gels to evaluate Complex V assembly. The whole process can be performed with 2 × 106 PBMCs isolated from ~2 ml of blood. Our study suggests that PBMCs can serve as a platform for small-scale, minimally invasive investigations of patients suspected of Complex V deficiency or in biomarker research of mitochondrial function.

Sciellin inhibits senescence and promotes pancreatic cancer progress by activating the notch signaling pathway

Is Enterococcal Bacteremia a Cause or Corollary of Severe Illness? 5 Years’ Experience from an Indian Teaching Hospital

Dual-variable control load-sensing system for multi-way valves in hilly and mountainous tractors

To tackle the challenges of severe pressure loss, mismatched flow supply and demand, and high flow demands at pump outlets commonly seen in multi-way valves of hilly and mountainous tractors, a load-independent flow distribution system was developed. This system combines an electro-hydraulic load-sensing pump with an independent flow distribution mechanism at the load port, resulting in a dual-variable load sensing system that integrates variable displacement and variable speed control. Using AMESim software, the core components and system model of the dual-variable load sensing system were built. Considering the operational characteristics of the multi-way valve, a load-sensitive variable pump with pressure differential and displacement detection was employed as the feedback control unit. The system incorporates a valve post-compensation mechanism and a three-position, six-way electro-hydraulic proportional directional valve. Additionally, a self-adjusting motor control method for pressure differential adaptation was introduced to regulate system pressure under high-load conditions. Simulation analyses of the system performance revealed that the design effectively boosts energy efficiency, achieving average energy savings of 20% and reaching up to 50% under optimal conditions, while keeping pressure fluctuations at the valve port within a 5% margin. By employing dual-variable load sensing technology, this system substantially improves the energy efficiency and operational effectiveness of multi-way valves while maintaining stable pressure throughout the operation. The design offers a reliable technical framework for the development and optimization of multi-way valves in hilly and mountainous tractors.

Three-year outcomes of cystotomy and fibrinogen clot removal for diabetic macular edema with subfoveal cystoid macular edema

Message from the New Editor-in-Chief: Continuity and Change, Impact and Visibility

Genetic diversity and population structure of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merril) germplasm

Soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merril) is a significant legume crop for oil and protein. However, its yield in Africa is less than half the global average resulting in low production, which is inadequate for satisfying the continent’s needs. To address this disparity in productivity, it is crucial to develop new high-yielding cultivars by utilizing the genetic diversity of existing germplasms. Consequently, the genetic diversity and population structure of various soybean accessions were evaluated in this study. To achieve this objective, a collection of 147 soybean accessions was genotyped using the Diversity Array Technology Sequencing method, enabling high-throughput analysis of 7,083 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) distributed across the soybean genome. The average values observed for polymorphism information content (PIC), minor allele frequency, expected heterozygosity and observed heterozygosity were 0.277, 0.254, 0.344, and 0.110, respectively. The soybean genotypes were categorized into four groups on the basis of model-based population structure, principal component analysis, and discriminant analysis of the principal component. Alternatively, hierarchical clustering was used to organize the accessions into three distinct clusters. Analysis of molecular variance indicated that the genetic variance (77%) within the populations exceeded the variance (23%) among them. The insights gained from this study will assist breeders in selecting parental lines for genetic recombination. The present study demonstrates that soybean improvement is viable within the IITA breeding program, and its outcome will help to optimize the genetic enhancement of soybeans.

Unveiling the role of TCF19 in intervertebral disc degeneration with single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing

High-dose Vitamin D may Have No Effect on Mortality in Vitamin D-deficient Pediatric ICU Patients because the Study Design is Inappropriate

LncRNA NEAT1 protects uremic toxin-induced intestinal epithelial barrier injury by regulating miR-122-5p/Occludin axis

Background Long non-coding RNA(LncRNA) has been reported to be associated with intestinal barrier damage. The aim of this study was to explore the mechanism of lncRNA Nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) in uremic toxin-induced intestinal epithelial barrier injury. Methods Human colon cancer cells (Caco-2) were used to establish intestinal epithelial injury models with the urea treatment in different conditions. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and Western blot screening the best concentration and time. The expressions of lncRNA NEAT1 and miR-122-5p were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression of tight junction proteins Occludin, ZO-1 and Claudin-1. Sodium fluorescein was used to detect the paracellular permeability of intestinal epithelial injury models. The binding of miR-122-5p to lncRNA NEAT1 and Occludin was determined by bioinformatics analysis and dual luciferase reporter assay. Results The best condition for the injury model was urea treatment in 144 mg/dl for 48 hours. With the increase of urea intervention time and concentration, the damage degree of intestinal epithelial cells is aggravated. Based on the qRT-PCR results, lncRNA NEAT1 was significantly down-regulated in the model group. Meanwhile, the tight junction proteins Occludin, ZO-1 and Claudin-1 were significantly reduced. The permeability of sodium fluorescein was significantly increased in the model group. Overexpression of lncRNA NEAT1 can alleviate the above performances. As the target gene of lncRNA NEAT1, miR-122-5p is significantly up-regulated in the model group. The dual luciferase reporter assay proved that miR-122-5p was targets to Occludin. The protective effect of overexpression lncRNA NEAT1 on intestinal epithelial barrier function is reversed by miR-122-5p mimics. Conclusion LncRNA NEAT1 protects uremic toxin-induced intestinal epithelial barrier injury by regulating miR-122-5p/Occludin axis.

Comprehensive analysis of the LINC01122/TPD52 axis as a predictive biomarker in prostate adenocarcinoma

Abstract Prostate cancer (PCa) ranks among the most prevalent malignant tumors worldwide. The pivotal role of competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks in numerous cancer types has been underscored. However, the specific characteristics of the ceRNA network in PCa remained unknown. This study aims to elucidate the ceRNA regulatory network associated with phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and to identify potential prognostic markers for PCa. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was employed to extract the expression patterns of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and messenger RNAs (mRNAs). LINC01122-hsa-miR-34c-5p/hsa-miR-449a-TPD52 ceRNA network regarding the prognosis of PCa was explored via bioinformatics analysis. Through correlation analysis, we investigated the LINC01122/TPD52 axis within the ceRNA network, identifying it as a significant clinical prognostic marker for PCa. Subsequent analyses indicated that hypomethylation was responsible for the abnormal upregulation of the LINC01122/TPD52 axis. Furthermore, immune infiltration analysis revealed the impact of the LINC01122/TPD52 axis on the tumor immune microenvironment and the progression of PCa. Finally, a nomogram was constructed to forecast the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival probabilities of PCa patients. In summary, our study demonstrates the significant role of the ceRNA-based LINC01122/TPD52 axis in the progression of PCa and its correlation with prognosis.

Author Response: The Quality and Significance of a Study on the Validity of the CAM-ICU Depends Heavily on their Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

The effect of lidocaine against sepsis-induced acute lung injury in a mouse model through the JAK2/STAT3 pathway

Objective This study aimed to investigate the effects of lidocaine on sepsis-induced acute lung injury and its underlying mechanisms. Methods Thirty C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups: SHAM, CLP, and LD. The sepsis-induced acute lung injury model was established using cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery, while SHAM mice underwent a sham operation without ligation or puncture. Mice in the LD group were administered lidocaine (10 mg/kg) intravenously through the tail vein. The SHAM and CLP groups were treated with an equal volume of 0.9% sterile saline solution. All mice were sacrificed 24 hours after surgery, and lung tissue and blood samples were collected for subsequent analysis. The wet/dry weight ratio (W/D ratio) was measured to evaluate lung edema. Lung injury and apoptosis were assessed using HE staining and TUNEL assay. The concentrations of inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and HMGB1 were measured by ELISA. The expression of JAK2, STAT3, p-STAT3, Bcl-2, HMGB1, and Bax was analyzed by western blot. Results The W/D ratio in the CLP group was significantly higher than the SHAM group, indicating increased lung edema. Pathological examination revealed obvious lung injury, and apoptosis was evident in the CLP group. The expression of HMGB1, IL-6, and TNF-α in lung tissue increased by 24 hours after CLP surgery. Additionally, the levels of JAK2, STAT3, p-STAT3, HMGB1, and Bax were significantly increased, while Bcl-2 expression was reduced. However, lidocaine administration reversed these changes. Conclusion Intravenous lidocaine effectively alleviated acute lung injury in septic mice. The anti-inflammatory effects of lidocaine may be attributed to its suppression of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and its anti-apoptotic effects.