Search Results (633)

Emphysema is a chronic lung disease characterized by irreversible alveolar destruction, with distinct imaging subtypes—centrilobular emphysema (CLE), panlobular emphysema (PLE), and paraseptal emphysema (PSE). The cellular and molecular mechanisms driving subtype-specific pathogenesis remain poorly understood. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on emphysematous lung tissues from nine patients (three per subtype) to map the transcriptional landscape across CLE, PLE, and PSE. Profiling 84,704 high-quality cells, we identified eight major cell types, and subsequent subclustering uncovered subtype-enriched populations and transcriptional features. CLE was characterized by upregulated inflammatory pathways in ciliated cells and activated macrophage–epithelial/fibroblast crosstalk, suggesting an airway-derived infection and inflammatory phenotype. In PLE, the proportions of Natural Killer T (NKT) cells and Group 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1s) with enhanced cytotoxicity were increased, and mesothelial cells showed upregulation of extracellular matrix (ECM)-related genes, indicating dysfunction in innate immune cells and abnormal repair of mesothelial cells. PSE showed pronounced ECM remodeling signatures, with an increased proportion of systemic venous endothelial cells and enhanced fibroblast–epithelial interactions. Collectively, our findings reveal that CLE is predominantly driven by airway-originated inflammation, PSE exhibits a fibrosis-like remodeling phenotype, and PLE represents an intermediate state of innate immune activation and matrix dysregulation, providing a single-cell resolution framework for subtype-specific therapeutic targeting. Full article

To reduce the high energy consumption of conventional alkanolamine-based CO₂ capture, a rate-based CO₂ capture model was developed in Aspen Plus using a DETA/AEP mixed amine absorbent identified through preliminary screening experiments. The effects of key operating parameters of the absorber and stripper on system performance were systematically investigated, and the energy-saving potentials of interstage cooling, rich-solvent splitting, and their combined process were explored. The results show that the optimal operating parameters are as follows: lean-solvent temperature of 40 °C, flow rate of 150 m³/h, concentration of 35 wt.%, absorber packing height of 10 m, stripper operating pressure of 2 bar, rich-solvent feed stage at the fifth stage, and feed temperature of 105 °C. Under these optimized conditions, the model-predicted specific regeneration energy consumption of the conventional process was 6.08 GJ/t CO₂. Introducing interstage cooling at the ninth stage reduced the specific regeneration energy consumption to 5.42 GJ/t CO₂. Rich-solvent splitting, with a split ratio of 15% and hot rich-solvent feeding at the sixth stage, further reduced the value to 3.45 GJ t⁻¹ CO₂. When the two strategies were integrated, the specific regeneration energy consumption decreased to 3.38 GJ/t CO₂, corresponding to a 44.41% reduction compared with the conventional process. Full article

High-frequency broadband acoustics can provide fine spatial resolution for near-range fish measurements, but the performance and limitations of beam-position-resolved backscatter measurements require careful evaluation. This proof-of-concept study examined one commercially sourced, dead, previously frozen specimen of each of three cultured fishes: golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus; 24.4 cm), mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi; 29.1 cm), and large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea; 31.2 cm). A 650–750 kHz narrow-beam system was referenced to a 10.3 mm tungsten-carbide sphere, and matched-filter pulse compression and 1° stepwise scanning were used to estimate a beam-position-resolved backscatter metric along each body. At broadside incidence, the section-summed backscatter indices were −33.61, −22.45, and −33.07 dB for the T. ovatus, S. chuatsi, and L. crocea specimens, respectively. The section-summed abdominal backscatter index, in the region occupied by the swimbladder in the post-thaw X-ray images, exceeded the arithmetic mean of the head and tail group indices by 9.71 ± 1.84 dB (range: 8.27–11.86 dB). Tailward beam positions fell below the noise floor at approximately 12.5% of the expected scan positions for S. chuatsi and 22.2% for L. crocea. A 15° departure from broadside reduced the section-summed index by 3.73–11.43 dB. Kirchhoff-ray-mode (KRM) simulations based on post-thaw dual-view X-ray geometry were broadly consistent with the specimen-level contrast observed among the preserved specimens, but were 0.92–2.74 dB lower than the corresponding broadside section-summed measurement indices at 700 kHz. These differences are not a quantitative validation because the measured and modeled estimators, frequency weighting, geometry, and tissue parameters were not equivalent. These results demonstrate the feasibility of a calibrated beam-position workflow for preserved specimens, while not establishing live-fish target strength, species benchmarks, or biomass-estimation performance. Full article

Objective: Open surgical repair (OSR) remains an important treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), but its invasiveness contributes to substantial perioperative risk. Although Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathways have improved outcomes across several surgical specialties, evidence supporting their use in open aortic surgery, particularly in Chinese clinical settings, remains limited. We, therefore, evaluated the association between adherence to a locally adapted ERAS pathway and early perioperative outcomes after elective OSR for AAA. Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study included 182 patients who underwent elective OSR for AAA. Patients who received at least 70% of the 30 ERAS elements were assigned to the ERAS group (n = 93), whereas those who received less than 70% were assigned to the control group (n = 89). A total of 152 patients remained after 1:1 matching of the two groups using propensity score. Quantile regression and logistic regression models were used to evaluate the impact of the ERAS protocol on postoperative length of stay, 30-day mortality, ICU admission rate, hospital cost, major complications, and readmission. Results: After matching, baseline and aneurysm characteristics were generally comparable between groups. The ERAS group demonstrated a significantly reduced risk of major complications (OR = 0.33; 95% CI 0.16–0.71; p = 0.004) and postoperative nausea and vomiting (OR = 0.10; 95% CI 0.01–0.80; p = 0.030). The time to postoperative bowel movement was 1 day earlier in the ERAS group (p < 0.001). The incidence of postoperative cardiac complications was significantly lower in the ERAS group (2.6% vs. 11.8%; p = 0.028). Pulmonary complications were also markedly reduced in the ERAS group (1.3% vs. 19.7%; p < 0.001). The ERAS group was associated with a reduction in postoperative length of hospital stay by 2 days (p < 0.001) and a decrease in hospital cost by 8065 RMB (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Higher adherence to a locally adapted ERAS pathway was associated with fewer major complications, faster bowel recovery, shorter postoperative hospitalization, and lower hospital costs after elective open AAA repair. These findings support prospective multicenter evaluation and further context-specific implementation of ERAS in open aortic surgery. Full article

Carbonate formations host abundant hydrocarbon resources and constitute a key target for current and future petroleum explorations. A massive Paleocene-Eocene carbonate platform system overlies Late Cretaceous Deccan volcanic rocks within the Indus Fan Offshore Basin. Low geophysical exploration maturity and insufficient targeted research on carbonate reef identification and platform evolution hinder hydrocarbon discoveries in this region. Using 2D seismic data, this study employs multiple seismic attribute methods to characterize carbonate reef-related anomalies. An innovative reef identification method based on a weighted superposition of spectrally decomposed amplitude spectra is proposed to delineate reef-prone sedimentary facies and characterize the multi-stage evolutionary patterns of the carbonate platforms. Based on quantitative constraints from seismic reflection and amplitude differences, platform evolution is classified into four clear phases: initial development, platform expansion, gradual decline and platform drowning. The initial development phase shows prominent high-amplitude and low-frequency seismic responses, and intervals with such high-amplitude responses may indicate favorable reservoir potential. Platform margin zones show the most prominent amplitude anomalies and are considered priority exploration targets, suggesting excellent hydrocarbon potential within strata formed during the initial platform stage. This study provides quantitative geophysical support for the stage classification of Paleocene–Eocene carbonate platforms in the Indus Fan Offshore Basin, and offers practical guidance for carbonate reservoir exploration and the prospect evaluation of analogous basins worldwide. Full article

Straw incorporation generally improves soil nutrient availability, aggregate stability, microbial activity, as well as carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. However, the regulatory effects of tillage regimes on soil physicochemical properties, microbial community structure, and CO₂ emission rates (CER) remain largely unexplored in rice–rapeseed rotation systems incorporating straw residue in the upper Yangtze River basin. A two-year field experiment in Sichuan’s Xindu District adopted three tillage practices: rotary tillage combined with whole rice straw incorporation (RT), deep plowing combined with whole rice straw incorporation (DP), and no-tillage with whole rice straw mulching (NT). Compared with NT, both RT and DP significantly lowered soil bulk density (BD) and macroaggregate stability, and elevated soil available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK). On average, the AN, AP, and AK were significantly increased by 7.4%, 9.0%, and 80.3% in RT and by 4.1%, 43.9%, and 42.2% in DP relative to NT, respectively. Compared with the NT, the CER was significantly decreased by 37.1% in RT and by 12.9% in DP. Notably, RT effectively mitigated CER. Microbial α-diversity was significantly higher in the NT relative to other tillage treatments. Proteobacteria dominated the bacterial community, and Ascomycota dominated the fungal community. RT and DP increased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and suppressed Ascomycota simultaneously. Redundancy analysis revealed positive associations between Proteobacteria and both AN and AK, whereas Ascomycota positively correlated with BD, MWD, and CER. Mantel test confirmed significant correlation between soil microbial community compositions and the soil properties, including BD, AN, AK, and CER. Relative to the other tillage practices, RT is conducive to soil quality improvement and CER reduction, and can be recommended for sustainable rice-rapeseed production locally. Full article

Phosphorus (P) deficiency severely limits soybean (Glycine max L.) productivity. This study proposed a three-stage screening framework to identify reliable traits and P-efficient genotypes. In Experiment I, percent tolerance to phosphorus deficiency (PTPD) was calculated for ten growth parameters across 98 genotypes under P-deficient and control conditions. Principal component analysis and comprehensive evaluation identified six key indicators in Experiment I, which were subsequently refined to five indicators through further analysis: SPAD at V3 and R1, photosynthetic rate at R1, shoot dry weight at R8, and seed number per plant at R8. Experiment II re-evaluated these traits using 12 contrasting genotypes under three P levels, identifying CN 15 as the most P-efficient and SN 22 as the most P-inefficient. Experiment III further revealed that CN 15 maintained superior PSII performance and exhibited a 26.2% increase in grain P-utilization efficiency under 0 µM KH₂PO₄ treatment. This integrated framework offers a preliminary reference for screening P-efficient soybean genotypes under controlled conditions, pending field evaluation. Full article

Accurate prediction of drug–target interactions (DTIs) is a cornerstone of computational drug discovery, with the potential to reduce experimental costs and accelerate therapeutic development. Although deep learning methods such as graph neural networks and Transformers have achieved notable success in predicting DTIs, they often fail to fully exploit the rich semantic information contained in textual descriptions of drugs and targets. We developed DrugLM, a unified framework that integrates embeddings from large language models (LLMs) into DTI prediction architectures. Textual descriptions of drugs and targets were encoded using pre-trained LLMs, with optional selective upper-layer fine-tuning for task adaptation. The resulting embeddings were incorporated into six representative backbone models and evaluated on a curated DrugBank-derived dataset. Incorporating LLM-derived embeddings improved prediction performance across the evaluated architectures. Even without task-specific adaptation, pre-trained embeddings outperformed random or conventional initialization, while selective fine-tuning yielded additional gains in many settings. A simple multilayer perceptron using only LLM-derived embeddings also surpassed several established DTI methods, highlighting the predictive value of semantic representations. DrugLM provides an architecture-flexible strategy for incorporating semantic information from textual descriptions into the evaluated DTI prediction pipelines. These findings motivate further evaluation on additional datasets and protocols. Full article

The RNA exosome plays a critical role in surveilling nuclear mRNA biogenesis and regulating co-translational mRNA decay in the cytoplasm. Unlike canonical translation, repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation of a GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) within an intron of the C9orf72 locus leads to the synthesis of neurotoxic dipeptide-repeat (DPR) proteins, contributing to the pathogenesis of frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (C9-ALS/FTD). However, it remains unclear whether aberrant RAN translation is monitored and regulated co-translationally or how C9orf72 HRE (C9-HRE) mRNA is degraded during this process. Here, we demonstrate that RAN translation triggers the rapid decay of C9-HRE mRNA. During this process, the RNA exosome engages the translating ribosome-C9-HRE mRNA complex to mediate RAN translation-coupled mRNA decay. Moreover, overexpression of EXOSC3, a key subunit of the RNA exosome cap, promotes RAN translation-coupled decay of C9-HRE mRNA and suppresses DPR production. In iPSC-derived neurons, a reduction in EXOSC3 levels blocks C9-HRE mRNA decay in a translation-dependent manner, further confirming its role in RAN translation surveillance. These findings highlight the essential function of the RNA exosome, particularly EXOSC3, in mitigating RAN translation-associated toxicity and preventing pathological DPR production. This work provides insights into potential therapeutic strategies for C9-ALS/FTD and may have broader implications for other disorders involving RAN translation. Full article

Vibrio vulnificus (V. vulnificus) is a type of bacterium commonly found in estuarine environments. It can cause necrotizing wound infections and sepsis, both of which are associated with high mortality rates. Protein lysine acetylation is a widespread post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins, and it participates in numerous cellular processes, including regulation, in bacteria. However, the finer landscape of lysine acetylation in V. vulnificus remains unexplored. In this study, acetylated proteins with low cellular abundance were enriched from V. vulnificus MO6-24/O using anti-acetyl-lysine immunoprecipitation and identified using LC-MS/MS, and the acetylation was further confirmed by Western blot analysis. We mapped 2035 lysine acetylation sites to 841 proteins, accounting for approximately 18.5% of the entire protein sequence of V. vulnificus MO6-24/O. Comprehensive bioinformatic characterization of the acetylome indicated that lysine acetylation is associated with metabolic regulation, particularly targeting enzymes regulating carbon metabolic functions and biosynthesis. In addition, sequence motif analysis identified two conserved patterns surrounding acetylated lysines: enrichment of lysine or arginine residues at the +4/+5 positions, and a preference for tyrosine, histidine, or phenylalanine residues at the −1/+1 positions. Furthermore, analysis of the protein–protein interaction network indicated that lysine acetylation influences numerous molecular interactions among proteins. Collectively, this acetylome investigation establishes a foundation for future studies aimed at elucidating physiological functions of protein lysine acetylation in V. vulnificus. Full article

With the widespread application of microwave technology in communication and medical fields, concerns regarding its biosafety, particularly the effects on the central nervous system, have increased. The brain is considered a sensitive target organ for microwave radiation; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying microwave-induced cognitive impairment remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of 4.3 GHz microwave radiation at different power densities on spatial learning and memory in mice, and to identify key molecular changes in the hippocampus associated with cognitive impairment. Mice (male, C57BL/6N) were exposed to 4.3 GHz microwave radiation at power densities of 10 or 30 mW/cm² for 30 min. Spatial learning and memory abilities were assessed using the Morris water maze (MWM). The hippocampal structure was assessed by HE staining at multiple time points following microwave exposure. Integrated RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and 4D-data-independent acquisition (4D-DIA) analyses of the hippocampus were performed at 6 h after microwave exposure, and differentially expressed molecules were selected and validated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). The 4.3 GHz microwave exposure significantly prolonged escape latency in the MWM, indicating impaired spatial learning or navigation ability. Histological examination revealed transient neuronal damage in the hippocampal CA1 and CA3 regions. Multi-omics analysis and subsequent validation revealed molecular alterations. Following microwave radiation, the expression of synaptic plasticity-related genes Arc and Ebf3 was significantly upregulated. At the protein level, significant downregulation was observed for Protein sidekick-2 and IQGAP1, while WNK3 was significantly upregulated. In summary, 4.3 GHz microwave exposure impaired spatial learning or navigation ability, accompanied by structural damage in the hippocampus and molecular alterations in synaptic plasticity-related pathways. Arc, Ebf3, Protein sidekick-2, WNK3, and IQGAP1 might serve as candidate molecules for understanding and mitigating microwave-induced cognitive deficits. Full article

Outbreaks of avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) often occur in vaccinated flocks. The antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) has been proposed as a potential mechanism underlying coronavirus vaccine failure. However, this hypothesis has yet to be substantiated in flocks. This study demonstrates ADE occurrence in IBV (gamacoronavirus) in vitro and in vivo. Using the SPF chicken host model, primary infection with an O-glycosylation-modified attenuated strain enhanced pathogenesis upon secondary homologous/heterologous virulent challenge, increasing morbidity/mortality (≥30%), pathological lesions, and viral loads. Notably, sequentially attenuated infections also induced ADE, suggesting live attenuated vaccine risks. The immune serum raised against the O-glycosylation-modified attenuated strain was also pre-mixed with the challenge strain, and the mixtures were then inoculated into target cells, non-susceptible macrophage cells, or a co-culture of both cell types. The serum-virus complexes replicated poorly in macrophages, yet immune cells amplified the expression of inflammatory factors and ADE-mediated viral replication in target cells, indicating a significant promoting role of immune cells in this process. The concentrations of complement component C3 and neutralizing antibodies in the immune serum were also measured, and results showed that the induction of this ADE is associated with high complement component C3 and low neutralizing antibody titers. These findings highlight risks for vaccines and antibody-based therapeutic strategies of coronavirus infection. Full article

Accurate characterization of subsurface stratigraphy is essential for reliable landslide stability assessment. However, stratigraphic models constructed solely from sparse borehole data are often constrained by incomplete spatial coverage and substantial interpretive uncertainty. To address this issue, this study developed an integrated probabilistic stratigraphic modeling framework that combines borehole data with electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data. In the proposed framework, borehole logs provide direct lithological labels and spatial prior information, while the inverted ERT resistivity profile is introduced as a continuous geophysical constraint. Specifically, logarithmic resistivity and the borehole-derived expected stratigraphic configuration were combined into a support vector machine classifier to establish a nonlinear mapping between geophysical responses and stratigraphic categories. A bootstrapping strategy was also used to quantify the stratigraphic uncertainty. The proposed method was then applied to the Panzhuangzu Landslide in Henan Province, China. Based on the probabilistic stratigraphic models, multiple plausible stratigraphic realizations were generated, and their corresponding stability responses are evaluated through numerical analysis. Monte Carlo simulations were further performed to examine how stratigraphic uncertainty propagates into landslide stability predictions. The results show that incorporating ERT data improves the geological plausibility of the inferred stratigraphy. Compared with the borehole-only case, the results obtained from the integrated framework exhibited reduced uncertainty in both the inferred stratigraphic model and the corresponding landslide stability assessment. These findings indicate that the proposed borehole–geophysical data fusion method can provide a more reliable geological basis for landslide stability analysis. Full article

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is associated with neuropsychiatric comorbidity, yet no study has directly compared neuropsychiatric outcomes across all three major systemic treatment classes. This study examined neuropsychiatric outcomes among patients with AD receiving Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, dupilumab, or conventional immunosuppressants. Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized the TriNetX global health research network. Three propensity score-matched cohorts were constructed based on demographics, comorbidities, and concomitant medications. The primary outcome was incident neuropsychiatric disorder within 24 months. Results: After matching, cohorts included 608 (JAK inhibitors vs. dupilumab), 502 (JAK inhibitors vs. conventional), and 2322 patients (dupilumab vs. conventional). In the largest cohort, conventional immunosuppressants were associated with a significantly higher incidence of neuropsychiatric disorders compared with dupilumab (hazard ratio [HR] 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00–1.59; p = 0.042). A similar directional trend was observed for conventional immunosuppressants compared with JAK inhibitors (HR 1.97, 95% CI 1.13–3.42; p = 0.015). The comparison between JAK inhibitors and dupilumab did not reach statistical significance (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.37–1.03; p = 0.063). Findings regarding rare outcomes, such as autism spectrum disorders, were based on very low event counts and should be interpreted with extreme caution. Conclusions: In this large propensity-matched cohort, dupilumab was associated with significantly lower neuropsychiatric disorder incidence compared with conventional systemic immunosuppressants, with a similar directional trend observed for JAK inhibitors. These hypothesis-generating findings suggest potential neuropsychiatric outcome differences among systemic therapies for AD, warranting further investigation to establish whether the associations reflect treatment effects or residual confounding. Full article