Five novel RNA viruses of the invasive big-headed ant (Pheidole megacephala).

The African big-headed ant, Pheidole megacephala, is one of the most destructive invasive ant species, posing a significant threat to native biodiversity and ecosystem function, particularly in island ecosystems. Despite recent efforts to characterize pathogens in other major invasive ants, P. megacephala has received comparatively little attention.

Incidental Detection of Poorly Differentiated Neuroendocrine Carcinoma in Penile Urethra on 18F-Fluciclovine PET/CT.

We report the case of an 88-year-old man with suspected biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer, in whom 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT was performed in the context of rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Incidental identification of penile urethral activity was observed. A subsequent urethral biopsy revealed a treatment-related, poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of prostatic origin, with metastasis to the penile urethra.

All-Electrical Control of Spin Synapses for Neuromorphic Computing: Bridging Multi-State Memory with Quantization for Efficient Neural Networks.

The development of energy-efficient, brain-inspired neuromorphic computing demands advanced memory devices capable of mimicking synaptic behavior to achieve high accuracy and adaptability. In this study, three types of all-electrically controlled, field-free spin synapse devices designed with unique spintronic structures presented: the Néel orange-peel effect, interlayer Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (i-DMI), and tilted anisotropy. To systematically evaluate their neuromorphic potential, a benchmarking framework is introduced that characterizes cycle-to-cycle (CTC) variation, a critical factor for reliable synaptic weight updates.

Risk of Infertility in Reproductive-Age Patients With Thyroid Cancer Receiving or Not Receiving 131I Treatment: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background: Fertility is the crucial concern for many survivors of cancer diagnosed as children, adolescents, and young adults. The objective of this study was to determine the risk of infertility in reproductive-age patients with thyroid cancer receiving or not receiving radioiodine treatment in Taiwan.

Methods: This nationwide population-based cohort study was conducted using data obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database from 2009 to 2019.

Construction of diaryl oxacyclic sulfones Bi(OTf)-catalyzed intramolecular cyclocondensation of 1,3-diaroylsulfones.

We report the synthesis of six-membered saturated and unsaturated 1,4-oxasulfone derivatives rongalite-mediated intermolecular double sulfination of α-bromoacetophenone. This was followed by Bi(OTf)-catalyzed intramolecular condensation of 1,3-diaroylsulfones under open-vessel conditions. Furthermore, the chemical structures of the key products were determined through single-crystal X-ray analyses.

An insect virus differentially alters gene expression among life stages of an insect vector and enhances bacterial phytopathogen transmission.

Unlabelled: transmits Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) between citrus plants which causes the expression of huanglongbing disease in citrus. flavi-like virus (DcFLV) co-occurs intracellularly with CLas in populations in the field. However, the impact(s) of DcFLV presence on the insect vector and its interaction with the CLas phytopathogen remain unclear.

One-pot synthesis of symmetrical bis-sulfonyl 2,6-diarylpyridines BiCl-catalyzed and KSO-mediated domino annulation of β-ketosulfones and ,-dimethylacetamide.

In this study, BiCl-promoted and KSO-mediated synthesis of diverse bis-sulfonyl 2,6-diarypyridines was developed one-pot stepwise (2C + 2C + 1C + 1N) annulation of two molecules of β-ketosulfone and ,-dimethylacetamide (DMAC). In the entire process, DMAC acts as the synthon of one carbon and one nitrogen in the construction of the pyridine skeleton cascade formation of single (C-C/C-N) and double (CC/CN) bonds under refluxing DMAC conditions.

Trimodal Multiplexed Lateral Flow Test Strips Assisted with a Portable Microfluidic Centrifugation Device.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of lateral flow assays (LFAs) expanded significantly, offering testing beyond traditional health care. Their appeal lies in the ease of use, affordability, and quick results. However, LFAs often have lower sensitivity and specificity compared with ELISA and PCR tests.

Comparing the Diagnostic Value of FDG PET or PET/CT With FDG PET/MR in Inflammatory Bowel Disease-A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic value of 18 F-FDG PET or PET/CT with FDG PET/MR in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods: A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed for studies reporting the diagnostic performance of FDG PET (PET/CT) and FDG PET/MR in IBD from the inception of the database to March 14, 2024, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Fourteen studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis.

Ultrabright Dibenzofluoran-Based Polymer Dots with NIR-IIa Emission Maxima and Unusual Large Stokes Shifts for 3D Rotational Stereo Imaging.

Emerging organic molecules with emissions in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) region are garnering significant attention. Unfortunately, achieving accountable organic emission intensity over the NIR-IIa (1300 nm) region faces challenges due to the intrinsic energy gap law. Up to the current stage, all reported organic NIR-IIa emitters belong to polymethine-based dyes with small Stokes shifts (<50 nm) and low quantum yield (QY; ≤0.

Quality of life and clinical correlates in cognitively-able autistic adults: A special focus on sensory characteristics and perceived parental support.

Background: Quality of life (QoL) has been suggested as an indicator of outcomes in autistic adults. Factors associated with QoL in autistic individuals remain unclear. This study aims to examine the subjective QoL for autistic adults in Taiwan and investigate the determinants for different domains of QoL.

A Linear Two-Coordinate Cr(II) Complex: Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity.

The synthesis and characterization of a linear two-coordinate Cr(II) amido complex, Cr{N( Bu)Dipp} (Dipp=2,6-diisopropylphenyl), from the reaction of 1 molar equivalent (equiv) of CrCl and 2 equiv. of LiN( Bu)Dipp is reported. Single-crystal X-ray diffractometry (SC-XRD) analysis revealed that it has a short Cr-N bond distance of 1.

Applying the reference values of real-ear-to-coupler-difference for deaf and hard-of-hearing children in Taiwan: Cautions and considerations.

Measurement of real-ear-to-coupler differentials (RECDs) is a critical part of the hearing aid (HA) verification process. This study examines the validity of reference RECD values preset by the HA analyzer, Audioscan RM500, for deaf-and-hard-of-hearing (DHH) children in Taiwan. RECD measurements were performed on 658 ears of DHH children.

Stem-pitting caused by Citrus tristeza virus is associated with increased phloem occlusion.

Stem-pitting (SP) disease results from disruption of normal phloem and xylem development. In citrus, a characteristic manifestation of SP caused by Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) is phloem regeneration. We hypothesized that phloem regeneration occurs due to reduced functionality of CTV infected phloem cells.

Noun and Verb Lexicons Differentially Predict Later Grammatical Development in Mandarin-Speaking Children With and Without Late Language Emergence.

Purpose: The current investigation evaluated the extent to which early noun, verb, and adjective lexicon sizes predicted later grammatical outcomes in Mandarin-speaking children with and without late language emergence (LLE) using a parent report.

Method: In Study 1, the parents of 24 Mandarin-speaking children with typical language filled out the toddler version of (MCDI-T) when these children were 24 and 36 months old. In Study 2, the parents of 23 children with LLE completed the same form when these children were 24, 36, and 48 months old.

Hybrid polymer dot-magnetic nanoparticle based immunoassay for dual-mode multiplexed detection of two mycotoxins.

We designed polymer dot-magnetic nanoparticle nanohybrids for signal enhancement in a test strip platform. Besides, the multicolor emissions of the Pdots embed multiplexing ability for this test strip. Two mycotoxins, aflatoxin B1 and zearalenone, were tested with the determined limits of detection of 2.

Crossing the Gateless Barriers: Factors Involved in the Movement of Circulative Bacteria Within Their Insect Vectors.

Plant bacterial pathogens transmitted by hemipteran vectors pose a large threat to the agricultural industry worldwide. Although virus-vector relationships have been widely investigated, a significant gap exists in our understanding of the molecular interactions between circulative bacteria and their insect vectors, mainly leafhoppers and psyllids. In this review, we will describe how these bacterial pathogens adhere, invade, and proliferate inside their insect vectors.

One-pot synthesis of sulfonyl dibenzosuberdiones In(OTf)-promoted double Friedel-Crafts reactions of oxygenated arylacetic acids with β-arylvinyl sulfones.

Under open-vessel atmosphere conditions, a one-pot easy-to-operate method for the construction of diverse sulfonyl dibenzosuberdiones is developed In(OTf)-promoted tandem double Friedel-Crafts reactions of oxygenated arylacetic acids with β-arylvinyl sulfones. A plausible mechanism is proposed and discussed in detail. This protocol allows for highly effective sequential intermolecular Michael addition, intramolecular ring-closure and α-benzylic oxidation the formation of two carbon-carbon single (C-C) bonds and one carbon-oxygen double (CO) bond.

Identifying the Gut Virome of from Florida Groves.

Asian citrus psyllid () transmits the bacterial pathogen Liberibacter asiaticus (Las), the putative causative agent of citrus Huanglongbing disease (HLB). Insect-specific viruses can act against insects as their natural enemies, and recently, several -associated viruses were discovered. The insect gut plays an important role as not only a pool for diverse microbes but also as a physical barrier to prevent the spread of pathogens such as Las.

Rational Design of Asymmetric Polymethines to Attain NIR(II) Bioimaging at >1100 nm.

Organic molecules having emission in the NIR(II) region are emergent and receiving enormous attention. Unfortunately, attaining accountable organic emission intensity around the NIR(II) region is hampered by the dominant internal conversion operated by the energy gap law, where the emission energy gap and the associated internal reorganization energy λ play key roles. Up to the current stage, the majority of the reported organic NIR(II) emitters belong to those polymethines terminated by two symmetric chromophores.

Compensation for Vanadium Oxide Temperature with Stereo Vision on Long-Wave Infrared Light Measurement.

In this paper, using automated optical inspection equipment and a thermal imager, the position and the temperature of the heat source or measured object can effectively be grasped. The high-resolution depth camera is with the stereo vision distance measurement and the low-resolution thermal imager is with the long-wave infrared measurement. Based on Planck's black body radiation law and Stefan-Boltzmann law, the binocular stereo calibration of the two cameras was calculated.

First Polycipivirus and Unmapped RNA Virus Diversity in the Yellow Crazy Ant, .

The yellow crazy ant, is a widespread invasive ant that poses significant threats to local biodiversity. Yet, compared to other global invasive ant species such as the red imported fire ant () or the Argentine ant (), little is known about the diversity of RNA viruses in the yellow crazy ant. In the current study, we generated a transcriptomic database for .

Lifetime risk, life expectancy, and years of life lost to type 2 diabetes in 23 high-income jurisdictions: a multinational, population-based study.

Background: Diabetes is a major public health issue. Because lifetime risk, life expectancy, and years of life lost are meaningful metrics for clinical decision making, we aimed to estimate these measures for type 2 diabetes in the high-income setting.

Methods: For this multinational, population-based study, we sourced data from 24 databases for 23 jurisdictions (either whole countries or regions of a country): Australia; Austria; Canada; Denmark; Finland; France; Germany; Hong Kong; Hungary; Israel; Italy; Japan; Latvia; Lithuania; the Netherlands; Norway; Scotland; Singapore; South Korea; Spain; Taiwan; the UK; and the USA.

Stabilization of a high-spin three-coordinate Fe(iii) imidyl complex by radical delocalization.

High-spin, late transition metal imido complexes have attracted significant interest due to their group transfer reactivity and catalytic C-H activation of organic substrates. Reaction of a new two-coordinate iron complex, Fe{N( Bu)Dipp} (1, Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl), with mesitylazide (MesN) afforded a three-coordinate Fe-imidyl complex, Fe{N( Bu)Dipp}([double bond, length as m-dash]NMes) (2). X-ray crystallographic characterization of single crystals of 2 showed a long Fe-N distance of 1.

Audiogram of Chinese Phonemes: Construction and Evaluation.

Introduction: In aural rehabilitation, speech bananas are often used as a counseling tool to visually indicate one's auditory access to speech sounds. We constructed a Chinese-based speech banana to provide Chinese-speaking users with a more appropriate distribution of Chinese speech sounds on an audiogram.

Method: The location of each phoneme was defined by its frequency and intensity.