The impact of public health shocks on fertility intentions: evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Background: China's persistent fertility decline poses serious long-term demographic and socioeconomic challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced additional uncertainty, raising questions about how external shocks affect fertility intentions in real time.

Objective: This study examines the causal impact of localized COVID-19 shocks on fertility intentions in China, as measured by high-frequency digital search data that capture real-time behavioral shifts.

Population structure and adaptive signals in the white-backed planthopper, Sogatella furcifera inferred from genome-wide analysis.

Background: The white-backed planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) (Homoptera: Delphacidae), is a highly migratory insect pest that poses a significant threat to rice production in East and Southeast Asia. Although considerable advances have been made in understanding its migration sources and dispersal patterns with the advent of newer molecular tools, genomic-level insights into these processes, as well as its environmental adaptation mechanisms, remain limited.

Results: This study conducted whole-genome resequencing of 289 WBPH individuals from China and Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, to investigate population structure, gene flow and selective signals.

Intelligent deep learning architecture for precision vegetable disease detection advancing agricultural new quality productive forces.

In the context of advancing agricultural new quality productive forces, addressing the challenges of uneven illumination, target occlusion, and mixed infections in greenhouse vegetable disease detection becomes crucial for modern precision agriculture. To tackle these challenges, this study proposes YOLO-vegetable, a high-precision detection algorithm based on improved You Only Look Once version 10 (YOLOv10). The framework incorporates three innovative modules.

Radiation Retinopathy After Whole-Brain Radiotherapy in a Patient With Pineal Gland Tumor.

To describe a case of radiation retinopathy following craniospinal radiation and provide an overview of studies on radiation retinopathy following whole-brain radiotherapy. A retrospective chart review was conducted to collect a single patient's data on demographics, radiation therapy, ophthalmologic examination findings, treatment, and outcomes. For the systematic review, OVID Medline, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched for studies reporting on radiation retinopathy following whole-brain radiotherapy.

Transcranial direct current stimulation attenuates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting neuronal pyroptosis via Netrin-1.

The significant role of pyroptosis in the early pathogenesis of ischemic stroke underscores the urgent need for effective management strategies. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a noninvasive modality for modulating brain activity, has been shown to confer neuroprotection by inhibiting neuroinflammation during the acute phase of stroke. However, the specific mechanisms underlying the effect of tDCS on neuronal pyroptosis remain largely unexplored.

Nucleated red blood cell count as a novel predictive biomarker for acute kidney injury and prognosis in patients with acute pancreatitis: A retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: Nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs) have been reported to correlate to poor prognosis in critically ill patients. This study aimed to identify the role of NRBC count in early diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) and prediction of poor prognosis in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled AP patients who were admitted to our hospital from January 1, 2020 to January 1, 2024.

L-arginine alleviates intervertebral disc degeneration by suppressing TRIB3/AKAP1-mediated Drp1 phosphorylation dysregulation and mitochondrial fragmentation.

Objective: To clarify therapeutic potential and underlying mechanism of L-arginine (L-arg) in intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD).

Design: Human nucleus pulposus (NP) samples (n=36) underwent metabolomics, L-arg quantification, and immunohistochemistry to characterize the relationship between L-arg metabolism and IDD severity. In vitro NP cell experiments integrated RNA-sequencing, Western blot, co-immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence colocalization to clarify the therapeutic effects and mechanism of L-arg.

Synergistic Integration of Porphyrin-Sensitized Boehmite Nanohybrids for Enhanced Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Organic Transformations.

Photocatalytic organic conversion is regarded as an efficient, clean, and low-energy-intensive organic synthesis strategy with high atom economy, driving the increasing focus on the design and development of novel green photocatalysts. In this work, a series of novel porphyrin-sensitized nanohybrids named Por(COOH)/AlOOH (1:) ( = 10, 30, 50, and 100) were synthesized via a simple and low-cost solvothermal method and characterized comprehensively. The as-prepared nanohybrids exhibit a porous structure with a large specific surface area, while the incorporation of porphyrin units significantly enhances the overall light absorption capacity.

Primary liver cancer burden and its association with health development in the Western Pacific, 1990-2021.

Background: Liver cancer (LC) is a major public health challenge in the Western Pacific Region (WPR), characterized by etiological diversity and increasing burden from both infectious and noninfectious causes. This study aimed to assess the burden of primary LC and its association with health system development indicators across the WPR from 1990 to 2021.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021, covering 31 countries and territories in the WPR.

Evaluation of the diagnostic efficacy of CRISPR-based tuberculosis diagnostics, GeneXpert MTB/RIF, and innowave DX MTB/RIF across diverse tuberculosis patient populations.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)-based tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics, GeneXpert MTB/RIF, and Innowave DX MTB/RIF assays across diverse tuberculosis patient populations.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted on hospitalized patients with suspected tuberculosis from June 2023 to September 2023. The study population was stratified by age, gender, and comorbidity status.

Microwave-assisted direct amidation of thioesters: a green approach.

The direct amidation of thioesters represents an essentially nonclassical route in the synthesis of amides, frequently encountering limitations due to poor compatibility between thioester and amine structures as well as poor atom economy. Herein, we describe a green, efficient and microwave-assisted protocol that not only facilitates high-yielding amide bond formation but also converts the sulfur-containing byproducts into valuable disulfides, significantly enhancing the atom economy. Mechanistic studies establish two concurrent pathways: acyl nucleophilic addition-elimination and oxygen-mediated radical oxidation of the sulfur group.

Mechanism analysis of Tongqiao Yizhi decoction in treating vascular dementia rats by brain tissue untargeted metabonomics and fecal 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Objective: To analyze the mechanism of Tongqiao Yizhi decoction (TQYZD, ) in treating vascular dementia (VaD) rats using brain tissue untargeted metabonomics and fecal 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Methods: The chemical composition of TQYZD was analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry. The effects of TQYZD on VaD rats were evaluated by water maze test, hematoxylin-eosin staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot.

A pH-Sensitive Glutathione Responsive Small-Molecule Probe TZ2 Sensitizes Lung Cancer Cells to Chemotherapy by Targeting Tumor Microenvironment.

The tumor microenvironment plays an important role in tumor incidence, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance. Novel therapeutic strategies targeting the tumor microenvironment have become a research focus in the field of biomedicine. In this study, we developed a smart small-molecule probe, , featuring pH/GSH dual-responsive characteristics.

CXCL13 as a Prognostic Biomarker and Modulator of the Tumor Microenvironment in Colorectal Cancer.

Objectives: Immunotherapy yields limited results in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of the immune landscape within the tumor microenvironment. Although the C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) recruits B cells and promotes tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) formation, its immune function and prognostic value in CRC remain unclear. This study investigated the impact of CXCL13 on patient outcomes and CRC immune landscape.

Comparative clinical and imaging features of chronic nonspecific neck pain and degenerative cervical spondylosis: A retrospective propensity score-matched analysis.

Background: Cervical spine degeneration affects sagittal alignment, muscle morphology, intervertebral discs, and bone quality. Chronic nonspecific neck pain (CNSNP) may represent an early stage of degenerative cervical spondylosis (DCS), yet their differences remain unclear. This study intends to compare these features between CNSNP and DCS patients.

Photoelectron momentum distributions by an inhomogeneous polarization-gated pulse.

We theoretically investigate the photoelectron momentum distributions (PMDs) of the argon atom by using an inhomogeneous polarization-gated pulse. The numerical results show that the symmetry of the PMDs is disrupted and a vertical interference stripe appears as the inhomogeneity parameters increase. We illustrate that the interference mechanisms of these vertical interference stripes are different from traditional interference mechanisms, which are interference between direct electrons ionized in the same quarter-cycle.

Astrocytes promote oligodendrocyte precursor cell proliferation via Cx47mediated regulation of exosomederived CHI3L1 secretion.

Objectives: Neurodegenerative diseases are closely associated with myelin loss, and the proliferation and differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) are crucial to remyelination. However, the regulatory mechanisms involved remain incompletely understood. This study aims to investigate how astrocytes (ASTs) regulate the secretion of chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) via connexin 47 (Cx47)-mediated exosome signaling, and its subsequent effect on OPC proliferation.

Comparing the linkages between carbon components and soil aggregates in vegetable fields to continuous input of different carbon sources.

Aims: To address the issue of declining soil organic carbon (SOC) in vegetable fields, this study investigated the effects of continuous input of different carbon sources on soil carbon pool dynamics.

Methods: A five-year field plot experiment was conducted to analyze the impact of organic fertilizer, biochar, and their combined application on soil organic carbon components, aggregate stability, and carbon pool characteristics.

Results: The continuous application of biochar and organic fertilizer significantly increased the content of soil organic carbon components.

Characterization of Microbial Profiles and Antimicrobial Resistance in Diabetic Foot Ulcers at a Tertiary Care Facility in Northern China.

Introduction: There are differences in the microbiological and antimicrobial patterns of patients with diabetic foot infections (DFI) in different regions. Understanding the microbiological and antimicrobial patterns of patients with DFI in this region provides a basis for the empirical use of antibiotics in clinical practice.

Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical and laboratory characteristics and microbiological and antibacterial patterns of patients with DFI from January 2016 to December 2023.

Rapid Diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection and Drug Resistance Based on Real-Time Fluorescence PCR.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health concern that disproportionately affects vulnerable populations. The emergence and spread of drug-resistant TB pose a serious threat to global public health. Traditional diagnostic methods for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), such as smear microscopy and culture, have significant limitations and often result in delayed clinical treatment.

A Large-Scale Single-Cell Atlas Reveals the Peripheral Immune Panorama of Bacterial Pneumonia.

Rationale: Bacterial pneumonia poses a substantial global health burden, yet the immunological mechanisms driving disease pathogenesis and resolution are incompletely understood.

Methods: We generated a large-scale single-cell transcriptomic atlas of peripheral blood immune cells from 100 individuals: 39 with severe bacterial pneumonia, 31 with mild disease, and 30 healthy controls. Integrating scRNA-seq with clinical and molecular data revealed profound remodeling of the peripheral immune landscape across disease severities.

Kilowatt-level narrow-linewidth cascaded Yb-Raman fiber amplifier at 1178 nm.

A kilowatt-level narrow-linewidth all-fiber amplifier at 1178 nm based on cascaded Yb-Raman hybrid gains is demonstrated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. Three phase-modulated single-frequency fiber sources operating at 1071 nm, 1120 nm, and 1178 nm are applied in this amplifier. They can extract Yb ion gain and function as a temporally stable 1st-order Raman-pumped laser, a 2nd-order Raman-pumped laser, and a Raman signal laser, respectively.

Long-Term Outcomes of Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Coloenterostomy With a Lumen-Apposing Metal Stent for Malignant Small Bowel Obstruction.

Background And Aims: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided coloenterostomy (EUS-CE) using lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) has emerged as a potential alternative for the palliative treatment of malignant small bowel obstruction (MSBO). However, the long-term outcomes of EUS-CE remain unclear. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of EUS-CE, focusing on long-term outcomes.

Mechanistic insights into electric field-driven specific ion effects on nanoplastics aggregation in heavy metal co-contaminated aquatic systems.

The concurrent pollution of nanoplastics and heavy metals poses emerging threats to relevant aquatic systems. To elucidate the interfacial mechanisms governing nanoplastics-heavy metal aggregation, specifically clarify the unreconized role of electric fields on these processes, systematic investigation of carboxyl-modified polystyrene nanoplastics (PNs) aggregation mediated by Pb²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Zn²⁺ were conducted. Quantitative analyses revealed distinct specific ion effects on PNs aggregation, as evidenced by critical coagulation concentrations (CCC: Pb (1.