RCLM-net: A rich-club properties based lightweight deep neural network for multimodal sequence spine MR images segmentation.

The diagnosis of spinal diseases relies on the comprehensive assessment of multimodal sequence MR images. As a prior foundation for intelligent aid diagnosis, it is important to design an efficient MR image segmentation model. However, previous models for multimodal images tend to have a large number of parameters, which is not suitable for low-computing-power application scenarios, especially for primary medical sites.

Immigration-specific stress and 24-hour movement behaviors among international nurses in Japan: a network and time-series network analysis using wearable device data.

Background: As a sharp increase in healthcare demand has led to a severe shortage of nurses in aging societies, international nurses become to play a crucial role in supporting healthcare systems. However, they often face immigration-specific stress that may influence their 24-hour movement behaviors, including physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep, as key determinants of health. Despite the importance of these behaviors, limited research has examined the complex interrelationships among 24-hour movement behaviors in this population.

Evaluating diabetes camps for children with type 1 diabetes in Japan: leaders' perspectives from a qualitative study.

Objective: Diabetes camps (DCs) provide a safe and engaging environment for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) worldwide. Despite the positive impacts of DCs on disease management, the lack of formal guidelines for designing activities and strategies for sustainable development remains unexplored.

Methods: Using Japan as a case study, we conducted a qualitative study involving semistructured interviews with eight DC organisers.

Seaweed, Used as a Water-Retaining Agent, Improved the Water Distribution and Myofibrillar Protein Properties of Plant-Based Yak Meat Burgers Before and After Freeze-Thaw Cycles.

This study investigated quality changes in seaweed-yak patties before and after freeze-thaw by varying seaweed addition levels (10-70%). Macroscopically, the effects on water-holding capacity, textural properties, and oxidative indices of restructured yak patties were evaluated. Microscopically, the impact of seaweed-derived bioactive ingredients on patty microstructure and myofibrillar protein characteristics was examined.

Construction of safer hirudin-derived peptides with enhanced anticoagulant properties based on C-terminal active residue adaptation and modification.

Introduction: Hirudin exerts anticoagulant effects by inhibiting the binding and catalytic activity of thrombin to fibrinogen. However, its rigid N-terminal region irreversibly occupies the thrombin catalytic center, raising concerns about potential bleeding.

Objectives: In this study, a novel lead compound, WPHVC_V1, which is based on the competitive binding mechanism of the hirudin variant WPHV_C, was developed and validated for in vitro and in vivo activity and safety.

Passing the Parcels: Intercellular Nanoplastics Transfer in Mussels with Activated Immunomodulation.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are generally considered to have a defined intracellular fate, being difficult to excrete or transport due to their stability. This study provides the first evidence of NPs intercellular transfer in the hemocytes of green mussels (), which subsequently activated the immunomodulation process. NPs were predominantly internalized by granulocytes, with a portion being translocated and deposited in lysosomes, whereas those retained in endosomes were subsequently transferred to new hemocytes (mainly granulocytes).

Multimode Thermal Gating Based on Elastic Ceramic-Carbon Nanowhisker/Nanofiber Aerogels by Strain Engineering Strategy.

The capability to regulate heat transport dynamically and reversibly within solid materials propels advancement in aerospace conditioning, battery thermal control, and energy harvesting/conversion industries. Although aerogels are known for thermal insulation properties, their constant thermal resistance induced by immutable pore structure makes them struggle to reverse-release the accumulated thermal energy. Here, we develop a nanocrystalline whisker/nanofiber aerogel (WFA) thermal gating induced by the self-catalyzed growth strategy, whose elasticity offers possibilities for dynamic thermal management.

GWAS and eQTL analyses reveal genetic components influencing the key fiber yield trait lint percentage in upland cotton.

Lint percentage is an important component of cotton yield traits and an important economic indicator of cotton production. The initial stage of fiber development is a critical developmental period that affects the lint percentage trait, but the genetic regulation of the initial stage of fiber development needs to be resolved. In this study, we used a genomewide association study (GWAS) to identify 11 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to lint percentage and identified a total of 13 859 expression QTL (eQTLs) through transcriptome sequencing of 312 upland cotton accessions.

Impact of immigration-specific stress on safety attitudes: a national cross-sectional study on overseas qualified nurses in Japan.

Background: Many countries have addressed the global issue of nursing shortage by recruiting overseas nurses who are also qualified in the host country. Nevertheless, such nurses may encounter various obstacles in their personal and professional lives in the host country, leading to apprehensions about their perceptions of workplace safety in healthcare organisations.

Objective: This study investigated the current state of immigration-specific stress among overseas qualified nurses (OQNs) working in Japan and its impact on safety attitudes.

In vivo bioaccumulation and responses of hemocytes of mussels Perna viridis to microplastics and nanoplastics exposure.

Growing micro- and nano-plastic (MNPs) pollution in the environment poses a threat to marine animals. Due to their excellent filtration capacity, bivalves can easily ingest MNPs, which could be translocated to open circulation system with potential risks. In the present study, the accumulation and elimination of MNPs (200 nm and 1 µm) in the mussel hemolymph serum and hemocytes were firstly quantified, and the differential sensitiveresponses of two subpopulations of hemocytes were then explored by in vivo exposure under environmentally relevant concentration of MNPs (200 µg/L).

Pyrolysis-induced migration and transformation of heavy metals in sewage sludge containing microplastics.

Stabilizing heavy metals (HMs) in sewage sludge is urgently needed to facilitate its recycling and reuse. Pyrolysis stands out as a promising method for not only stabilizing these metals but also producing biochar. Our research delves into the migration and transformation of specific HMs (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb) during co-pyrolysis under various conditions, including the presence and absence of microplastics (PVC and PET).

Heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) as an early biomarker in sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy: a prospective observational study.

Background: Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SICM) is a common and life-threatening complication of sepsis, significantly contributing to elevated mortality. This study aimed to identify crucial indicators for the prompt and early assessment of SICM.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with sepsis or SICM within 24 h of intensive care unit (ICU) admission were enrolled in this prospective observational study.

Performance of ChatGPT Across Different Versions in Medical Licensing Examinations Worldwide: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Over the past 2 years, researchers have used various medical licensing examinations to test whether ChatGPT (OpenAI) possesses accurate medical knowledge. The performance of each version of ChatGPT on the medical licensing examination in multiple environments showed remarkable differences. At this stage, there is still a lack of a comprehensive understanding of the variability in ChatGPT's performance on different medical licensing examinations.

Narrowing row spacing and adding inter-block promote the grain filling and flag leaf photosynthetic rate of wheat under enlarged drip tube spacing system.

Enlarging the lateral space of drip tubes saves irrigation equipment costs (drip tubes and bypass), but it will lead to an increased risk of grain yield heterogeneity between wheat rows. Adjusting wheat row spacing is an effective cultivation measure to regulate a row's yield heterogeneity. During a 2-year field experiment, we investigated the variations in yield traits and photosynthetic physiology by utilizing two different water- and fertilizer-demanding spring wheat cultivars (NS22 and NS44) under four kinds of drip irrigation patterns with different drip tube lateral spacing and wheat row spacing [① TR4, drip tube spacing (DTS) was 60 cm, wheat row horizontal spacing (WRHS) was 15 cm; ② TR6, DTS was 90 cm, WRHS was 15 cm; ③ TR6L, DTS was 90 cm, WRHS was 10 cm, inter-block spacing (IBS) was 35 cm; and ④ TR6S, DTS was 80 cm, WRHS was 10 cm, IBS was 25 cm].

Fabrication and Application of Ag@SiO/Au Core-Shell SERS Composite in Detecting Cu in Water Environment.

A sensitive and simple method for detecting Cu in the water source was proposed by using surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy (SERS) based on the Ag@SiO/Au core-shell composite. The Ag@SiO SERS tag was synthesized by a simple approach, in which Ag nanoparticles were first embedded with Raman reporter PATP and next coated with a SiO shell. The Ag@SiO nanoparticles had strong stability even in a high-concentration salty solution, and there were no changes to their properties and appearance within one month.

Way to a Library of Ti-Series Oxide Nanofiber Sponges that are Highly Stretchable, Compressible, and Bendable.

Ti-series oxide ceramics in the form of aerogels, such as TiO, SrTiO, BaTiO, and CaCuTiO, hold tremendous potential as functional materials owing to their excellent optical, dielectric, and catalytic properties. Unfortunately, these inorganic aerogels are usually brittle and prone to pulverization owing to weak inter-particulate interactions, resulting in restricted application performance and serious health risks. Herein, a novel strategy is reported to synthesize an elastic form of an aerogel-like, highly porous structure, in which activity-switchable Ti-series oxide sols transform from the metastable state to the active state during electrospinning, resulting in condensation and solidification at the whipping stage to obtain curled nanofibers.

Multiscale Interpenetrated/Interconnected Network Design Confers All-Carbon Aerogels with Unprecedented Thermomechanical Properties for Thermal Insulation under Extreme Environments.

With ultralight weight, low thermal conductivity, and extraordinary high-temperature resistance, carbon aerogels hold tremendous potential against severe thermal threats encountered by hypersonic vehicles during the in-orbit operation and re-entry process. However, current 3D aerogels are plagued by irreconcilable contradictions between adiabatic and mechanical performance due to monotonicity of the building blocks or uncontrollable assembly behavior. Herein, a spatially confined assembly strategy of multiscale low-dimensional nanocarbons is reported to decouple the stress and heat transfer.

Phthalate acid esters contribute to the cytotoxicity of mask leachate: Cell-based assay for toxicity assessment.

After the COVID-19 outbreak, masks have become an essential part of people lives. Although several studies have been conducted to determine the release of hazardous substances from masks, how their co-presence poses a potential exposure risk to human health remains unexplored. In this study, we quantitatively compared the leaching of substances from six different common types of masks, including phthalate acid esters (PAEs), metals, and microplastics (MPs), and comprehensively evaluated the potential cytotoxicity of different leachates.

Transmission and retention of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in chicken and sheep manure composting.

Transmission of ARGs during composting with different feedstocks (i.e., sheep manure (SM), chicken manure (CM) and mixed manure (MM, SM:CM = 3:1 ratio) was studied by metagenomic sequencing.

Effect of Physical Activity/Exercise on Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: A Scoping Review.

The most common type of diabetes among children and adolescents is type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), which is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Additionally, lower levels of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are linked to an increased risk of CVD. Regular exercise is associated with a decreased risk of CVD and improved CRF.