Impact of mixed β-conglycinin and hydrolysates of glycinin on the thermal transition and polymerization behavior of gluten.

Selectively hydrolyzed soy protein can enhance wheat-based product quality by modulating gluten thermal polymerization. This study examined the effects of β-conglycinin (7S) and glycinin hydrolysate (GH) on gluten rheological and thermal properties, particle size, Raman spectra, and microstructure during heating. Both 7S and GH improved gluten viscoelasticity, with their combined addition (7S/GH) showing the strongest effect.

Fundamental Understanding of "Fresh" Lithium Nucleation and Growth in Sulfide-Based Anode-Free Solid-State Batteries: Effects of Substrate, Current Density, and Li Supply.

Understanding the electrochemical extraction and deposition of lithium (Li) from cathode is crucial for advancing anode-free solid-state batteries (AFSSBs). Herein, cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and electrochemical studies are employed to investigate how current collector surface properties, current densities, and cathode loadings influence the morphology of fresh electrochemically deposited Li and the electrochemical performance in sulfide-based AFSSBs. Cryo-TEM reveals that Cu current collectors induce irregular, dendritic Li deposits due to their lithiophobic nature and reactivity with LiPSCl (LPSC), while Ni and Au facilitate more uniform, planar-like Li growth.

Robust mode-locking in all-fiber ultrafast laser by nanocavity of two-dimensional heterostructure.

The fiber-based saturable absorber (SA) that enables mode-locking within a ring cavity serves as the core component of the ultrafast all-fiber lasers. However, the integration of SAs onto fibers with high compactness suffers from imbalanced saturable absorption properties and unstable mode-locking performance. Here, we present a robust mode-locking SA by integrating a nanocavity composed of a two-dimensional graphene heterostructure on the fiber end facet.

Acidic pH-Triggered Membrane Fusion Enables Lyophilized Lipid Nanoparticles as Potent Cryoprotectants for Human Erythrocytes.

The cryopreservation of human red blood cells (RBCs) is essential for maintaining a stable blood supply, but current glycerol-based methods are hindered by complex and time-consuming post-thaw processing. While trehalose is a promising biocompatible cryoprotectant, its efficient intracellular delivery into non-endocytic RBCs remains a major hurdle. Here, a lyophilized, ionizable lipid nanoparticle (LNP) platform is reported that overcomes this challenge via an acidic pH-triggered membrane fusion mechanism.

Improved image quality and diagnostic performance of coronary computed tomography angiography-derived fractional flow reserve with super-resolution deep learning reconstruction.

Background: Super-resolution deep learning reconstruction (SR-DLR) algorithm has emerged as a promising image reconstruction technique for improving the image quality of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and ensuring accurate CCTA-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) assessments even in problematic scenarios (e.g., the presence of heavily calcified plaque and stent implantation).

Fractional flow reserve calculation optimized by myocardial computed tomography perfusion information.

Background: Current computed tomography angiography-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) diagnosis leaves room for improvement in diagnosing coronary heart disease. In this study, the computed fluid dynamics boundary condition optimization method was used to calculate CT-FFR aiming to improve the diagnostic accuracy of CT-FFR for coronary heart disease.

Methods: The two enhancement approaches are as follows: (A) inlet flow optimization, which involves determining the total coronary inlet flow rate by summing the myocardial blood flow (MBF) across the entire left ventricular myocardium; and (B) inlet & outlet flow optimization: building upon method A, where the outlet flow of coronary artery branches is calculated through blood supply area analysis.

Integrated screening identifies GPR31 as a key driver and druggable target for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a globally prevalent but intractable disease lacking effective pharmacotherapies. Here, we performed an integrated multilayered screening for pathogenic genes and druggable targets for MASH. We identified the subclass of metabolite-sensing G protein-coupled receptors, specifically GPR31, a critical contributor to MASH occurrence, which, to our knowledge, was previously uncharacterized.

Functional Analyses of a RH-AZ Genome and Its Application for Promoting the Growth of Rice Under Saline Stress.

Soil salinity stands among the most critical abiotic stressors, imposing severe limitations on global rice cultivation. Emerging evidence highlights the potential of beneficial microorganisms to enhance crop salt tolerance. In this study, a halotolerant bacterial strain, RH-AZ (Gram-negative) was identified and analyzed.

Mapping the landscape: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of transversus abdominis plane block research (2007-2024).

Background: The transversus abdominis plane block (TAP-B) has emerged as a key component of multimodal analgesic regimens aimed at mitigating perioperative pain in diverse abdominal surgeries. Despite its widespread clinical adoption, the precise analgesic efficacy of TAP-B remains a subject of ongoing debate and active scientific inquiry. Therefore, a systematic evaluation of TAP-B publication trends and emerging research directions is essential to guide future investigation and advance evidence-based practice.

Advances in the application of porous organic frameworks composites for electrochemiluminescence sensing of heavy metal ions.

As an emerging analytical technology, the high sensitivity, low cost and low background signal of electrochemiluminescence (ECL) have led to its various applications, including in food safety, metal ion detection and mycotoxin detection. Porous organic framework (POF) composites are a series of porous crystalline materials and novel ECL luminescent materials. POFs include metal organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs), and so on.

Associations between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and type 2 diabetes: The modifying effects of lifestyle and genetic risk.

The longitudinal association between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) remains elusive. We conducted a nested case-control study, including 985 incident diabetes cases and 985 matched controls to explore the association of PFASs exposure with T2D. Serum concentrations of 30 PFASs were measured.

Roadmap for Photonics with 2D Materials.

Triggered by advances in atomic-layer exfoliation and growth techniques, along with the identification of a wide range of extraordinary physical properties in self-standing films consisting of one or a few atomic layers, two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and other van der Waals (vdW) crystals now constitute a broad research field expanding in multiple directions through the combination of layer stacking and twisting, nanofabrication, surface-science methods, and integration into nanostructured environments. Photonics encompasses a multidisciplinary subset of those directions, where 2D materials contribute remarkable nonlinearities, long-lived and ultraconfined polaritons, strong excitons, topological and chiral effects, susceptibility to external stimuli, accessibility, robustness, and a completely new range of photonic materials based on layer stacking, gating, and the formation of moiré patterns. These properties are being leveraged to develop applications in electro-optical modulation, light emission and detection, imaging and metasurfaces, integrated optics, sensing, and quantum physics across a broad spectral range extending from the far-infrared to the ultraviolet, as well as enabling hybridization with spin and momentum textures of electronic band structures and magnetic degrees of freedom.

MRI-based Middle Neck Involvement in Stage N1-N2 Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Marker for Risk Stratification.

Background The prognostic implications of middle neck involvement, defined as cervical lymph node metastasis between the caudal border of the hyoid bone and the cricoid cartilage, remain unclear in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Purpose To investigate the prognostic significance of middle neck involvement in patients with N1 or N2 NPC. Materials and Methods This retrospective analysis included patients with N1 or N2 NPC without distant metastasis treated between April 2009 and December 2017.

Trajectories and predictors of psychological recovery post zero-COVID among Chinese adolescents in disadvantaged regions.

With the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and the relaxation of social restrictions, it seems intuitive to expect significant reductions in learning difficulties and psychological distress among adolescents. However, their psychological recovery could be hindered by the increased stress arising from rapidly changing environments, particularly for those from less developed regions. A three-wave study focusing on Chinese adolescents (N = 962) from economically disadvantaged regions was conducted to examine their psychological distress and academic inefficacy changes before and after the relaxation of the Zero-COVID policy established in December 2022 as well as to identify predictors and mediators of the change trajectories across T1 (three months before the policy), T2 (three months after the policy), and T3 (six months after T2).

Predicting acupuncture efficacy for neck pain based on functional connectivity features: a machine learning study.

Objective: To explore the mechanisms of acupuncture-induced neck pain relief and identify appropriate candidates using neuroimaging and machine learning techniques.

Methods: Eighty neck pain patients were included, with clinical data and functional magnetic resonance imaging scans collected pre- and post-treatment. A support vector machine (SVM) model was built using pre-treatment brain functional connectivity to predict acupuncture responsiveness, identifying key features as potential biomarkers for effectiveness.

Toripalimab Combination Therapy Without Concurrent Cisplatin for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: The DIAMOND Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: With the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade toripalimab, omitting highly toxic concurrent cisplatin may be feasible for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) without compromising survival.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of toripalimab incorporated into induction chemotherapy and radiotherapy, without concurrent cisplatin, for locoregionally advanced NPC.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Open-label, multicenter, randomized phase 3 clinical trial conducted from August 2021 to July 2022 at 13 hospitals in China, enrolling 532 patients with T4N1M0 or T1-4N2-3M0 NPC; 400 (75.

AI-Assisted Art Therapy: Enhancing Psychological Recovery in Work-Related Injuries Through Personalized Emotional Support.

Work-related injuries often trigger anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), where art therapy shows promise but faces personalization limitations. This preregistered study investigated artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted art therapy, utilizing ChatGPT-4, to reduce anxiety and PTSD symptoms and improve emotional well-being in 113 participants recovering from work-related injuries, compared to traditional art therapy. The AI-assisted group received personalized feedback via an AI platform analyzing artwork.

2D Molybdenum Disulfide Embedded Photonic Crystal Fiber for all-Fiber Phase Retarder.

The integration of 2D materials with optical fibers enables multifunctional fiber devices, such as polarizers, modulators, and sensors. Recent advances in direct vapor deposition growth further enhance light-2D material interactions to centimeter-scale lengths, overcoming the micrometer-scale limitations of transferred 2D materials. However, conventional methods for growing 2D materials in fibers typically produce isotropic material architectures due to uniform precursor deposition, limiting applications that require birefringence, such as a phase retarder.

Revealing simultaneous enrichment and degradation mechanism of organic molecules driven by TENG via SERS.

Self-powered degradation (SPD) driven by the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has attracted significant attention. However, the effects of TENG on the migration of organic molecules have not been fully explored. Herein, a simultaneous enrichment and degradation mechanism of organic molecules around the electrode in the TENG electric field is proposed by surface enhancement of Raman scattering (SERS).

Association between serum lipase levels and chronic kidney disease stages.

Objective: To explore the relationship between serum lipase levels and chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression, evaluating its usefulness in assessing efficacy, severity, and predicting outcomes in CKD.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 251 CKD patients treated at our hospital from January 2018 to December 2023, categorizing them into four groups based on 2022 Chinese and 2024 KDIGO guidelines. Clinical and biochemical data, including serum lipase, Scr, and BUN were collected.

Association of Mediterranean Diet Adherence With Chronic Constipation and Chronic Diarrhea: Findings From NHANES.

This study investigated the association of Mediterranean diet (MED) adherence with chronic constipation and chronic diarrhea, using a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults.

Glycosylated quercetin/cisplatin combinational nanodrugs for enhanced oxidative therapy and chemotherapy.

Drug self-assembly technology holds great potential for drug delivery; however, its practical application is often hindered by poor dispersibility, instability, and suboptimal therapeutic efficacy in monotherapy. To address these limitations, we developed a co-assembly strategy based on glycosylation and coordination crosslinking. Lactobionic acid (LA)-modified quercetin (QC) derivatives were synthesized via phenylboronic acid ester bonds and further assembled with cisplatin (CDDP) through Pt-O coordination bonds, forming LA-QC@Pt/NPs.

Interpretable Rotation-Equivariant Multiary-Valued Network for Attribute Obfuscation.

This paper focuses on the problem of preventing information leakage in neural networks, i.e., assuming that attackers have obtained intermediate-layer features of a neural network, and preventing attackers from inverting these features to the input with private information.

Unraveling the Far-Field Coupling of Multilayered Chiral Metamaterials for CMOS-Enabled Midinfrared Imaging.

Three-dimensional (3D) chiral metamaterials are structures with broken out-of-plane symmetry. With intrinsic chirality, they present larger circular dichroism (CD) signals than the 2D chiral metamaterials. Among all types of 3D metamaterials, multilayer-stacked metamaterials stand out, as they have the potential for large-scale fabrication.