Ethyl 3-mercaptopropionate, a safe food flavoring, competitively inhibits polyphenol oxidase and prevents browning in fresh-cut produce.

Enzymatic browning, caused by polyphenol oxidase (PPO), degrades fresh-cut produce, resulting in significant economic losses. This study investigates ethyl 3-mercaptopropionate (EMP), a safe food flavoring, as a novel PPO inhibitor. EMP at 50-100 μL/L effectively prevented browning in both fresh-cut potatoes and tobacco leaf pulp, performing comparably to the standard inhibitor sodium bisulfite but offering better safety.

Transformer-enhanced end-to-end models for accurate displacement and strain fields in digital image correlation.

This paper presents two end-to-end digital image correlation (DIC) models-D-ST and S-ST-that leverage the Swin Transformer architecture to accurately predict full-field displacement and strain distributions. Unlike conventional DIC methods and existing CNN-based approaches, our models integrate local and global information via window-based and shifted window-based multi-head self-attention mechanisms, enabling robust and precise measurement of high-frequency deformation features. Utilizing a U-Net-like encoder-decoder framework with a multiscale feature fusion strategy, the proposed models address longstanding challenges in capturing complex strain gradients and nonlinear deformation patterns.

Vertical Distribution of Sources and Atmospheric Impacts of HONO in the North China Plain.

Nitrous acid (HONO) plays a significant role in tropospheric air quality as a crucial precursor of hydroxyl radicals (OH). While extensive research has focused on ground-level HONO, the sources and atmospheric implications of high-altitude HONO remain poorly understood. In this study, the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model was employed to explore the vertical distribution of HONO chemistry.

Reconstruction method for highly curved surfaces using bi-direction laser speckle.

The inability of single-direction speckle projection to fully cover large-curvature surfaces limits the reconstruction accuracy and surface completeness. This study proposes a method for high-precision 3D reconstruction of large-curvature surfaces, using a multi-camera array combined with laser-projected speckles. A low-cost laser speckle projection device is developed to generate speckle patterns, with the optimal distance for speckle generation determined based on the relationship between the frosted glass and lenses.

Biochar-organic fertilizer synergy drives microbial-mediated C-sequestration and N-cycling in mixed forests toward sustainability.

Fertilizer management in artificial mixed systems is generally regarded as an efficacious approach to enhance soil fertility and sustain soil health. Nevertheless, research on the impacts of incorporating 600 g biochar (BC) with 1500 g organic fertilizers (OF) in the subsoil on the functional characteristics of short-term soil nutrient cycling in artificial mixed woodland soils remains scarce. This study investigated the effects of BC, OF, and (600 g BC + 1500 g OF) their mixture (OFBC) on soil properties and microbial functions in Cyclobalanopsis glauca and Pinus massoniana plantations.

Diagnostic Machine Learning Models of Infectious Mononucleosis in Children Based on Clinical Data: A Retrospective Multicenter Study.

The clinical manifestations of infectious mononucleosis (IM) and acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) exhibit significant similarities. We aim to develop cost-efficient models for IM in children utilizing the Shapley Additive explanation (SHAP) algorithm. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with the first diagnosis of IM from three medical centers.

Epidemiology, characteristics, management, and survival of patients with malignant carotid body tumors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of current evidence.

Background and AimMalignant carotid body tumors (CBTs) represent a rare clinical entity, with existing studies limited by small sample sizes and fragmented data. This systematic review aims to: (1) Pool epidemiological estimates of malignant CBTs; (2) Characterize clinicopathological profiles; (3) Evaluate treatment modalities and survival outcomes; (4) Identify risk factors for malignant transformation.MethodsA comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science was conducted through January 1, 2024 for literatures with malignant CBTs.

Risk factors analysis and prediction model construction of hospital-acquired pneumonia after traumatic brain injury.

Background: Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HBP) is a common and serious infections disease that affects the patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Severe pneumonia can lead to high mortality and morbidity in TBI patients. Therefore, it is important to investigate the risk factors and develop a prediction model for HBP following TBI.

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis and ketoacidosis in a diabetic patient: A case report and literature review.

Rationale: Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is a rare disease characterized by gas accumulation in the intestinal wall, and is usually treated conservatively. Patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) sometimes present with severe abdominal pain as the first symptom, which may be misdiagnosed. We report a case of PCI in a patient with diabetes mellitus (DM) misdiagnosed as gastrointestinal perforation and underwent exploratory laparotomy.

LAZY5 acts in an LAZY1-independent pathway to regulate rice tiller angle.

Tiller angle is a key agronomic trait that influences plant architecture and thus grain yield by optimizing rice planting density. Although great progress has been made in understanding the LAZY1-dependent pathway mediating rice tiller angle, the genetic regulatory network of rice tiller angle remains to be elucidated. Here, we identified a new tiller angle gene LAZY5 (LA5) that encodes a member of the ATP binding cassette transporter G subfamily (ABCG) transporter.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy versus long-course neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 5,168 cases.

Background: Long-course neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (Lc-NCRT) is the conventional treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). It improves R0 resection rate and reduces local recurrence rate, but it cannot improve long-term oncological outcomes. It also causes several radiotherapy-related side effects.

Distribution characteristics and environmental effects of magnetic spherules in surface sediments of the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea.

The pollution problem in the marine environment is becoming increasingly serious. Magnetic spherules not only affect human health during the transfer process but also pollute the marine sediment environment because of the heavy metals they carry and their strong magnetic properties. The morphology and distribution characteristics of magnetic spherules in 46 surface sediments from the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea shelfs were studied by means of magnetic measurements, scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM‒EDS) and backward trajectory.

Synergistic adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline by a functionalized FeO/CuWO/biochar Z-scheme composite.

The effective removal of tetracycline (TC) from aquatic environments remains a critical challenge due to its persistence and ecological risks. In this study, a novel magnetic photocatalyst (MCB) was synthesized by loading FeO and CuWO onto biochar, aiming to integrate adsorption enrichment with Z-scheme visible-light photocatalysis. The biochar (BC) framework exhibited a high specific surface area (117.

Minimization of proteome reallocation explains metabolic transition in hierarchical utilization of carbon sources.

Cells choose between alternative pathways in metabolic networks under diverse environmental conditions, but the principles governing the choice are insufficiently understood, especially in response to dynamically changing conditions. Here, we observed that the lactic acid bacterium displayed homolactic fermentation on glucose or trehalose as the sole carbon source but transitioned from homolactic to heterolactic fermentation during the hierarchical utilization of glucose and trehalose when growing on the mixture. We simulated the observation by dynamic minimization of reallocation of the proteome (dMORP) using an enzyme-constrained genome-scale metabolic model, which coincided with our omics data.

OmpR Indirectly Regulates Biosynthesis of Xenocoumacin 1 in .

has excellent potential for application in both medicine and agriculture due to its various active secondary metabolites. The transcriptional regulator OmpR negatively regulates Xenocoumacin 1 (Xcn1), which has wide antimicrobial activity. Here, we expressed and purified OmpR and verified its binding activities to promoters via an electrophoretic mobility shift assay.

Appraisal of Residual Tumor Burden on Survival Prognosis Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

Background: The eighth edition American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) guidelines introduced the postneoadjuvant therapy pathologic tumor, node, metastasis (ypTNM) staging system to assess gastric cancer prognosis postneoadjuvant chemotherapy; however, it overlooks other residual tumor burden aspects beyond tumor infiltration depth and positive lymph nodes.

Methods: Data from 537 locally advanced gastric cancer patients (cT2-4NanyM0) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (2010-2021) across six tertiary centers were analyzed. Prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were identified using Cox regression.

Electrochemical-colorimetric dual-mode detection of zearalenone based on restriction endonuclease-driven DNA walker system.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a toxic metabolite produced mainly by strains of Fusarium spp. and is characterized by high toxicity and easy residue. Prolonged exposure to ZEN-contaminated grains can produce a range of toxic effects in the body and affect human health.

Knowledge Mapping of Intracranial Artery Dissection: A Bibliometric Analysis (2014-2024).

Background: Intracranial artery dissection (IAD) is a rare but serious vascular disease predominantly affecting young and middle-aged individuals. This condition is marked by a high incidence and significant disability rate. The increasing number of affected patients underscores the growing attention that the pathogenesis and treatment of IAD are receiving from scholars worldwide.

Angular diversity illumination method for effective suppression of speckle decorrelation noise in speckle interferometry.

Speckle decorrelation noise significantly reduces the quality of phase fringe patterns in speckle interferometry. Conventional filtering methods often involve a trade-off between noise suppression and computational efficiency. To address this limitation, we propose a speckle noise suppression approach based on angular diversity in illumination.

Systems Biology Analysis of the Effect of pH on Lactate Fermentation in Bacillus coagulans Under Mixed Carbon Sources.

Environmental pH plays a crucial role in microbial metabolism. Microorganisms adapt their metabolic strategies in response to different pH conditions, which must be carefully controlled in industrial production processes to achieve desired outcomes. However, the dynamic impact of pH on hierarchical utilization of mixed carbon sources remains poorly understood.

Oxygenated Organic Molecules over the Boundary Layer Aloft in Beijing.

Oxygenated organic molecules (OOMs) originate from both direct emissions and secondary formation via the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from biogenic and anthropogenic sources. OOMs are suggested to play a crucial role in the nucleation and growth of newly formed particles, which in turn influence climate, health and air quality. However, OOMs and the associated nucleation and growth of aerosols in the boundary layer aloft are not considered in atmospheric chemistry models owing to limited observation data.

Linear high signal of brain CT in a patient with leukemic encephalopathy.

Leukemic encephalopathy is a syndrome characterized by neurological and psychiatric abnormalities caused by meningeal and brain tissue lesions resulting from leukemia and its complications. The incidence of leukemic encephalopathy is relatively low, but it may increase in certain types of leukemia, such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The specific incidence varies among reports and studies, with some indicating an occurrence rate of about 5%, while domestic reports suggest that the incidence of leukemic encephalopathy in acute myeloid leukemia is generally less than 3%.

Elucidating metabolic mechanisms underlying the influence of specific growth rate on alkaline protease synthesis in Bacillus licheniformis through combined omics and computational modeling analysis.

Specific growth rate is a crucial physiological parameter in fermentation. This study integrates transcriptomics, metabolomics and genome-scale metabolic modeling to uncover the physiological changes in Bacillus licheniformis induced by specific growth rate during fed-batch fermentation. The results showed that increasing growth rates significantly enhanced both cell growth and alkaline protease activity.

Unexpected SO Photooxidation on Quantum-Sized Carbon.

Surface photochemistry of carbon quantum dots (CQD) under atmospheric conditions remains poorly understood. Here, we systematically investigate the photoreactivity of CQD in the presence of SO and reveal that CQD photoageing and its interaction with SO occur independently of O. Through a combined experimental and theoretical approach, we demonstrate that these unexpected surface reactions are driven by unique energy transfer and photocatalytic processes induced by photoexcited CQD.

Clinical Management of Wasp Stings Using Large Language Models: Cross-Sectional Evaluation Study.

Background: Wasp stings are a significant public health concern in many parts of the world, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. The venom of wasps contains a variety of bioactive compounds that can lead to a wide range of clinical effects, from mild localized pain and swelling to severe, life-threatening allergic reactions, such as anaphylaxis. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, large language models (LLMs) are increasingly being used in health care, including emergency medicine and toxicology.