Features and Prognostic Value of Quantitative Electroencephalogram Changes in Critically Ill and Non-critically Ill Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis Patients: A Pilot Study

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a common cause of encephalitis in intensive care units. Until now, no reliable method has existed for predicting the outcome of anti-NMDAR encephalitis. In this study, we used quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) to examine the brain function of anti-NMDAR encephalitis patients and assessed its predictive value. Twenty-six patients diagnosed with anti-NMDAR encephalitis were included and grouped according to whether they were treated in intensive care units (14 critically ill vs. 12 non-critically ill). All patients underwent 2-h 10-channel qEEG recordings at the acute stage. Parameters, including amplitude-integrated electroencephalogram (aEEG), spectral edge frequency 95%, total power, power within different frequency bands (δ, θ, α, and β), and percentages of power in specific frequency bands from frontal and parietal areas were calculated with NicoletOne Software and compared between groups. The short-term outcome was death or moderate/severe disability at 3 months after onset, measured with a modified Rankin Scale, and the long-term outcome was death, disability or relapse at 12 months. No differences in qEEG parameters were observed between the critically ill and non-critically ill patients. However, differential anterior-to-posterior alterations in δ and β absolute band power were observed. Logistic regression analysis revealed that a narrower parietal aEEG bandwidth was associated with favorable long-term outcomes (odds ratio, 37.9; P = 0.044), with an optimal cutoff value of 1.7 μV and corresponding sensitivity and specificity of 90.00 and 56.25%, respectively. In a receiver operating characteristic analysis, the area under the curve was 0.7312. In conclusion, the qEEG parameters failed to reflect the clinical severity of anti-NMDAR encephalitis. However, the parietal aEEG bandwidth may separate patients with favorable and poor long-term outcomes in early stages. The underlying mechanisms require further investigation

Effects of the second-order hydrodynamics on the dynamic behavior of the platform among the wind-wave hybrid systems

This paper presents three different wind-wave hybrid systems (HSs) with multiple point-absorption wave energy converters (WECs) integrated onto a floating semi-submersible wind turbine (WT). The focus of the present study is to explore the effects of the second-order wave forces on the dynamic behavior of the platform in the HS, including the platform motion and the mooring line tension, under both operational and extreme sea states. ANSYS/AQWA based on 3D diffraction/radiation potential theory is used to conduct numerical investigation on the second-order hydrodynamics of the HS. To ensure the reliability of the investigation, the validations of the semi-submersible platform and point-absorption WEC are done based on the available experimental data. Additionally, two models, “1st-order” and "1st&2nd-order", are set up for comparative analysis, to highlight the significance of the second-order forces. The simulation results show that the second-order hydrodynamics have a significant influence on the surge and pitch responses of the platform, but almost no effects on the heave response. In addition to this, ignoring the second-order hydrodynamics will significantly underestimate the mooring line tension response. Overall, this study suggests that the second-order hydrodynamics should be considered in the design of wind-wave HSs, in order to ensure their performance and safety, especially under the severe sea states

Comparison of the fecal microbiota of two free-ranging Chinese subspecies of the leopard (Panthera pardus) using high-throughput sequencing

The analysis of gut microbiota using fecal samples provides a non-invasive approach to understand the complex interactions between host species and their intestinal bacterial community. However, information on gut microbiota for wild endangered carnivores is scarce. The goal of this study was to describe the gut microbiota of two leopard subspecies, the Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) and North Chinese leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis). Fecal samples from the Amur leopard (n = 8) and North Chinese leopard (n = 13) were collected in Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park and Shanxi Tieqiaoshan Provincial Nature Reserve in China, respectively. The gut microbiota of leopards was analyzed via high-throughput sequencing of the V3–V4 region of bacterial 16S rRNA gene using the Life Ion S5™ XL platform. A total of 1,413,825 clean reads representing 4,203 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were detected. For Amur leopard samples, Firmicutes (78.4%) was the dominant phylum, followed by Proteobacteria (9.6%) and Actinobacteria (7.6%). And for the North Chinese leopard, Firmicutes (68.6%), Actinobacteria (11.6%) and Fusobacteria (6.4%) were the most predominant phyla. Clostridiales was the most diverse bacterial order with 37.9% for Amur leopard and 45.7% for North Chinese leopard. Based on the beta-diversity analysis, no significant difference was found in the bacterial community composition between the Amur leopard and North Chinese leopard samples. The current study provides the initial data about the composition and structure of the gut microbiota for wild Amur leopards and North Chinese leopards, and has laid the foundation for further investigations of the health, dietary preferences and physiological regulation of leopards

Accelerated Li⁺ Desolvation for Diffusion Booster Enabling Low‐Temperature Sulfur Redox Kinetics via Electrocatalytic Carbon‐Grazfted‐CoP Porous Nanosheets

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are famous for their high energy density and low cost, but prevented by sluggish redox kinetics of sulfur species due to depressive Li ion diffusion kinetics, especially under low-temperature environment. Herein, a combined strategy of electrocatalysis and pore sieving effect is put forward to dissociate the Li+ solvation structure to stimulate the free Li+ diffusion, further improving sulfur redox reaction kinetics. As a protocol, an electrocatalytic porous diffusion-boosted nitrogen-doped carbon-grafted-CoP nanosheet is designed via forming the NCoP active structure to release more free Li+ to react with sulfur species, as fully investigated by electrochemical tests, theoretical simulations and in situ/ex situ characterizations. As a result, the cells with diffusion booster achieve desirable lifespan of 800 cycles at 2 C and excellent rate capability (775 mAh g−1 at 3 C). Impressively, in a condition of high mass loading or low-temperature environment, the cell with 5.7 mg cm−2 stabilizes an areal capacity of 3.2 mAh cm−2 and the charming capacity of 647 mAh g−1 is obtained under 0 °C after 80 cycles, demonstrating a promising route of providing more free Li ions toward practical high-energy Li–S batteries

Genetic dissection of QTLs for oil content in four maize DH populations

Oil is one of the main components in maize kernels. Increasing the total oil content (TOC) is favorable to optimize feeding requirement by improving maize quality. To better understand the genetic basis of TOC, quantitative trait loci (QTL) in four double haploid (DH) populations were explored. TOC exhibited continuously and approximately normal distribution in the four populations. The moderate to high broad-sense heritability (67.00-86.60%) indicated that the majority of TOC variations are controlled by genetic factors. A total of 16 QTLs were identified across all chromosomes in a range of 3.49-30.84% in term of phenotypic variation explained. Among them, six QTLs were identified as the major QTLs that explained phenotypic variation larger than 10%. Especially, qOC-1-3 and qOC-2-3 on chromosome 9 were recognized as the largest effect QTLs with 30.84% and 21.74% of phenotypic variance, respectively. Seventeen well-known genes involved in fatty acid metabolic pathway located within QTL intervals. These QTLs will enhance our understanding of the genetic basis of TOC in maize and offer prospective routes to clone candidate genes regulating TOC for breeding program to cultivate maize varieties with the better grain quality

Differential distribution patterns and assembly processes of soil microbial communities under contrasting vegetation types at distinctive altitudes in the Changbai Mountain

Diversity patterns and community assembly of soil microorganisms are essential for understanding soil biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Investigating the impacts of environmental factors on microbial community assembly is crucial for comprehending the functions of microbial biodiversity and ecosystem processes. However, these issues remain insufficiently investigated in related studies despite their fundamental significance. The present study aimed to assess the diversity and assembly of soil bacterial and fungal communities to altitude and soil depth variations in mountain ecosystems by using 16S and ITS rRNA gene sequence analyses. In addition, the major roles of environmental factors in determining soil microbial communities and assembly processes were further investigated. The results showed a U-shaped pattern of the soil bacterial diversity at 0–10  cm soil depth along altitudes, reaching a minimum value at 1800 m, while the fungal diversity exhibited a monotonically decreasing trend with increasing altitude. At 10–20  cm soil depth, the soil bacterial diversity showed no apparent changes along altitudinal gradients, while the fungal Chao1 and phylogenetic diversity (PD) indices exhibited hump-shaped patterns with increasing altitude, reaching a maximum value at 1200 m. Soil bacterial and fungal communities were distinctively distributed with altitude at the same depth of soil, and the spatial turnover rates in fungi was greater than in bacteria. Mantel tests suggested soil physiochemical and climate variables significantly correlated with the β diversity of microbial community at two soil depths, suggesting both soil and climate heterogeneity contributed to the variation of bacterial and fungal community. Correspondingly, a novel phylogenetic null model analysis demonstrated that the community assembly of soil bacterial and fungal communities were dominated by deterministic and stochastic processes, respectively. The assembly processes of bacterial community were significantly related to the soil DOC and C:N ratio, while the fungal community assembly processes were significantly related to the soil C:N ratio. Our results provide a new perspective to assess the responses of soil microbial communities to variations with altitude and soil depth

Autoantibodies against eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 delta in two patients with autoimmune cerebellar ataxia

BackgroundAutoantibodies are useful biomarkers for the early detection and diagnosis of autoimmune cerebellar ataxia (ACA).ObjectiveTo identify novel autoantibody candidates in ACA patients.MethodsPatients with cerebellar ataxia of unknown cause were recruited from July 2018 to February 2023. Anti-neural autoantibodies in patient samples were detected by tissue-based indirect immunofluorescence assay (TBA) on rat cerebellum sections. TBA-positive samples were further screened for well-established anti-neural autoantibodies using commercial kits. Tissue-immunoprecipitation (TIP) and subsequent mass spectrometric (MS) analysis were used to explore the target antigens of autoantibodies in samples that were TBA-positive but negative for known autoantibodies. The specific binding between autoantibodies and the identified target antigen was confirmed by neutralization experiments, recombinant cell-based indirect immunofluorescence assay (CBA), and western blotting experiments.ResultsThe eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 delta (EEF1D) protein was identified as a target antigen of autoantibodies in samples from a 43-year-old female ACA patient, while the specific binding of autoantibodies and EEF1D was confirmed by subsequent experiments. A second anti-EEF1D autoantibody-positive ACA patient, a 59-year-old female, was detected in simultaneous screening. The main clinical manifestations in each of the two patients were cerebellar syndrome, such as unsteady walking and limb ataxia. Both patients received immunotherapy, including corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, and mycophenolate mofetil. Their outcomes provided evidence to support the effectiveness of immunotherapy, but the cerebellar atrophy that occurred before treatment may be irreversible.ConclusionIn the current study, we identified anti-EEF1D autoantibody as a novel autoantibody candidate in ACA. Its pathological roles and diagnostic value need to be further verified in larger-scale studies

In-depth analysis of laboratory parameters reveals the interplay between sex, age, and systemic inflammation in individuals with COVID-19

Background The progression and severity of COVID-19 vary significantly in the population. While the hallmarks of SARS-CoV-2 and severe COVID-19 within routine laboratory parameters are emerging, the impact of sex and age on these profiles is still unknown. Methods A multidimensional analysis was performed involving millions of records of laboratory parameters and diagnostic tests for 178 887 individuals from Brazil, of whom 33 266 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Analyzed data included those relating to complete blood cell count, electrolytes, metabolites, arterial blood gases, enzymes, hormones, cancer biomarkers, and others. Findings COVID-19 induced similar alterations in laboratory parameters in males and females. CRP and ferritin were increased, especially in older men with COVID-19, whereas abnormal liver function tests were common across several age groups, except for young women. Low peripheral blood basophils and eosinophils were more common in the elderly with COVID-19. Both male and female COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units displayed alterations in the coagulation system, and higher values for neutrophils, CRP, and lactate dehydrogenase. Conclusions Our study uncovered the laboratory profiles of a large cohort of COVID-19 patients, which formed the basis of discrepancies influenced by aging and biological sex. These profiles directly linked COVID-19 disease presentation to an intricate interplay between sex, age, and immune activation

Notch1 Pathway Protects against Burn-Induced Myocardial Injury by Repressing Reactive Oxygen Species Production through JAK2/STAT3 Signaling

Oxidative stress plays an important role in burn-induced myocardial injury, but the cellular mechanisms that control reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and scavenging are not fully understood. This study demonstrated that blockade of Notch signaling via knockout of the transcription factor RBP-J or a pharmacological inhibitor aggravated postburn myocardial injury, which manifested as deteriorated serum CK, CK-MB, and LDH levels and increased apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Interruption of Notch signaling increased intracellular ROS production, and a ROS scavenger reversed the exacerbated myocardial injury after Notch signaling blockade. These results suggest that Notch signaling deficiency aggravated postburn myocardial injury through increased ROS levels. Notch signaling blockade also decreased MnSOD expression in vitro and in vivo. Notably, Notch signaling blockade downregulated p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 expression. Inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 signaling with AG490 markedly decreased MnSOD expression, increased ROS production, and aggravated myocardial injury. AG490 plus GSI exerted no additional effects. These results demonstrate that Notch signaling protects against burn-induced myocardial injury through JAK2/STAT3 signaling, which activates the expression of MnSOD and leads to decreased ROS levels