Wideband Beamforming for STAR-RIS-assisted THz Communications with Three-Side Beam Split

In this paper, we consider the simultaneously transmitting and reflecting reconfigurable intelligent surface (STAR-RIS)-assisted THz communications with three-side beam split. Except for the beam split at the base station (BS), we analyze the double-side beam split at the STAR-RIS for the first time. To relieve the double-side beam split effect, we propose a time delayer (TD)-based fully-connected structure at the STAR-RIS. As a further advance, a low-hardware complexity and low-power consumption sub-connected structure is developed, where multiple STAR-RIS elements share one TD. Meanwhile, considering the practical scenario, we investigate a multi-STAR-RIS and multi-user communication system, and a sum rate maximization problem is formulated by jointly optimizing the hybrid analog/digital beamforming, time delays at the BS as well as the double-layer phase-shift coefficients, time delays and amplitude coefficients at the STAR-RISs. Based on this, we first allocate users for each STAR-RIS, and then derive the analog beamforming, time delays at the BS, and the double-layer phase-shift coefficients, time delays at each STAR-RIS. Next, we develop an alternative optimization algorithm to calculate the digital beamforming at the BS and amplitude coefficients at the STAR-RISs. Finally, the numerical results verify the effectiveness of the proposed schemes

Synthesis, Biological Evaluation of Fluorescent 23-Hydroxybetulinic Acid Probes, and Their Cellular Localization Studies

© 2018 American Chemical Society. 23-Hydroxybetulinic acid (23-HBA) is a complex lupane triterpenoid, which has attracted increasing attention as an anticancer agent. However, its detailed mechanism of anticancer action remains elusive so far. To reveal its anticancer mode of action, a series of fluorescent 23-HBA derivatives conjugated with coumarin dyes were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their antiproliferative activities. Subcellular localization and uptake profile studies of representative fluorescent 23-HBA probe 26c were performed in B16F10 cells, and the results suggested that probe 26c was rapidly taken up into B10F10 cells in a dose-dependent manner and mitochondrion was the main site of its accumulation. Further mode of action studies implied that the mitochondrial pathway was involved in 23-HBA-mediated apoptosis. Together, our results provided new clues for revealing the molecular mechanism of natural product 23-HBA for its further development into an antitumor agent

Application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing and targeted metagenomic next-generation sequencing in diagnosing pulmonary infections in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients

BackgroundMetagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) technology has been widely used to diagnose various infections. Based on the most common pathogen profiles, targeted mNGS (tNGS) using multiplex PCR has been developed to detect pathogens with predesigned primers in the panel, significantly improving sensitivity and reducing economic burden on patients. However, there are few studies on summarizing pathogen profiles of pulmonary infections in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients in Jilin Province of China on large scale.MethodsFrom January 2021 to December 2023, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) or sputum samples from 546 immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients with suspected community-acquired pneumonia were collected. Pathogen profiles in those patients on whom mNGS was performed were summarized. Additionally, we also evaluated the performance of tNGS in diagnosing pulmonary infections.ResultsCombined with results of mNGS and culture, we found that the most common bacterial pathogens were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients with high detection rates of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium, respectively. For fungal pathogens, Pneumocystis jirovecii was commonly detected in patients, while fungal infections in immunocompetent patients were mainly caused by Candida albicans. Most of viral infections in patients were caused by Human betaherpesvirus 5 and Human gammaherpesvirus 4. It is worth noting that, compared with immunocompetent patients (34.9%, 76/218), more mixed infections were found in immunocompromised patients (37.8%, 14/37). Additionally, taking final comprehensive clinical diagnoses as reference standard, total coincidence rate of BALF tNGS (81.4%, 48/59) was much higher than that of BALF mNGS (40.0%, 112/280).ConclusionsOur findings supplemented and classified the pathogen profiles of pulmonary infections in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients in Jilin Province of China. Most importantly, our findings can accelerate the development and design of tNGS specifically used for regional pulmonary infections

Evaluation of phage-based decontamination in respiratory intensive care unit environments using ddPCR and 16S rRNA targeted sequencing techniques

BackgroundKlebsiella pneumoniae is a major cause of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), primarily spread through environmental contamination in hospitals. The effectiveness of current chemical disinfectants is waning due to emerging resistance, which poses environmental hazards and fosters new resistance in pathogens. Developing environmentally friendly and effective disinfectants against multidrug-resistant organisms is increasingly important.MethodsThis study developed a bacteriophage cocktail targeting two common carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) strains, ST11 KL47 and ST11 KL64. The cocktail was used as an adjunctive disinfectant in a hospital’s respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) via ultrasonic nebulization. Digital PCR was used to quantify CRKP levels post-intervention. The microbial community composition was analyzed via 16S rRNA sequencing to assess the intervention’s impact on overall diversity.ResultsThe phage cocktail significantly reduced CRKP levels within the first 24 hours post-treatment. While a slight increase in pathogen levels was observed after 24 hours, they remained significantly lower than those treated with conventional disinfectants. 16S rRNA sequencing showed a decrease in the target pathogens’ relative abundance, while overall species diversity remained stable, confirming that phages selectively target CRKP without disrupting ecological balance.DiscussionThe findings highlight the efficacy and safety of phage-based biocleaners as a sustainable alternative to conventional disinfectants. Phages selectively reduce multidrug-resistant pathogens while preserving microbial diversity, making them a promising tool for infection control

Immune cell early activation, apoptotic kinetic, and T-cell functional impairment in domestic pigs after ASFV CADC_HN09 strain infection

African swine fever (ASF) caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a fatal and highly contagious disease of domestic pigs characterized by rapid disease progression and death within 2 weeks. How the immune cells respond to acute ASFV infection and contribute to the immunopathogenesis of ASFV has not been completely understood. In this study, we examined the activation, apoptosis, and functional changes of distinct immune cells in domestic pigs following acute infection with the ASFV CADC_HN09 strain using multicolor flow cytometry. We found that ASFV infection induced broad apoptosis of DCs, monocytes, neutrophils, and lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of pigs over time. The expression of MHC class II molecule (SLA-DR/DQ) on monocytes and conventional DCs as well as CD21 expression on B cells were downregulated after ASFV infection, implying a potential impairment of antigen presentation and humoral response. Further examination of CD69 and ex vivo expression of IFN-γ on immune cells showed that T cells were transiently activated and expressed IFN-γ as early as 5 days post-infection. However, the capability of T cells to produce cytokines was significantly impaired in the infected pigs when stimulated with mitogen. These results suggest that the adaptive cellular immunity to ASFV might be initiated but later overridden by ASFV-induced immunosuppression. Our study clarified the cell types that were affected by ASFV infection and contributed to lymphopenia, improving our understanding of the immunopathogenesis of ASFV

Genomic, Pathway Network, and Immunologic Features Distinguishing Squamous Carcinomas

This integrated, multiplatform PanCancer Atlas study co-mapped and identified distinguishing molecular features of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) from five sites associated with smokin