Background/Rationale Weekly cholecalciferol can be an alternative to daily supplementation to reduce pill burden in patients with complex medication regimens and hypovitaminosis D, but evidence supporting this switch is unclear. Objective We aimed to determine whether weekly cholecalciferol was superior to daily cholecalciferol to replete patients with hypovitaminosis D. Methods We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials involving participants with baseline hypovitaminosis D (<30ng/ml) comparing weekly versus daily cholecalciferol dosing and where serum cholecalciferol was measured within 90 days of starting treatment. We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL and EMBASE from inception to May 7 th, 2024. A random-effects meta-analysis evaluated the odds ratio for repletion of serum Vitamin D levels. Findings Eight trials involving 542 patients were included in the analysis. Weekly D3 and daily cholecalciferol were not significantly different in correcting hypovitaminosis D (OR=1.5, 95% CI = 0.3-6.9, p=0.6, favoring weekly dosing, I 2=85.3%). A sensitivity analysis excluding otherwise healthy patients had similar findings (OR=0.8, 95% CI=0.3–2.1, p=0.6). Most studies were judged to be at risk of bias, the different doses being compared increased the heterogeneity (I 2=85.3%). Conclusions There is limited direct evidence supporting a switch from daily to weekly cholecalciferol dosing; however, weekly supplementation was not demonstrably worse at repleting levels and decreases a patient’s daily pill burden.

Metal dichalcogenide based 2D materials, gained considerable attention recently as a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst. In this work, we synthesized MoSe2 based electrocatalyst via hydrothermal route with varying phase contents (1T/2H) and respective HER performances were evaluated under the acidic media (0.5M H2SO4), where best HER performance was obtained from the sample consisting of mixed 1T/2H phases, which was directly grown on a carbon paper (167mV at 10mA/cm2) Furthermore, HER performance of electrocatalyst was further improved by in-situ electrodeposition of Pt nanoparticles (0.15 wt%) on the MoSe2 surface, which lead to significant enhancement in the HER performances (133mV at 10mA/cm2). Finally, we conducted DFT calculations to reveal the origin of such enhanced performances when the mixed 1T/2H phases were present, where phase boundary region (1T/2H heterojunction) act as a low energy pathway for H2 adsorption and desorption via electron accumulation effect. Moreover, presence of the Pt nanoparticles tunes the electronic states of the MoSe2 based catalyst, resulting in the enhanced HER activity at heterointerface of 1T/2H MoSe2 while facilitating the hydrogen adsorption and desorption process providing a low energy pathway for HER. These results provide new insight on atomic level understanding of the MoSe2 based catalyst for HER application.

Global climate change has led to a shift in rainfall patterns. And as water is an essential ingredient for plant photosynthesis, shifts in rainfall patterns will inevitably affect plant growth. In this study, the response of leaf traits and photosynthetic fluorescence properties of Fraxinus malacophylla seedlings to rainfall patterns during the dry and rainy seasons was investigated using a natural rainfall duration of 5 d (T) and an extended rainfall duration of 10 d (T+) as rainfall intervals; and a monthly average rainfall as control (W), with the corresponding rainfall treatments of a 40% increase in rainfall (W+) and a 40% decrease in rainfall (W-). The results showed that Pn, Gs, and Tr basically all tended to increase and then decrease with increasing rainfall in the dry season, and generally reached the highest under the W treatment; and Pn, Gs, Ci, and Tr mostly remained high at 5d relative to 10d; PI was overall higher under the W treatment throughout the dry season. Extending the rainfall interval at the beginning of the rainy season significantly reduced Fm; throughout the rainy season, Gs, Ci, and Tr basically showed a decreasing trend with increasing rainfall, reaching the highest under the W-treatment, and mostly higher at 5d than at 10d. These results suggest that natural rainfall intervals and natural rainfall amounts are more favorable to the growth of Fraxinus malacophylla seedlings in the dry season; reduced rainfall and multiple rainfalls in the rainy season tend to promote photosynthesis in Fraxinus malacophylla. This study reflects the different survival strategies of Fraxinus malacophylla under different rainfall patterns, as well as providing a theoretical basis for understanding how Fraxinus malacophylla can grow better under rainfall variability and for future management.

This paper focuses on the issue of adaptive event-triggered leader-follower consensus for multi-agents systems with output constraints and dead-zone inputs. By introducing an advanced nonlinear mapping technique to obtain the unconstrained auxiliary variables of constrained system states, a new systems model without output constraints is constructed. Unlike existing schemes, the proposed strategy can be used in both constrained and unconstrained situations without requiring changes to the control structure. Moreover, a state estimator is constructed to observe the unavailable states. To conserve communication resources, an event-triggered rule with a dynamic threshold is designed to decrease superfluous information transmissions from the controller to the actuator. It is proven that all signals in closed-loop systems are ultimately bounded and the system output does not violate the given constraint range. At last, a numerical simulation example is provided to confirm the correctness and efficiency of the proposed method.

Aluminum alloys are primary structural materials in aircraft fuel systems, where jet fuel can significantly affect the crack propagation behavior of the materials. This paper presents a model for calculating the crack growth rate of aluminum alloys in jet fuel environment. The model is based on elastoplastic fracture mechanics and revises the interaction terms in the linear superposition model by taking into account corrosion damage and crack closure effects. The derivation process of the model is discussed in detail. To validate the efficacy of the model, fatigue crack propagation tests were conducted on three types of aviation aluminum alloys, namely 2524-T3, 7050-T7451, and 7075-T62, in the jet fuel environment. The experimental results were compared with crack growth rates in the laboratory air environment. Findings indicate that the proposed model effectively captures the primary trends observed in the experimental data. In addition, the failure surfaces of the specimens were observed using a super-depth-of-field optical microscopy system. When subjected to jet fuel, among three materials tested, the 7075-T62 alloy was found to have the roughest failure surface. This increased roughness contributing to crack closure was identified as one of the reasons why its fatigue crack growth rate is significantly lower in the jet fuel than in air.

This paper deals with micromagnetic measurements for online detection of strain-induced α’-martensite during plastic deformation of metastable austenitic steel AISI 304L. The operating principles of the sensors are Barkhausen noise (MBN) and eddy currents (EC), which are suitable for detection of microstructure evolution due to formation of ferromagnetic phases. Nevertheless, the description of the calibration and transformation models of the micromagnetic measurements into quantitative α’-martensite fractions is beyond the scope of this paper. The focus will be put on the qualification of different micromagnetic methods as well as of different measurement systems under conditions similar to the real ones during production, which is crucial for implementation of a property-controlled flow forming process. The investigation was carried out on tubular specimens produced by flow forming, which have different content of α’-martensite. To characterize the sensitivity of the sensors, different contact conditions between sensors and workpieces were reproduced. MBN sensors are suitable for detecting amount of α’-martensite, but the measurements are affected by the surface roughness. This entails that the calibration models for MBN sensors must take account of these effects. EC sensors show a closer match with the amount of α’-martensite without having major affectation by other effects.

Seagrasses provide critical ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, sediment stabilisation and nursery habitat for juvenile fish. Zostera muelleri is ubiquitous within Australian and New Zealand estuaries however as a species is relatively understudied. We sourced seeds from a thermally-affected east Australian estuary and investigated if germination rates differed between ambient and thermally affected seeds over a variety of temperatures (16°C, - 28°C) to determine how seagrass systems might react in a warming climate. Germination for the experiment was low and totalled 5% of all seeds however similar numbers are typical in seed germination studies. Germination was highest at 16°C and was enhanced through the simulation of a 48-hour freshwater pulse. Thermally affected sites germinated faster and had greater mean maximum germination when compared to control sites regardless of experimental temperature. These findings indicate that Zostera muelleri in this system may be exhibiting transgenerational plasticity due to the thermal stress the parent experiences. This result provides an alternate viewpoint to current literature by suggesting that unknown transgenerational effects may provide Z. muelleri with greater germination plasticity against temperatures expected under predicted climate change scenarios than previously expected.

Priority effects, where the order and timing of species arrival influence the assembly of ecological communities, have been observed in a variety of taxa and habitats. However, the genetic and molecular basis of priority effects remains unclear, hindering the mechanistic understanding of priority effects. We sought to gain such an understanding for the nectar yeast Metschnikowia reukaufii, commonly found in the nectar of our study plant, the hummingbird-pollinated Diplacus (Mimulus) aurantiacus. In this plant, M. reukaufii experiences strong priority effects when it reaches flowers after other nectar yeasts, such as M. rancensis. After inoculation into two contrasting types of synthetic nectar simulating early arrival of M. rancensis, we conducted whole-transcriptome sequencing of 108 strains of M. reukaufii. We found that several genes were differentially expressed in M. reukaufii strains when the nectar had been conditioned by growth of M. rancensis. Many of these genes were associated with amino acid metabolism, consistent with our previous finding that early-arriving species limit late-arriving species’ growth by reducing amino acid availability. Furthermore, investigation of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) revealed that genes involved in amino acid transport and resistance to antifungal compounds were enriched in genetic variants, with differing effects on gene expression caused by M. rancensis. We also found that gene expression was associated with population growth rate, particularly when amino acids were limited. These results suggest that intraspecific genetic variation in the ability of nectar yeasts to respond to nutrient limitation and direct fungal competition underpins the molecular mechanisms of priority effects.

Key Clinical MessageThe occurrences of rhabdomyolysis after endoscopic submucosal dissection surgery were rarely reported. This is a case involving rhabdomyolysis affecting the muscles of the left buttocks and left hip following a prolonged endoscopic submucosal surgery.

Motivation: One essential initial step in the analysis of ancient DNA is to authenticate that the DNA sequencing reads actually are from ancient DNA. This is done by assessing if the reads exhibit typical characteristics of postmortem damage, including cytosine deamination and nicks. We present a novel statistical method implemented in a fast multithreaded program, ngsBriggs, that enables rapid quantification of PMD by estimation of the Briggs ancient damage model parameters (Briggs parameters). Results: Using a multinomial model with maximum likelihood fit, ngsBriggs accurately estimates the parameters of the Briggs model, quantifying the PMD signal from single and double-stranded DNA regions.We extend the original Briggs model to capture PMD signals for contemporary sequencing platforms and show that ngs- Briggs accurately estimates the Briggs parameters across a variety of contamination levels. Classification of reads into ancient or modern reads, for the purpose of decontamination, is significantly more accurate using ngsBriggs than using other methods available. Furthermore, ngsBriggs is substantially faster than other state-of-the-art methods. ngsBriggs offers a practical and accurate method for researchers seeking to authenticate ancient DNA and improve the quality of their data.

Hawk tea (Litsea coreana var. sinensis), derived from the tender shoots or leaves, rich in flavonoids that can promote healthcare for humans. The primary flavonoid are kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucoside, kaempferol-3-O-β-D-galactoside, quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside, and quercetin-3-O-β-D-galactoside. Is there an association between leaf phenotype and flavonoid content? And the mechanisms of flavonoid biosynthesis are not fully understood. In this study, 109 samples were analyzed to determine the correlation and genetic variability in leaf phenotype and flavonoid content. Furthermore, a transcriptome-wide association study identified candidate loci implicated in the biosynthesis of four key flavonoids. The study revealed that genetic variability in leaf traits and flavonoid concentrations is predominantly attributed to inter-population differences. Flavonoid accumulation may correlate with tree diameter at breast height (DBH), indicative of age-related traits. Transcriptome-wide association analysis identified 84 significant SNPs associated with flavonoid content, with only 13 located within gene regions. The majority of these genes are implicated in metabolic processes and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Notably, structural genes within these regions are directly involved in pathways known to regulate flavonoid metabolism, exerting a pivotal influence on flavonoid biosynthesis. These results lay a solid theoretical groundwork for subsequent explorations into the genetic determinants influencing flavonoid accumulation of hawk tea.

A document by Panagiotis Tsarouhas. Click on the document to view its contents.

Background: Inter-genogroup reassortment of Rotavirus A (RVA) strains has highlighted the spread of unusual RVA strains worldwide. We previously reported the equine-like G3 RVA as predominant strains in Indonesia in 2015-2016. However, since July 2017, typical human genotypes G1 and G3 have replaced these strains completely. To understand how dynamic changes in RVA occur in Indonesia, we performed a detailed epidemiological study. Main body: A total of 356 stool specimens were collected from hospitalized children in Sidoarjo, Indonesia between 2018 and 2022. Whole-genome sequencing was performed for all 26 RVA-positive samples using next-generation sequencing. Twenty-four samples were determined to be the unusual RVA G9P[4], while 2 were G9P[6]. Detailed analysis revealed that seven G9P[4] strains had the typical DS-1-like backbone, while the other strains exhibited a double-reassortant profile (G9-N1) on the DS-1-like backbone. The Bayesian evolutionary analyses suggested that the Indonesian G9P[4] strains share a common ancestor with previously reported G9P[4] strains in the VP7 and VP4 genes. Conclusions: G9P[4] DS-1-like strains were identified as the predominant genotype in Indonesia in 2021 for the first time. These results suggest that the G9P[4] strains were generated from the previous G9P[4] strains that had undergone further intra-reassortments with the other circulating strains.

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Editorial comment on “Current options in the management of tree nut allergy: A

PERITONEAL LEAK CAUSING RIGHT SIDED HYDROTHORAX IN A CASE OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE UNDERGOING CONTINUOUS AMBULATORY PERITONEAL DIALYSIS: A CASE REPORT FROM NEPAL

Hybridization plays a pivotal role in evolution, influencing local adaptation and speciation. However, it can also reduce biodiversity, which is especially damaging when native and non-native species meet. Hybridization can threaten native species via competition (with vigorous hybrids), reproductive resource wastage, and gene introgression. The latter, in particular, could result in increased fitness in invasive species, decreased fitness of natives, and compromise reintroduction or recovery conservation practices. In this study, we use a combination of RAD sequencing and microsatellites for a range-wide sample set of 1366 fish to evaluate the potential for hybridisation and introgression between native crucian carp (Carassius carassius) and three non-native species (Carassius auratus auratus, Carassius auratus gibelio, and Cyprinus carpio) in European water bodies. We found hybridization between native and non-native species in 82% of populations with non-natives present, highlighting the potential for substantial ecological impacts from hybrids on crucian carp populations. However, despite such high rates of hybridization, we could find no evidence of introgression between these species. The presence of triploid backcrosses in at least two populations points suggests that the lack of introgression among these species is likely due to meiotic dysfunction in hybrids, leading to production of polyploid offspring which are unable to reproduce sexually. This result is promising for crucian reintroduction programs, as it implies limited risk to the genetic integrity of source populations. Future research should investigate the reproductive potential of triploid hybrids and the ecological pressures hybrids impose on C. carassius.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in over 50% of the countries and the third most common malignancy worldwide. The tumor microenvironment denotes the non-cancerous cells and components present in the tumor, including the molecules they produce and release. Prostate cancer proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis and drug resistance are closely associated with the tumor microenvironment. With the continuous development of in vitro tumor models, they have gradually become an important tool for recapitulating parental tumors in vivo and studying the reciprocal interactions between tumors and their microenvironment. In this review, we describe significant in vitro models of prostate cancer, analyze the research results on incorporating the tumor microenvironment into these models, and compare their advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, we highlight the future developmental direction of prostate cancer in vitro model research according to the hotspots of in vitro model research in other cancer types to facilitate precision medicine in prostate cancer.