Structural elements regulating the photochromicity in a cyanobacteriochrome

The three-dimensional (3D) crystal structures of the GAF3 domain of cyanobacteriochrome Slr1393 (Synechocystis PCC6803) carrying a phycocyanobilin chromophore could be solved in both 15-Z dark-adapted state, Pr, λmax = 649 nm, and 15-E photoproduct, Pg, λmax = 536 nm (resolution, 1.6 and 1.86 Å, respectively). The structural data allowed identifying the large spectral shift of the Pr-to-Pg conversion as resulting from an out-of-plane rotation of the chromophore’s peripheral rings and an outward movement of a short helix formed from a formerly unstructured loop. In addition, a third structure (2.1-Å resolution) starting from the photoproduct crystals allowed identification of elements that regulate the absorption maxima. In this peculiar form, generated during X-ray exposition, protein and chromophore conformation still resemble the photoproduct state, except for the D-ring already in 15-Z configuration and tilted out of plane akin the dark state. Due to its formation from the photoproduct, it might be considered an early conformational change initiating the parental state-recovering photocycle. The high quality and the distinct features of the three forms allowed for applying quantum-chemical calculations in the framework of multiscale modeling to rationalize the absorption maxima changes. A systematic analysis of the PCB chromophore in the presence and absence of the protein environment showed that the direct electrostatic effect is negligible on the spectral tuning. However, the protein forces the outer pyrrole rings of the chromophore to deviate from coplanarity, which is identified as the dominating factor for the color regulation

Relationship between enteral nutrition timing and 28-day mortality in critically ill stroke patients in the MIMIC-IV database

BackgroundThe ideal timing for commencing enteral nutrition (EN) in critically ill stroke patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) remains a subject of debate, with ongoing controversy regarding the impact of early EN (EEN) initiation. In this study, we investigated the association between the timing of EN initiation and 28-day mortality using data from the MIMIC-IV database.MethodsThis study employed a retrospective cohort design using the MIMIC-IV database to identify stroke patients who received EN during their hospital stay. The main focus of this investigation was to examine 28-day mortality among these patients following hospital admission. Various demographic, clinical, laboratory, and intervention variables were considered as covariates. The Cox regression analysis was employed to assess the correlation between the timing of EN initiation and 28-day mortality, and restricted cubic splines (RCS) analysis was used to test for non-linear correlation. Patients were then stratified into two cohorts depending on the timing of EN initiation: within 2 days (n = 564) and beyond 2 days (n = 433). A multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to investigate the difference in 28-day mortality between the groups.ResultsA total of 997 participants were included in this study, with 318 (31.9%) dying within 28 days. We observed that the timing of EN initiation correlated with 28-day mortality, but this correlation was not significant after adjusting for covariates (crude HR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.88–1, p = 0.044; adjusted HR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.9–1.02, p = 0.178). The RCS analysis showed that the correlation was not non-linear. Notably, in the multivariate regression models, early EN initiation was associated with a higher mortality rate compared to late EN initiation [odds ratio (OR) = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.06–1.67, p = 0.012]. After adjusting for various confounding factors in the multivariate Cox regression models, we identified that patients in the early EN group had a 28% higher risk of mortality than those in the reference group (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1–1.61, p = 0.048). These associations remained consistent across various patient characteristics, as revealed through stratified analyses.ConclusionsEarly commencement of EN in critically ill stroke patients may be linked to a higher risk of 28-day mortality, highlighting the need for further investigation and a more nuanced consideration of the optimal timing for commencing EN in this patient population

Chitosan-Alginate Sponge: Preparation and Application in Curcumin Delivery for Dermal Wound Healing in Rat

A biodegradable sponge, composed of chitosan (CS) and sodium alginate (SA), was successfully obtained in this work. The sponge was ethereal and pliable. The chemical structure and morphology of the sponges was characterized by FTIR and SEM. The swelling ability, in vitro drug release and degradation behaviors, and an in vivo animal test were employed to confirm the applicability of this sponge as a wound dressing material. As the chitosan content in the sponge decreased, the swelling ability decreased. All types of the sponges exhibited biodegradable properties. The release of curcumin from the sponges could be controlled by the crosslinking degree. Curcumin could be released from the sponges in an extended period for up to 20 days. An in vivo animal test using SD rat showed that sponge had better effect than cotton gauze, and adding curcumin into the sponge enhanced the therapeutic healing effect

A Multiphase Strategy for Realizing Green Cathodoluminescence in 12CaO·7Al2O3–CaCeAl3O7:Ce3+,Tb3+ Conductive Phosphor

A multiphase strategy is proposed and successfully applied to make the insulating green phosphor CaCeAl3O7:Tb3+ conductive in the form of 12CaO·7Al2O3–CaCeAl3O7:Ce3+,Tb3+. The phosphor shows bright green-light emission with a short lifetime (2.51 ms) under low-voltage electron beam excitation (3 kV). The green photo- and cathodoluminescence from 5D4–7FJ (J = 6, 5, 4, 3) transitions of Tb3+ are significantly enhanced in comparison with pure C12A7:Tb3+. It was confirmed that this enhancement is the consequence of the joint effects of energy transfer from Ce3+ to Tb3+ and broadening of the absorption spectrum of Ce3+ due to the existence of multiple phases. In particular, under 800 V electron beam excitation, cathodoluminescence is improved by the modified electrical conductivity of the phosphor. When compared to the commercial Zn2SiO4:Mn2+ with a long luminescence lifetime of 11.9 ms, this conductive green phosphor has greater advantage for fast displays

The Technology and Application of Improving Bearing Capacity of Deep Peat Soil Subgrade

Peat soil is widely distributed in more than 500 countries around the world, covering an area of over 4 million square kilometers, among which the distribution area in China is about 40000 square kilometers, and most of Peat soil is distributed in swamps and forests. Peat soil is with high content of organic matter, poor engineering properties and low bearing capacity, which is very unfavorable to the safety and functionality of infrastructure construction. The Belt and Road, and the other two parts of the peat soil are studied in this paper. The key technologies of peat soil foundation are studied through literature review and comparative study. This will provide theoretical and technical support for repairing bridges, roads and houses in the distribution area of peat soil, and provide the theoretical basis and technical foundation for the construction of the “peat” Road area. Chinese Library Classification: TU0

Adverse renal outcomes following targeted therapies in renal cell carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: To clarify the prevalence of adverse renal outcomes following targeted therapies in renal cell carcinoma (RCC).Methods: A systematic search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Library. Studies that had reported adverse renal outcomes following targeted therapies in RCC were eligible. Outcomes included adverse renal outcomes defined as either renal dysfunction as evidenced by elevated serum creatinine levels or the diagnosis of acute kidney injury, or proteinuria as indicated by abnormal urine findings. The risk of bias was assessed according to Cochrane handbook guidelines. Publication bias was assessed using Funnel plot analysis and Egger Test.Results: The occurrences of the examined outcomes, along with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were combined using a random-effects model. In all, 23 studies including 10 RCTs and 13 observational cohort studies were included. The pooled incidence of renal dysfunction and proteinuria following targeted therapies in RCC were 17% (95% CI: 12%–22%; I2 = 88.5%, p < 0.01) and 29% (95% CI: 21%–38%; I2 = 93.2%, p < 0.01), respectively. The pooled incidence of both types of adverse events varied substantially across different regimens. Occurrence is more often in polytherapy compared to monotherapy. The majority of adverse events were rated as CTCAE grades 1 or 2 events. Four studies were assessed as having low risk of bias.Conclusion: Adverse renal outcomes reflected by renal dysfunction and proteinuria following targeted therapies in RCC are not uncommon and are more often observed in polytherapy compared to monotherapy. The majority of the adverse events were of mild severity.Systematic Review Registration: Identifier CRD42023441979

Prediction of mixed oil concentration in product oil pipeline coupling oil mixing mechanism and data correction

Objective Batch pipelining of product oils inevitably leads to oil mixing at the junction of oils transmitted in sequential batches within the pipelines. This disruption affects the formulation of station dispatching plans and offtake schemes. Therefore, accurately predicting the concentration distribution of oil mixing sections is considered a crucial foundation for enhancing the control of oil mixing, reducing energy consumption for mixed oil treatment, and preventing oil quality incidents at stations. Despite this, multi-dimensional numerical models of oil mixing have exhibited several drawbacks. These include lengthy calculation processes, inefficiencies in long-distance pipeline applications, neglect of the oil mixing progression mechanism process due to traditional data-driven approaches, and violations of physical principles, low accuracy, and poor interpretability in their results. Methods Through analyzing the oil mixing progression mechanism, this study delved into the fundamental control equations and initial boundary conditions relevant to oil mixing progression. A physics-guided coupling loss function was constructed by coupling the automatic differential method with a deep learning model, enabling the confinement of model prediction results within the corresponding physical solution space of oil mixing progression. Following this, the initial numerical solutions for short pipeline sections were used to predict the mixed oil concentration distribution throughout long-distance transmission pipelines based on the recursive rolling prediction and data correction methods. Results The numerical examples demonstrated a higher accuracy of the established model than traditional data-driven methods, manifesting a notable 91% decrease in MAPE. This model also displayed reduced dependency on data and alleviated Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) fluctuations by 60% with changes in data size. Moreover, the computational expenses were minimized to a mere 12% of those incurred by the Fluent numerical simulation method. In practical engineering applications, MAE of the suggested framework substantially decreased by 71% and 58% respectively when compared to the Taylor model and the enhanced Taylor model. These findings underscored the effectiveness of the proposed prediction method in resolving the mixed oil concentration distribution in long-distance pipelines. Conclusion The proposed prediction method of mixed oil concentration in product oil pipelines couples oil mixing progression mechanism constraints with data correction. This method accurately and efficiently predicts mixed oil concentration distribution in long-distance pipelines, guiding the formulation of mixed oil receiving plans for stations and enhancing the intelligent control of oil mixing