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Rearranged during transfection (RET) rearrangement oncoprotein-mediated Ras/MAPK signaling cascade is constitutively activated in cancers. Here, we demonstrate a unique signal niche. The niche is a ternary complex based on the chimeric RET liquid-liquid phase separation. The complex comprises the rearranged kinase (RET fusion); the adaptor (GRB2), and the effector (SHC1). Together, they orchestrate the Ras/MAPK signal cascade, which is dependent on tyrosine kinase. CCDC6-RET fusion undergoes LLPS requiring its kinase domain and its fusion partner. The CCDC6-RET fusion LLPS promotes the autophosphorylation of RET fusion, with enhanced kinase activity, which is necessary for the formation of the signaling niche. Within the signal niche, the interactions among the constituent components are reinforced, and the signal transduction efficiency is amplified. The specific RET fusion-related signal niche elucidates the mechanism of the constitutive activation of the Ras/MAPK signaling pathway. Beyond just focusing on RET fusion itself, exploration of the ternary complex potentially unveils a promising avenue for devising therapeutic strategies aimed at treating RET fusion-driven diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to identify the key fatty acid beta-oxidation (FAO) genes that are altered in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) and to analyze the role of these genes in KIRC. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and FAO datasets were used to identify these key genes. Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to assess the levels of acyl-CoA dehydrogenase medium chain (ACADM) between KIRC and non-cancer samples. The logistic regression and Wilcoxon rank sum test were used to explore the association between ACADM and clinical features. The diagnostic performance of ACADM for KIRC was assessed using a diagnostic receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The co-expressed genes of ACADM were identified in LinkedOmics database, and their function and pathway enrichment were analyzed. The correlation between ACADM expression level and immune infiltration was analyzed by Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) method. Additionally, the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of KIRC cells were assessed after overexpressing ACADM. Following differential analysis and intersection, we identified six hub genes, including ACADM. We found that the expression level of ACADM was decreased in KIRC tissues and had a better diagnostic effect (AUC = 0.916). Survival analysis suggested that patients with decreased ACADM expression had a worse prognosis. According to correlation analysis, a variety of clinical features were associated with the expression level of ACADM. By analyzing the infiltration level of immune cells, we found that ACADM may be related to the enrichment of immune cells. Finally, ACADM overexpression inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of KIRC cells. In conclusion, our findings suggest that reduced ACADM expression in KIRC patients is indicative of poor prognosis. These results imply that ACADM may be a diagnostic and prognostic marker for individuals with KIRC, offering a reference for clinicians in diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2022 MW6.7 Menyuan earthquake ruptured the western end of the Tianzhu seismic gap, providing an opportunity to study the regional seismogenic characteristics and seismic hazards. Here we use interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) and seismic data to study the mainshock rupture, early afterslip and the second largest aftershock of the 2022 Menyuan earthquake sequences. Our modeling results show that the mainshock ruptured the Lenglongling fault and the Tuolaishan fault with a maximum slip of ~3 m. Rapid postseismic transient deformation occurred at the center of the Lenglongling fault. Our afterslip modeling reveals that the majority of afterslip occurred in the deeper part of the Lenglongling fault. A high-angle conjugated faulting event is found at the middle section of the Lenglongling fault. We use the stress inversion to investigate the possible triggering mechanism of the conjugated rupture event. The results indicate the maximum principal stress direction is in ~222°, forming a ~22° angle between the conjugated fault of second largest aftershock and the mainshock. The calculated normal stress changes indicate the region is within a pull-apart stress field, which favors such a conjugated rupturing event. Our study will help understand the rupture behavior of such kind of conjugated fault in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family consists of four members, activated by two families of ligands. They are known for mediating cell-cell interactions in organogenesis, and their deregulation has been associated with various cancers, including breast and esophageal cancers. In particular, aberrant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and HER2 signaling drive disease progression and result in poorer patient outcomes. Nitric oxide (NO) has been proposed as an alternative activator of the HER family and may play a role in this aberrant activation due to its ability to induce s-nitrosation and phosphorylation of the EGFR. This review discusses the potential impact of NO on HER family activation and downstream signaling, along with its role in the efficacy of therapeutics targeting the family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: DNMT3A mutations can be detected in premalignant hematopoietic stem cells and are primarily associated with clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential; however, current evidence does not support assigning them to a distinct European Leukemia Net (ELN) prognostic risk stratification. CD7 is a lymphoid antigen expressed on blasts in approximately 30% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and its role in AML remains unclear and depends on subgroup evaluation. This study investigated the prognostic value of DNMT3A mutation combined with CD7 expression in AML. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 297 newly diagnosed non-M3 AML patients. According to the DNMT3A mutation and CD7 expression in AML cells, patients were divided into the DNMT3A-mutated/CD7-positive (CD7+), DNMT3A-mutated/CD7-negative (CD7-), DNMT3A-wild-type/CD7+, and DNMT3A-wild-type/CD7- groups. Results: The DNMT3A-mutated/CD7+ group had lower complete remission rates and higher relapse rates. Importantly, these patients had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS). Furthermore, multivariate analysis showed that CD7+ with DNMT3A mutation was an independent risk factor for OS and RFS. Conclusion: CD7+ with DNMT3A mutation predicts a poor prognosis in AML patients, and the immunophenotype combined with molecular genetic markers can help to further refine the current risk stratification of AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In contemporary agriculture, the substitution of manure for chemical fertilizer based on phosphorus (P) input in vegetable production has led to a significant reduction in P fertilizer application rates, while, the effect of manure substitution rates on soil P transformation and uptake by root remain unclear. Methods: This research conducts a pot experiment with varying manure substitution rates (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 75% and 100%) based on P nutrient content to elucidate the mechanisms through which manure substitution affects P uptake in pepper. Results and Discussion: The result showed that shoot and root biomass of pepper gradually increased as manure substitution rate from 10% to 40%, and then gradually decreased with further increases in the substitution rate. Soil alkaline phosphatase activity and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization gradually increased with manure substitution rates improvement. Specifically, when the substitution rate reached 30%-40%, the alkaline phosphatase activity increased by 24.5%-33.8% compared to the fertilizer treatment. In contrast, phytase activity and the relative expression of phosphate transporter protein genes in the root system was declined after peaking at 30% manure substitution. Additionally, soil available P remained moderate under 30%-40% substitution rate, which was reduced by 8.6%-10.2% compared to that in chemical fertilizer treatment, while microbial biomass P was comparable. In the current study, soil labile P similar to or even higher than that in chemical fertilizer treatment when the substitution rate was =40%. Correlation heatmaps demonstrated a significant and positive relationship between soil available P and factors related to labile P and moderately labile P. Conclusion: This finding suggested that substituting 30%-40% of chemical P with manure can effectively enhance root length, AM colonization, soil enzyme activity, soil labile P, and consequently improve P uptake in pepper. These findings provide valuable insights for future organic agricultural practices that prioritize P supply, aiming to standardize organic P management in farmland and achieve high crop yields and maintain soil health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anhydrous hydrogen fluoride (AHF), a critical raw material for industries such as aluminum, pharmaceuticals, and petroleum, has traditionally been sourced from fluorite--a non-renewable mineral. The unsustainable reliance on fluorite has catalyzed the search for alternative AHF production methods. A promising substitute is fluorosilicic acid (FSA), a byproduct of the phosphate fertilizer industry previously deemed waste. Transforming fluorosilicic acid into AHF not only yields a valuable resource but also addresses the environmental and economic challenges associated with waste management. The innovative practice of producing AHF from fluorosilicic acid signals a shift towards sustainable chemical production by capitalizing on waste, potentially diminishing reliance on fluorite and reducing the industry's environmental impact. This review thoroughly dissects the AHF synthesis process from fluorosilicic acid. Despite the acknowledged importance of fluorinated compounds in numerous industrial applications, research on their synthesis from fluorosilicic acid is limited and fragmented. This review seeks to amalgamate this scattered information by closely scrutinizing diverse industrial processing methods. Additionally, it explores the current and future landscape, economic feasibility, and strategies to navigate the obstacles inherent in synthesizing AHF from fluorosilicic acid. It also assesses the environmental impact of these methods, thereby contributing to the dialogue in this emerging field. The primary aim of this manuscript is to foster further research and promote the industrial uptake of this sustainable process. Highlighting the challenges and proposing potential improvements, the review supports the responsible reuse of waste and advocates for advancements in industrial practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pigments derived from red pepper fruits are widely used in food and cosmetics as natural colorants. Nitrogen (N) is a key nutrient affecting plant growth and metabolism; however, its regulation of color-related metabolites in pepper fruit has not been fully elucidated. This study analyzed the effects of N supply (0, 250, and 400 kg N ha-1) on the growth, fruit skin color, and targeted and nontarget secondary metabolites of field-grown pepper fruits at the mature red stage. Overall, 16 carotenoids were detected, of which capsanthin, zeaxanthin, and capsorubin were the dominant ones. N application at 250 kg ha-1 dramatically increased contents of red pigment capsanthin, yellow-orange zeaxanthin and b-carotene, with optimum fruit yield. A total of 290 secondary metabolites were detected and identified. The relative content of most flavonoids and phenolic acids was decreased with increasing N supply. Correlation analysis showed that color parameters were highly correlated with N application rates, carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans, and coumarins. Collectively, N promoted carotenoid biosynthesis but downregulated phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis, which together determined the spectrum of red color expression in pepper fruit. Our results provide a better understanding of the impact of N nutrition on pepper fruit color formation and related physiology, and identification of target metabolites for enhancement of nutritional quality and consumer appeal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and Objective: Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is very common in women of reproductive age. However, it remains unclear whether pregnancy is associated with DTC progression before surgical treatment. Methods: This retrospective cohort study, conducted at the Peking University Third Hospital in Beijing, China between January 2012 and December 2022, included 311 eligible women aged 20 to 45 years. To control for potential confounders, we first used propensity score matching (PSM) to match the pregnant group (n = 48) with the nonpregnant group (n = 154) on age, tumor size, tumor type, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis status at baseline, and then used Cox proportional risk models stratified by the matched pairs to estimate the association of pregnancy with DTC progression. Results: After PSM, the pregnant and nonpregnant groups were well comparable at baseline (standardized difference < 10% and P > .05). Over an average observation period of 2.5 years, we observed no difference between the pregnant group and the matched nonpregnant group in DTC progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.56 to 1.65; P = .895), tumor enlargement–free survival (HR = 0.99; 95% CI, 0.56 to 1.76; P = .969) or lymph node metastasis-free survival (LNM) (HR = 0.67; 95% CI, 0.21 to 2.13; P = .498). The postoperative pathological characteristics also showed no significant difference between the pregnant and nonpregnant groups (P > .05). Conclusion: Pregnancy seemed to be irrelevant to DTC progression-free survival before surgical treatment. Further prospective cohort studies are needed to translate this finding into clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study is to compare the diagnostic value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) vs. conventional culture methods (CM) in chronic infection and acute infection. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of 88 patients with acute infection and 105 patients with chronic infection admitted to three hospitals from 2017 to 2022. Results: The results showed that the sensitivity and specificity of mNGS were higher than those of CM. The number of patients who changed the antibiotic treatment in the mNGS positive group was larger than that of patients in the mNGS negative group in both the acute infection group (60.5 vs. 28.0%, P = 0.0022) and chronic infection group (46.2 vs. 22.6%, P = 0.01112). High levels of temperature (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.18-3.70, P: 0.015), C-reactive protein (CRP) (OR: 15, 95% CI: 2.74-280.69, P: 0.011), neutrophil count (OR: 3.09, 95% CI: 1.19-8.43, P: 0.023), and low levels of lymphocyte count (OR: 3.43, 95% CI:1.26-10.21, P: 0.020) may lead to positive mNGS results in the acute infection group while no significant factor was identified to predict positive results in the chronic infection group. Conclusion: mNGS could provide useful guidance on antibiotic strategies in infectious diseases and may be more valuable for the diagnosis and treatment of acute infection vs. chronic infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a general strategy for reduced order modeling of systems that display highly nonlinear oscillations. By considering a continuous family of forced periodic orbits defined in relation to a stable fixed point and subsequently leveraging phase-amplitude-based reduction strategies, we arrive at a low order model capable of accurately capturing nonlinear oscillations resulting from arbitrary external inputs. In the limit that oscillations are small, the system dynamics relax to those obtained from local linearization, i.e., that can be fully described using linear eigenmodes. For larger amplitude oscillations, the behavior can be understood in terms of the dynamics of a small number of nonlinear modes. We illustrate the proposed strategy in a variety of examples yielding results that are substantially better than those obtained using standard linearization-based techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate FAM20A gene variants and histological features of amelogenesis imperfecta and to further explore the functional impact of these variants. Methods: Whole-exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing were used to identify pathogenic gene variants in three Chinese families with amelogenesis imperfecta. Bioinformatics analysis, in vitro histological examinations and experiments were conducted to study the functional impact of gene variants, and the histological features of enamel, keratinised oral mucosa and dental follicle. Results: The authors identified two nonsense variants c. 406C > T (p.Arg136*) and c.826C > T (p.Arg176*) in a compound heterozygous state in family 1, two novel frameshift variants c.936dupC (p.Val313Argfs*67) and c.1483dupC (p.Leu495Profs*44) in a compound heterozygous state in family 2, and a novel homozygous frameshift variant c.530_531insGGTC (p.Ser178Valfs*21) in family 3. The enamel structure was abnormal, and psammomatoid calcifications were identified in both the gingival mucosa and dental follicle. The bioinformatics and subcellular localisation analyses indicated these variants to be pathogenic. The secondary and tertiary structure analysis speculated that these five variants would cause structural damage to FAM20A protein. Conclusion: The present results broaden the variant spectrum and clinical and histological findings of diseases associated with FAM20A, and provide useful information for future genetic counselling and functional investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interface engineering in heterostructures at the atomic scale has been a central research focus of nanoscale and quantum material science. Despite its paramount importance, the achievement of atomically ordered heterointerfaces has been severely limited by the strong diffusive feature of interfacial atoms in heterostructures. In this work, we first report a strong dependence of interfacial diffusion on the surface polarity. Near-perfect quantum interfaces can be readily synthesized on the semipolar plane instead of the conventional c-plane of GaN/AlN heterostructures. The chemical bonding configurations on the semipolar plane can significantly suppress the cation substitution process as evidenced by first-principles calculations, which leads to an atomically sharp interface. Moreover, the surface polarity of GaN/AlN can be readily controlled by varying the strain relaxation process in core-shell nanostructures. The obtained extremely confined, interdiffusion-free ultrathin GaN quantum wells exhibit a high internal quantum efficiency of ~75%. Deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes are fabricated utilizing a scalable and robust method and the electroluminescence emission is nearly free of the quantum-confined Stark effect, which is significant for ultrastable device operation. The presented work shows a vital path for achieving atomically ordered quantum heterostructures for III-nitrides as well as other polar materials such as III-arsenides, perovskites, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoporosis is a systemic bone disease characterized by an imbalance in the relationship between osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts. This imbalance in bone metabolism results in the destruction of the bone’s microstructure and an increase in bone brittleness, thereby increasing the risk of fractures. Osteoporosis has complex causes, one of which is related to the dysregulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine, a neurotransmitter closely associated with bone tissue metabolism. Dysregulation of 5-HT directly or indirectly promotes the occurrence and development of osteoporosis. This paper aims to discuss the regulation of 5-HT by Traditional Chinese Medicine and its impact on bone metabolism, as well as the underlying mechanism of action. The results of this study demonstrate that Traditional Chinese Medicine has the ability to regulate 5-HT, thereby modulating bone metabolism and improving bone loss. These findings provide valuable insights for future osteoporosis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common oral cancer with poor prognosis and for which no targeted therapeutic strategies are currently available. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that programmed cell death (PCD) is essential in the development of HNSCC as a second messenger. PCD can be categorized into numerous different subroutines: in addition to the two wellknown types of apoptosis and autophagy, novel forms of programmed cell death (e.g., necroptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, and NETosis) also serve as key alternatives in tumorigenesis. Cancer cells are not able to avoid all types of cell death simultaneously, since different cell death subroutines follow different regulatory pathways. Herein, we summarize the roles of novel programmed cell death in tumorigenesis and present our interpretations of the molecular mechanisms with a view to the development of further potential therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Elderly patients with breast cancer are highly heterogeneous, and tumor load and comorbidities affect patient prognosis. Prediction models can help clinicians to implement tailored treatment plans for elderly patients with breast cancer. This study aimed to establish a prediction model for breast cancer, including comorbidities and tumor characteristics, in elderly patients with breast cancer. Methods: All patients were ≥65 years old and admitted to the Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The clinical and pathological characteristics, recurrence, and death were observed. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier curve and a prediction model was constructed using Cox proportional hazards model regression. The discriminative ability and calibration of the nomograms for predicting OS were tested using concordance (C)- statistics and calibration plots. Clinical utility was demonstrated using decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: Based on 2,231 patients, the 5- and 10-year OS was 91.3% and 78.4%, respectively. We constructed an OS prediction nomogram for elderly patients with early breast cancer (PEEBC). The C-index for OS in PEEBC in the training and validation cohorts was 0.798 and 0.793, respectively. Calibration of the nomogram revealed a good predictive capability, as indicated by the calibration plot. DCA demonstrated that our model is clinically useful. Conclusion: The nomogram accurately predicted the 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year OS in elderly patients with early breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to develop a low-radiation dose, one-step integrated coronary–carotid–cerebral computed tomography angiography (ICCC-CTA) technique to analyze the relationship between cardiovascular and cerebrovascular atherosclerosis and evaluate the risk factors of plaque to provide an early-stage treatment to patients and reduce vascular events. Methods: A total of 300 consecutive asymptomatic patients with cardiovascular risk factors who underwent ICCC-CTA were enrolled in this prospective study. The association between coronary and carotid-cerebrovascular atherosclerosis was assessed. The primary cardiovascular risk factors for various plaque types in cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease were evaluated using multivariate analysis. Results: Among 300 patients, 189 (63%) had plaques in their coronary and cerebral arteries. The presence of calcified and mixed plaques in the carotid-cerebral and coronary arteries was strongly correlated (χ2 = 20.71, P = 0.001; χ2 = 8.96, P = 0.003, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that abnormal blood glucose [OR = 1.44, 95% CI 0.12–0.62, P = 0.01] and abnormal total cholesterol [OR = 1.28, 95% CI 0.07–0.46, P = 0.01] are risk factors in all the models in the coronary artery, non-calcified plaque group. Abnormal blood glucose [OR = 1.43, 95% CI 0.11–0.61, P = 0.01] and abnormal systolic blood pressure [OR = 1.02, 95% CI 0.01–0.04, P = 0.02] are risk factors in all the models in the coronary artery calcified plaque group. Abnormal blood glucose level [OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 0.12–0.62, P = 0.01] was only a risk factor in the non-calcified plaque carotid–cerebral artery group. Conclusions: We confirm that elevated blood glucose and total cholesterol levels are associated with coronary and carotid-cerebrovascular plaques using the novel one-step low dose cerebral-carotid-cardiac CTA technique. These findings will provide insights for further studies focusing on developing low-radiation dose one-step ICCC-CTA to screen cardiovascular/cerebrovascular plaques in general population with cardiovascular risk factors. Advances in knowledge: We developed a low–radiation dose, one-step ICCC-CTA technique to detect cardiovascular and cerebrovascular atherosclerosis. We evaluated the risk factors for plaque burden for the early treatment and reduction of vascular events. These findings supported the development of low–radiation dose one-step ICCC-CTA to screen for cardiovascular/cerebrovascular disease in general population with cardiovascular risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lightweight carbon fiber/carbon composites (CFC) are widely used in solar silicon furnace, semiconductor long crystal furnace and other high-temperature equipment due to its superior low thermal conductivity, low expansion coefficient, high purity, good mechanical properties, and high temperature resistance. In this paper, the lightweight chopped CFC was prepared by the method of liquid phase dispersion of chopped carbon fibers-vacuum filtration-curing molding-high temperature carbonization and graphitization. The thermal conductivity of lightweight chopped CFC with different densities (0.12, 0.16 and 0.18 g/cm3) was studied, and the thermal conductivity of lightweight chopped CFC at high temperature was also studied. The results show that the thermal conductivity (1000 °C) of the chopped CFC gradually increases with the increasing density from 0.179 W/(mK) (0.12 g/cm3) to 0.190 W/(mK) (0.16 g/cm3), 0.282 W/(mK) (0.18 g/cm3), indicating that with the increasing density, the thermal conduction path of the carbon fiber increases, the thermal conductivity of the CFC material increases, and then the thermal insulation performance decreases. In addition, with the increasing temperature, the phonon vibration increases, the thermal conductivity of the CFC material also increases, and then the thermal insulation performance decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The breadth and range of water activities in China have expanded along with the social economy's and population's ongoing expansion. In this environment, people are attach importance to water resources. The target area for this study is Anhui Province. To conduct a detailed analysis of the water resource carrying capacity of the region and use its evaluation results to promote the development of the regional economy, this research first explained the relevant connotation of water resources. After that, a methodology for assessing the carrying capacity of water resources that uses Logistic Grey Correlation Analysis was constructed. This study will use the constructed model to assess the water resource carrying capacity of various regions in Anhui Province in the recent past. The carrying capacity of water resources was dynamically evaluated, and the findings indicate the correlation analysis model can clearly display the situation of water resource carrying capacity in various regions of Anhui Province. Furthermore, by utilizing digital transformation technology, the government can achieve a better performance in predicting and allocating carrying capacity of water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the durability of immune response after basic and booster immunization with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). Methods: Patients with CLD and complete basic or booster immunization with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were included in this study. Based on the vaccination situation, they were divided into the basic immunity group (Basic) and the booster immunity group (Booster), which were then subdivided into four groups according to the time interval from completion of basic immunization or booster immunization to serological specimen collection. The positive rates and antibody titers of novel coronavirus neutralizing antibody (nCoV NTAb) and novel coronavirus spike receptor-binding domain antibody (nCoV S-RBD) were analyzed. Results: A total of 313 patients with CLD were enrolled in this study, including 201 in Basic and 112 in Booster. The positive rates of nCoV NTAb and nCoV S-RBD within 30 days of completing basic immunization were 80.4% and 84.8%, respectively, but decreased rapidly with the extension of vaccination time, and only 29% and 48.4% of patients with CLD remained positive for nCoV NTAb and nCoV S-RBD, respectively, after 120 days of completing basic immunization. Within 30 days of booster immunization, the positive rates of nCoV NTAb and nCoV S-RBD in patients with CLD rapidly increased from 29.0% and 48.4% at the end of basic immunization to 95.2% and 90.5%, and maintained a high level (defined as the positive rate >50%) until 120 days when the positive rates of nCoV NTAb and nCoV S-RBD were still high at 79.5% and 87.2%, respectively. After basic immunization, the time for nCoV NTAb and nCoV S-RBD to turn negative was 120 and 169 days, respectively, and the negative time of nCoV NTAb and nCoV S-RBD was significantly prolonged to 266 days and 329 days, respectively. Conclusion: It is safe and effective for patients with CLD to complete basic and booster immunization with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. After booster immunization, the immune response of patients with CLD was further improved and the durability of the SARS-CoV-2 antibody was significantly prolonged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present study summarized cases of children (n = 32) with medulloblastoma (MB) who were treated using stratified therapy based on risk grading and also discussed the factors affecting prognosis. Methods: According to the risk stratification criteria, the cases were divided into the following four risk groups: low, standard, high, and very high. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were summarized. Further, the effects on the prognosis of tumor size, tumor stage, degree of resection, treatment mode, metastatic recurrence, molecular typing, and risk stratification were analyzed. Results: In the present study, following surgery, 3 cases abandoned radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy (CHT), 7 cases (<3 years of age) received only CHT, and 22 cases received combined RT and CHT. Total and near-total tumor resections were performed in 29 cases (90.6%). Subtotal resections were performed in 3 cases, and there were no surgery-related deaths. The average follow-up duration was 47 months. The average 5-year PFS and OS rates were 57.3% ± 7.2% and 68.7% ± 8.6%, respectively. The OS and PFS rates were significantly correlated with tumor-risk stratification, molecular staging, tumor stage, treatment mode, and recurrence after surgery (p < 0.01). The degree of tumor resection, pathological type, and the presence of preoperative implantation were secondary factors affecting the prognosis (p < 0.05). Age was correlated with the PFS rate. There was no correlation between age/tumor location/tumor size and prognosis (p > 0.05). Favorable prognostic factors in the low- and standard-risk groups were stage M0, wingless-type MB, postoperative RT combined with CHT, no postoperative recurrence, age ≥3 years, and total tumor resection. Conclusions: Personalized treatment strategies based on the risk stratification of MB and postoperative stratified comprehensive treatment could help improve the prognosis for MB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequent occurrence of extreme drought events in Guangxi has caused huge losses to human beings and economy in the region for many years. Therefore, this study adopted run theory and the objective identification method of regional extreme events (OITREE) and then carried out the comprehensive feature identification of multidimensional elements such as intensity, duration and area of meteorological drought events based on the daily standardized effective precipitation and drought index (SWAP) sequence of Guangxi from 1979 to 2018a. By comparing the evolutionary characteristics of drought elements identified by grid SWAP statistical analysis and OITREE, an integrated optimization scheme combining the accuracy of grid analysis and area identification is formed in this study. It was confirmed that the above two analysis methods had good correlation and consistency in revealing the evolution process of multidimensional elements of drought events. In terms of the frequency of drought events over a long period of time and the comprehensive characteristics of each element, the identification results of the OITREE method can better reveal the comprehensive characteristics of drought in Guangxi. Furthermore, the study found that flash droughts and seasonal droughts occurred alternately and were superimposed concurrently in Guangxi, and there were significant differences in the multidimensional spatial and temporal characteristics of these two types of droughts. Specifically, the frequency of flash drought was 1.60–4.00 times·(a)−1, the duration varied from 20 to 60 days·(a)−1 and the concentration point of drought had a region‐wide dispersion; while the frequency of seasonal drought was 0.82–1.65 times·(a)−1, the duration varied from 40–105 days·(a)−1 and the concentration point of drought had a local concentration. The research results can provide effective scientific support for operational drought refined forecast and early warning, and smart regulation of drought disaster risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information extraction aims at extracting entities, relations, and so on, in text to support information retrieval systems. To extract information, researchers have considered multitask learning (ML) approaches. The conventional ML approach learns shared features across tasks, with the assumption that these features capture sufficient task interactions to learn expressive shared representations for task classification. However, such an assumption is flawed in different perspectives. First, the shared representation may contain noise introduced by another task; tasks coupled for multitask learning may have different complexities but this approach treats all tasks equally; the conventional approach has a flat structure that hinders the learning of explicit interactions. This approach, however, learns implicit interactions across tasks and often has a generalization ability that has benefited the learning of multitasks. In this article, we take advantage of implicit interactions learned by conventional approaches while alleviating the issues mentioned above by developing a Recurrent Interaction Network with an effective Early Prediction Integration (RIN-EPI) for multitask learning. Specifically, RIN-EPI learns implicit and explicit interactions across two different but related tasks. To effectively learn explicit interactions across tasks, we consider the correlations among the outputs of related tasks. It is, however, obvious that task outputs are unobservable during training, so we leverage the predictions at intermediate layers (referred to as early predictions) as proxies as well as shared features across tasks to learn explicit interactions through attention mechanisms and sequence learning models. By recurrently learning explicit interactions, we gradually improve predictions for the individual tasks in the multitask learning. We demonstrate the effectiveness of RIN-EPI on the learning of two mainstream multitasks for information extraction: (1) entity recognition and relation classification and (2) aspect and opinion term co-extraction. Extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the RIN-EPI architecture, where we achieve state-of-the-art results on several benchmark datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the influence of the type of anterior clinoidal meningioma on surgical strategy planning, surgical approach selection, and postoperative efficacy. Patients and methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 63 cases, including data on visual function, extent of tumor resection, and postoperative follow-up. Grade I and II approaches were selected according to the type of tumor. A univariate analysis of the factors influencing the extent of tumor resection, postoperative visual function, and postoperative relapse and complications was conducted. Results: Simpson Grade I-II total resection was seen in 48 cases (76.2%), with an overall relapse/progression rate of 12.7%. The tumor type and texture and the relationship between the tumors and adjacent structures were the main factors influencing total tumor resection (P < 0.01). The overall postoperative visual acuity improvement, stabilization rate, and deterioration rate were 76.2, 15.9, and 7.9%, respectively. Postoperative visual acuity level was significantly correlated with preoperative visual acuity level and tumor type (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Determining the type of tumor at a preoperative level and whether the optic canal and cavernous sinus are invaded can aid in the planning of detailed individualized surgical strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent reports have revealed that oncolytic viruses (OVs) play a significant role in cancer therapy. The infection of OVs such as oncolytic vaccinia virus (OVV), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), parvovirus, mammalian reovirus (MRV), human adenovirus, Newcastle disease virus (NDV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), avian reovirus (ARV), Orf virus (ORFV), inactivated Sendai virus (ISV), enterovirus, and coxsackievirus offer unique opportunities in immunotherapy through diverse and dynamic pathways. This mini-review focuses on the mechanisms of OVsmediated virotherapy and their effects on immunogenic cell death (ICD), apoptosis, autophagy and regulation of the immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Precise risk stratification is increasingly essential in the management of multiple myeloma (MM) as some standard-risk (SR) patients still exhibit similar poor outcomes as genetically high-risk (GHR) patients in the era of novel agents. It has recently been demonstrated that functional high-risk (FHR) patients, those with suboptimal response to first-line induction therapy or early relapsewithin 12months, have identifiable molecular characteristics from the SR group in the CoMMpass dataset. However, these findings lack practical validation in the real world. Methods: MM cells purified by CD138 microbeads from newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) patients received fluorescence in situ hybridization and sequencing with a 92-gene Panel. Cytogenetic abnormalities defined GHR patients with t(4;14) or t(14;16) or complete loss of functional P53 or 1q21 gain and International Staging System (ISS) stage 3. SR group was patients who did not fulfill any criteria for GHR or FHR. Results: There were 145 patients with NDMM, 78 in the SR group, 56 in the GHR group, and 11 in the FHR group. In the FHR group, eight patients were suboptimal responses to induction therapy, and three relapsed within 12 months. We found that male patients, patients with extra-medullary plasmacytoma (EMD), circulating clonal plasma cells (CPC) =0.05%, and P53 mono-allelic inactivation were significantly higher in the FHR group compared to the SR group. After a median follow-up of 21.0 months, the median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 5.0 months, 19.1 months and 36.6 months in the FHR, GHR, and SR groups, respectively. Compared to the SR group, FHR patients had a higher frequency of mutations in MKI67, ERN1, and EML4. GO analysis showed that mutations in FHR were enriched for oxidative stress, chromosomal segregation, and hypoxia tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the quality of surgical guidelines on bariatric/metabolic surgery. Methods: Four independent reviewers used the AGREE II (The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II) tool to assess the methodological quality of the included guidelines and conducted a comparative analysis of the main recommendations for surgical methods of these guidelines. Results: Nine surgical guidelines were included in this study. Five articles with AGREE II scores over 60% are worthy of clinical recommendation. The field of rigor of development was relatively low, with an average score of 50.82%. Among 15 key recommendations and the corresponding best evidence in the guidelines, only 4 key recommendations were grade A recommendations. Conclusions: The quality of metabolic and bariatric guidelines is uneven, and there is much room for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients may experience a decline in cardiac function even after successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). It is apparent that the assessment of left ventricular (LV) function before PCI is often overlooked. The purpose of this review is to explore the significance of LV function assessment before PCI by comparing the differences in short- and long-term PCI outcomes between patients with different LV ejection fraction (LVEF) stratified preoperatively. Methods: PubMed and Scopus were searched to identify potential studies from January 1, 2001 through January 1, 2022. Results: A total of 969,868 participants in 33 studies at different stratifications of baseline LVEF were included in this review and their PCI outcomes were stratified for analysis. The hazard ratio of all-cause mortality within 30 days, one year and greater than 1 year after PCI between patients with abnormal and normal LVEF were 2.96 [95% CI, 2.2, 3.98], 3.14 [95% CI, 1.64, 6.01] and 3.08 [95% CI, 2.6, 3.64]; moderately impaired LV function versus normal were 2.32 [95% CI, 1.85, 2.91], 2.04 [95% CI, 1.37, 3.03], 1.93 [95% CI, 1.54, 2.44]; poor LV function versus normal were 4.84 [95% CI, 3.83, 6.1], 4.48 [95% CI, 1.37, 14.68], 6.59 [95% CI, 4.23, 10.27]. Conclusions: A moderate or severe reduction in patients' LVEF may have a serious impact on PCI prognosis. We strongly advocate for adequate assessment of LVEF before PCI as this will assist in choosing the optimal revascularization and postoperative treatment, thereby reducing short- and long-term mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, more attention has been paid to expanding the abundance of Circular RNAs (circRNAs), while the circRNAs that have been found to have significant functions have not been studied in different diseases. CircFNDC3B is one of the most researched circRNAs generated from fibronectin type III domaincontaining protein 3B (FNDC3B) gene. Accumulating researches have reported the multiple functions of circFNDC3B in different cancer types and other nonneoplastic diseases, and predicted that circFNDC3B might be a potential biomarker. Notably, circFNDC3B can play roles in different diseases by binding to various microRNAs (miRNAs), binding to RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), or encoding functional peptides. This paper systematically summarizes the biogenesis and function of circRNAs, reviews and discusses the roles and molecular mechanisms of circFNDC3B and its target genes in different cancers and non-neoplastic diseases, which will do favor to broaden our comprehension of the function of circRNAs and facilitate subsequent research on circFNDC3B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuropathic pain (NP) is often accompanied by psychiatric comorbidities and currently lacks effective treatment. Prior research has shown that HDAC6 plays a crucial role in pain sensitization, but the specific mechanisms remain unclear. HDAC6 inhibitors have been found to alleviate mechanical allodynia caused by inflammation and peripheral nerve damage. In this study, we investigated the cellularmechanisms of HDAC6 in the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. Our findings indicate that HDAC6 expression in the spinal cord (SC) is upregulated in a time-dependent manner following chronic constriction injury (CCI). HDAC6 is primarily expressed in neurons and microglia in the spinal cord. CCI-induced HDAC6 production was abolished by intrathecal injection of a microglia inhibitor. ACY-1215, a specific HDAC6 inhibitor, significantly reduced CCI-induced mechanical allodynia, but not thermal hyperalgesia. ACY-1215 also inhibited neuron activation and suppressed CCI-induced pyroptosis and neuroinflammatory responses. In summary, our results suggest that HDAC6 contributes to the development and maintenance of NP through neuronal activation and neuroinflammation. HDAC6 may be a promising target for treating NP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The concept of chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) was first presented at the European Society of Cardiology Meeting in 2019. However, the roles of exosomal lncRNAs in CCS remain largely unclear. Material and methods: A case-control study was performed with a total of 218 participants (137 males and 81 females), including 15 CCS patients and 15 controls for sequencing profiles, 20 CCS patients and 20 controls for the first validation, and 100 CCS patients and 48 controls for the second validation. Exosomes were isolated from the plasma of CCS patients and controls, and exosomal lncRNAs were identified by sequencing profiles and verified twice by qRT-PCR analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic value of exosomal lncRNAs for CCS patients. Results: A total of 152 significantly differentially expressed lncRNAs with over two-fold changes were detected in plasma exosomes of CCS patients, including 90 upregulated and 62 downregulated lncRNAs. Importantly, 6 upregulated lncRNAs with the top fold changes were selected for validations. Exosomal lncRNAs ENST00000424615.2 and ENST00000560769.1 were significantly elevated in CCS patients in both validations compared with controls. The areas under the ROC of lncRNAs ENST00000424615.2 and ENST00000560769.1 were 0.654 and 0.722, respectively. Additionally, exosomal lncRNA ENST00000560769.1 was significantly higher in the CCS patients with more diseased vessels (p = 0.028). Conclusions: Exosomal lncRNA ENST00000424615.2 and ENST00000560769.1 were identified as novel diagnosis biomarkers for patients with CCS. Moreover, exosomal lncRNA ENST00000560769.1 was significantly higher in the CCS patients with more diseased vessels, and might be associated with a poor prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concepts from quantum topological states of matter have been extensively utilized in the past decade to create mechanical metamaterials with topologically protected features, such as one-way edge states and topologically polarized elasticity. Maxwell lattices represent a class of topological mechanical metamaterials that exhibit distinct robust mechanical properties at edges/interfaces when they are topologically polarized. Realizing topological phase transitions in these materials would enable on-and-off switching of these edge states, opening opportunities to program mechanical response and wave propagation. However, such transitions are extremely challenging to experimentally control in Maxwell topological metamaterials due to mechanical and geometric constraints. Here we create a Maxwell lattice with bistable units to implement synchronized transitions between topological states and demonstrate dramatically different stiffnesses as the lattice transforms between topological phases both theoretically and experimentally. By combining multistability with topological phase transitions, this metamaterial not only exhibits topologically protected mechanical properties that swiftly and reversibly change, but also offers a rich design space for innovating mechanical computing architectures and reprogrammable neuromorphic metamaterials. Moreover, we design and fabricate a topological Maxwell lattice using multimaterial 3D printing and demonstrate the potential for miniaturization via additive manufacturing. These design principles are applicable to transformable topological metamaterials for a variety of tasks such as switchable energy absorption, impact mitigation, wave tailoring, neuromorphic metamaterials, and controlled morphing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Medication nonadherence is common in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and negatively affects outcomes. To better recognize and address nonadherence in this population, there is a need for an easily implementable tool with interpretable scores. Domains of Subjective Extent of Nonadherence (DOSE-Nonadherence) is a measure that captures both extent of and reasons for nonadherence. We refined and evaluated DOSE-Nonadherence for patients with SLE.Methods: We refined the reasons for the nonadherence domain of DOSE-Nonadherence through rheumatologist feedback and patient cognitive interviewing. We then administered the refined instrument to patients prescribed oral SLE medications and compared the results to the Beliefs About Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), the Medication Adherence Self-Report Inventory (MASRI), medication possession ratios (MPRs), and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) blood levels using Pearson correlations.Results: Five rheumatologists provided feedback; 16 patients (median age 43 yrs, 100% female, 50% Black) participated in cognitive interviews and 128 (median age 49 yrs, 95% female, 49% Black, 88% on antimalarials, and 59% on immunosuppressants) completed the refined instrument. Items assessing extent of nonadherence produced reliable scores (α 0.89) and identified 47% as nonadherent. They showed convergent validity with MASRI (r = -0.57), HCQ blood levels (r = -0.55), to a lesser extent MPRs (r = -0.34 to -0.40), and discriminant validity with BMQ domains (r = -0.27 to 0.32). Nonadherent patients reported on average 3.5 adherence barriers, the most common being busyness/forgetting (62%), physical fatigue (38%), and pill fatigue (33%).Conclusion: Our results support the reliability and validity of DOSE-Nonadherence for SLE medications. This refined instrument, DOSE-Nonadherence-SLE, can be used to identify, rigorously study, and guide adherence intervention development in SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Medication nonadherence is common in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and negatively affects outcomes. To better recognize and address nonadherence in this population, there is a need for an easily implementable tool with interpretable scores. Domains of Subjective Extent of Nonadherence (DOSE-Nonadherence) is a measure that captures both extent of and reasons for nonadherence. We refined and evaluated DOSE-Nonadherence for patients with SLE. Methods. We refined the reasons for the nonadherence domain of DOSE-Nonadherence through rheumatologist feedback and patient cognitive interviewing. We then administered the refined instrument to patients prescribed oral SLE medications and compared the results to the Beliefs About Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), the Medication Adherence Self-Report Inventory (MASRI), medication possession ratios (MPRs), and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) blood levels using Pearson correlations. Results. Five rheumatologists provided feedback; 16 patients (median age 43 yrs, 100% female, 50% Black) participated in cognitive interviews and 128 (median age 49 yrs, 95% female, 49% Black, 88% on antimalarials, and 59% on immunosuppressants) completed the refined instrument. Items assessing extent of nonadherence produced reliable scores (α 0.89) and identified 47% as nonadherent. They showed convergent validity with MASRI (r = -0.57), HCQ blood levels (r = -0.55), to a lesser extent MPRs (r = -0.34 to -0.40), and discriminant validity with BMQ domains (r = -0.27 to 0.32). Nonadherent patients reported on average 3.5 adherence barriers, the most common being busyness/forgetting (62%), physical fatigue (38%), and pill fatigue (33%). Conclusion. Our results support the reliability and validity of DOSE-Nonadherence for SLE medications. This refined instrument, DOSE-Nonadherence-SLE, can be used to identify, rigorously study, and guide adherence intervention development in SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Atractylodes lancea (A. lancea)-maize intercropping system, maize can promote the growth of A. lancea, but it is unclear whether this constitutes an aboveground or belowground process. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of the root system interaction between A. lancea and maize using three different barrier conditions: no barrier (AI), nylon barrier (AN), and plastic barrier (AP) systems. The biomass, volatile oil concentration, physicochemical properties of the soil, and rhizosphere microorganisms of the A. lancea plant were determined. The results showed that (1) the A. lancea - maize intercropping system could promote the growth of A. lancea and its accumulation of volatile oils; (2) a comparison of the CK, AI, and AP treatments revealed that it was the above-ground effect of maize specifically that promoted the accumulation of both atractylon and atractylodin within the volatile oils of A. lancea, but inhibited the accumulation of hinesol and β-eudesmol; (3) in comparing the soil physicochemical properties of each treatment group, intercropping maize acidified the root soil of A. lancea, changed its root soil physicochemical properties, and increased the abundance of the acidic rhizosphere microbes of A. lancea at the phylum level; (4) in an analysis of rhizosphere microbial communities of A. lancea under different barrier systems, intercropping was found to promote plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) enrichment, including Streptomyces, Bradyrhizobium, Candidatus Solibacter, Gemmatirosa, and Pseudolabrys, and the biomass of A. lancea was significantly influenced by PGPR. In summary, we found that the rhizosphere soil of A. lancea was acidified in intercropping with maize, causing the accumulation of PGPR, which was beneficial to the growth of A. lancea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferritinophagy, a form of autophagy, is also an important part of ferroptosis, a type of regulated cell death resulting from abnormal iron metabolism involving the production of reactive oxygen species. As ferroptosis, autophagy and cancer have been revealed, ferritinophagy has attracted increasing attention in cancer development. In this review, we discuss the latest research progress on ferroptosis, autophagy-associated ferroptosis led by ferritinophagy, the regulators of ferritinophagy and promising cancer treatments that target ferritinophagy. Ferritinophagy is at the intersection of ferroptosis and autophagy and plays a significant role in cancer development. The discussed studies provide new insights into the mechanisms of ferritinophagy and promising related treatments for cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]