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Background: Malnutrition is a severe but modifiable risk factor for cancers. However, the relationship between malnutrition and the survival of patients with brain metastases has not been fully revealed. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition and assess its prognostic value on patients with brain metastases Methods: We retrospectively recruited 2,633 patients with brain metastases between January 2014 and September 2020. Three malnutrition scores were used to evaluate patients’ malnutrition status at their first admission, including controlling nutritional status, the nutritional risk index, and the prognostic nutritional index. The association between malnutrition and overall survival (OS) was estimated. Results: The three malnutrition scores were associated with each other and with body mass index (BMI). Malnutrition assessed by any of the three scores was significantly associated with poor OS. All three malnutrition scores were better indicators than BMI, and adding malnutrition scores to the Graded Prognostic Assessment (GPA) scoring system could significantly improve the accuracy of prognosis prediction. Conclusions: Malnutrition monitoring using any of the three malnutrition scores on patients’ first admission could be a better survival indicator for patients with brain metastases compared with BMI alone. Impact: Malnutrition is a more significant indicator of survival stratification compared with BMI. Adding malnutrition to the GPA score system achieves better survival prediction.

The oxygen vacancy-rich ZnO nanomaterials derived from ZIF-8 nanostructures exhibit good performance for CO2 electroreduction to syngas with the CO/H2 ratio changing from 1/3 to 8.5/1.

Oil and gas reserves in our country are large and widely distributed, and usually fracturing techniques are needed to extract oil and gas. Currently, the more mature hydraulic fracturing technology is difficult to extract coal bed methane. Combined with the research progress of fracturing at home and abroad, this paper summarizes the development of relevant anhydrous fracturing technology, fracturing fluid, fracturing process and other aspects, compares and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of fracturing technology, and provides some ideas for the development of anhydrous fracturing technology in the future. In order to reduce the cost of anhydrous fracturing, meet the requirements of field application, and accelerate the research progress of anhydrous fracturing, the commonly used fracturing technologies are combined to study new fracturing fluids and carry out composite anhydrous fracturing.

The transcription factor MYB proto-oncogene like 2 (MYBL2) is critical in regulating gene expression and tumorigenesis. However, the biological function of MYBL2 in bladder cancer (BLCA) remains to be elucidated. Here, we first revealed that MYBL2 was elevated in BLCA tissues and significantly correlated with clinicopathological parameters and cancer-specific survival in BLCA patients. Phenotypic assays showed that MYBL2 deficiency suppressed the proliferation and migration of BLCA cells in vitro and in vivo, whereas MYBL2 overexpression contributed to the opposite phenotype. Mechanistically, MYBL2 could bind to the promoter of its downstream target gene cell division cycle-associated protein 3 (CDCA3) and transactivate it, which in turn promoted the malignant phenotype of BLCA cells. Further investigations revealed that MYBL2 interacted with forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) to co-regulate the transcription of CDCA3. In addition, MYBL2/FOXM1 and CDCA3 might activate Wnt/β-catenin signaling, thereby promoting the malignant phenotype of BLCA cells. In conclusion, the current study identifies MYBL2 as an oncogene in BLCA. MYBL2 can accelerate the proliferation and metastasis of BLCA through the transactivation of CDCA3.

We report a study of the electronic structure of BaFe2As2 under uniaxial strains using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and transport measurements. With applied uniaxial strains, two electron bands at the M Y point, with an energy splitting of 50 meV in the strain-free sample, shift downward and merge into each other under a large uniaxial strain, while three hole bands at the Γ point shift downward together. However, we also observed an enhancement of the resistance anisotropy under uniaxial strains by electrical transport measurements, implying that the applied strains strengthen the electronic nematic order in BaFe2As2. These observations suggest that the splitting of these two electron bands at the M Y point is not caused by the nematic order in BaFe2As2.

Supplementary Table 1. The comparison of baseline characteristics of included and excluded patients with brain metastases.

Supplementary Figure 4 The Sankey plot showing the relationship between different malnutrition categories.

Background:Malnutrition is a severe but modifiable risk factor for cancers. However, the relationship between malnutrition and the survival of patients with brain metastases has not been fully revealed. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition and assess its prognostic value on patients with brain metastasesMethods:We retrospectively recruited 2,633 patients with brain metastases between January 2014 and September 2020. Three malnutrition scores were used to evaluate patients’ malnutrition status at their first admission, including controlling nutritional status, the nutritional risk index, and the prognostic nutritional index. The association between malnutrition and overall survival (OS) was estimated.Results:The three malnutrition scores were associated with each other and with body mass index (BMI). Malnutrition assessed by any of the three scores was significantly associated with poor OS. All three malnutrition scores were better indicators than BMI, and adding malnutrition scores to the Graded Prognostic Assessment (GPA) scoring system could significantly improve the accuracy of prognosis prediction.Conclusions:Malnutrition monitoring using any of the three malnutrition scores on patients’ first admission could be a better survival indicator for patients with brain metastases compared with BMI alone.Impact:Malnutrition is a more significant indicator of survival stratification compared with BMI. Adding malnutrition to the GPA score system achieves better survival prediction.

Supplementary Table 4 The results of multivariate Cox analyses of CONUT (A), PNI (B), and NRI (C) scores with overall survival in patients with brain metastases.

Supplementary Figure 3 The correlation analysis for three malnutrition scores and BMI. Scores and BMI were treated as continuous variables. For CONUT, higher scores are associated with worse malnutrition status. For NRI and PNI, lower scores are associated with worse malnutrition status.

Supplementary Table 3. Patients' malnutrition status stratified by BMI groups.

Supplementary Figure 1 The statistical and graphical diagnostics test based on Schoenfeld residuals for proportional hazards assumption.

Supplementary Figure 2 The flow chart of patient selection.

Supplementary Table 5. The Cox proportional analyses of malnutrition scores with overall survival in patients with brain metastases in lung cancer and non-lung cancer patients.

Supplementary Figure 7 Kaplan-Meier curves for overall survival in patients who received target therapy and immune checkpoint blockade.

Supplementary Figure 5. Time-dependent ROC curves of malnutrition scores.

Supplementary Table 2 Baseline Characteristics of included patients stratified by CONUT (A), PNI (B), and NRI (C) categories.

BackgroundSmoking is associated with increased mortality in patients with cancer. However, there are limited data on the impact of smoking on the survival of patients with brain metastases. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate whether smoking was associated with survival and whether smoking cessation was beneficial to these patients.MethodsThis study used lung cancer with a brain metastasis cohort of the West China Hospital of Sichuan University from 2013 to 2021. Patients were stratified according to smoking history; the distribution, clinical characteristics, and survival data of each group were estimated. Kaplan-Meier analysis and risk analysis were performed for the survival endpoint.ResultsOf the 2,647 patients included in the analysis, the median age was 57.8 years, and 55.4% were men. Among them, 67.1% had no smoking history, 18.9% still smoked, and 14% reported quitting smoking. Compared with never smokers, current smokers [HR, 1.51 (95% CI, 1.35-1.69), p < 0.01] and former smokers [HR, 1.32 (95% CI, 1.16-1.49), pp = 0.16]. The overall survival increased with the increase of smoking cessation years.ConclusionsIn lung cancer patients with brain metastases, smoking was associated with an increased risk of death, but quitting smoking was not associated with improved survival.

The electrodeposited CdCO3/Cd-CP-x electrocatalysts exhibited outstanding catalytic performance for CO2 electroreduction in both pure CO2 and low CO2 concentration.

A recyclable polyhemiaminal dynamic network (PHDN) and its composites were prepared via in situ polymerization. The obtained versatile materials is promising for high-performance functional thermosetting materials and electrochemical active materials.

We report the observation for the pz electron band and the band inversion in Fe1+yTexSe1-x with angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Furthermore, we found that excess Fe (y>0) inhibits the topological band inversion in Fe1+yTexSe1-x, which explains the absence of Majorana zero modes in previous reports for Fe1+yTexSe1-x with excess Fe. Basing on our analysis of different amounts of Te doping and excess Fe, we propose a delicate topological phase in this material. Thanks to this delicate phase, one may able to tune the topological transition via applying lattice strain or carrier doping.

BACKGROUND: Assessing working posture risks is important for occupational safety and health. However, low-cost assessment techniques for human motion injuries in the logistics delivery industry have rarely been reported. OBJECTIVE: To propose a novel approach for posture risk assessment using low-cost motion capture with artificial intelligence. METHODS: A Kinect was adopted to obtain red-green-blue (RGB) and depth images of the subject with 24 postures, and the human joints were extracted using artificial intelligence. The images were registered to obtain the actual three-dimensional (3D) human joint angle. RESULTS: The root mean square error (RMSE) significantly decreased. Finally, two common methods for evaluating human working posture injuries—the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment and Ovako Working Posture Analysis System—were investigated. CONCLUSIONS: The outputs of the proposed method are consistent with those of the commercial ergonomic evaluation software.

BackgroundThe prognostic role of body mass index (BMI) in patients with brain metastases is controversial. We aim to investigate the impact of BMI on prognosis and anti-cancer therapy effectiveness in brain metastases.MethodsPatients diagnosed with brain metastases between Oct 2010 and July 2019 were followed for mortality through April 2021. The prognostic role of BMI on overall survival was assessed by a restricted cubic spline (RCS) using a flexible model to visualize the relationship between the BMI values and hazard ratios of all-cause mortality, followed by a cox regression model. The disparity of survival outcomes in patients receiving anti-cancer therapies or those did not was evaluated according to the classification of BMI.ResultsA total of 2,466 patients were included in the analysis, including 241 in the underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2) group, 1,503 in the normal weight group (BMI 18.5–23.9 kg/m2), and 722 in the overweight (BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2) group. Relative to the normal weight group, underweight patients were associated with poor prognosis (adjusted HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.07–1.46, p = 0.005). However, those in the overweight group showed similar overall survival when compared to the normal-weight group. Patients with weight loss were associated with a higher risk of mortality compared with patients without significant weight loss. In underweight patients, there was an insignificant difference in survival outcomes whether they received anti-cancer therapies or not.ConclusionUnderweight and significant weight loss were associated with poor prognosis in brain metastases. Meanwhile, anti-cancer therapies did not significantly improve overall survival in patients with underweight. These findings suggest that improving nutrition to maintain body weight is critical for patients with brain metastases.

Aluminum alloy has low density, good thermal conductivity, and low resistivity, which has been widely used in the fields of the defense industry, aerospace, and machinery manufacturing. As technology advances, there is a growing demand for high-precision parts and green processing. In this paper, a green chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurry for aluminum alloy is developed to optimize the rotational speed and pressure and improve the quality of polished aluminum alloy surface. The influence of CMP slurry composition on the quality of aluminum alloy surface and its mechanism are analyzed. Orthogonal experiments and single-factor experiments are used to investigate the effects of CMP slurry composition and process parameters on the surface quality of polished aluminum alloy. A green chemical mechanical polishing slurry consisting of deionized water, 6 wt.% SiO2, 2 wt.% H2O2, and citric acid to adjust pH=3 was proposed, with the pressure of 24 kPa and rotational speed of 90 r/min. After the CMP of aluminum alloy, surface roughness was reduced from 45.587 nm to 0.876 nm in the scan range of 70 μm × 50 μm. The mechanism was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Zinc-air battery has the advantages of low cost and high theoretical specific capacity (1084 Wh kg−1). The sluggish kinetic of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of air cathode limits the reaction rate of zinc-air battery and restricts its practical applications. Moreover, scarce precious metal-based catalysts such as Pt/C are exprensive. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain low-cost ORR catalysts. The conductivity of catalysts affects electron transfer rate in ORR process and consequently affects the catalytic activity. MnO2 has been studied as a promising ORR catalyst for its advantages of low cost, abundant resources and environmental friendliness. However, the poor electronic conductivity of MnO2 limits its applications in ORR related energy storage devices including zinc-air battery. The conductivity can be improved by assembling MnO2 with highly conductive metals and carbon materials. Graphene and its derivatives are often used as substrates of electrochemical materials due to its excellent electronic conductivity and good electrochemical stability. By doping N atoms into graphene skeleton, electronic state can be improved. Doped N atoms make the nearby C atoms become active adsorption sites. Besides, the introduction of oxygen vacancies (OVs) can also improve electronic conductivity of the materials. In this work, a coassembly of MNSs@Ni-NGA showing high ORR catalytic activity was fabricated containing Ni nanoparticles of 10−15 nm in diameter, MnO2 nanosheets (MNSs) of 5−10 nm in sheet thickness at the ratio of exposed surficial to total unit cells of 37.4%, the ratio of OVs to total O atoms of 46.9at% and NGA about 300 nm in wall thickness. Ni nanoparticles, MNSs and NGA all have ORR activity, providing plenty of active sites for ORR. Ni nanoparticles, NGA and OVs improve the conductivity of coassembly and facilitate electron transfer. At the same time, NGA prevents Ni nanoparticles from falling off and aggregating. The big specific surface area (208.0 m2 g−1) of MNSs@Ni-NGA benefits sufficient exposure of active sites. Plenty of mesoporous pores in MNSs@Ni-NGA benefit fast mass transfer during electrochemical process. The basic ORR was characterized by rotating disk electrode (RDE) in electrochemical workstation. Performances of Zn-air battery were studied by electrochemical workstation and LAND battery test system. Through synergistic effects of Ni nanoparticles, MNSs, OVs and NGA, MNSs@Ni-NGA has an onset potential of 0.98 V and a half wave potential of 0.84 V in alkaline electrolyte, close to those of commercial Pt/C (0.98 and 0.85 V). To demonstrate practical application, a Zn-air battery with MNSs@Ni-NGA as air cathode material was assembled, showing an open circuit voltage of 1.53 V, a maximum power density of 114.8 mW cm−2, a specific capacity of 801.9 mAh gZn−1 and a specific energy of 962.3 Wh kgZn−1 (88.8% of the theoretical specific energy), higher than those of commercial Pt/C+IrO2. This work provides a strategy for designing and assembling high performance ORR catalysts with non precious metallic nanoparticles and OVs-containing MnO2 nanostructures for energy storage devices.

High specific energy and specific power are required for practical energy storage and conversion devices such as supercapacitors and Zn–air batteries. In this study, an aerogel of MnO2 nanosheet@nitrogen-doped graphene (MNSs@NGA) featuring high ratio of exposed surface unit cells of MNS, high specific surface area, hierarchical pores as well as good electronic conductivity is obtained with an ultrathin and poorly-crystallized MNSs network vertically grown on the surface of the porous NGA with the Mn–O–C and Mn–N bonds. The high ratio of exposed surface unit cells in ultrathin MNSs was calculated and quantitatively reported for the first time for further understanding of high specific capacitance related to the large surface area of MNSs@NGA. This MNSs@NGA yields excellent performances, including high specific energy and high specific power, for both supercapacitors and Zn–air batteries, better than those reported by MnOx-based materials. Based on the weight ratio of MnO2, MNSs@NGA shows high specific capacitance, approaching the theoretical specific capacitance of MnO2. Related mechanisms are discussed concerning fast electronic and ionic transfer characteristics of MNSs@NGA in aqueous media for efficient energy conversion and storage.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are actively secreted by mammalian cells. They are increasingly recognized as promising circulating biomarkers of disease progression. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is currently one of the most powerful techniques for the rapid analysis of biological samples, especially for discovering biomarkers for disease diagnosis and prognosis. It is unclear what cell culture medium components and EV isolation methods are suitable for MALDI-TOF MS analysis. Using a human lung carcinoma cell line (A549), we investigated and optimized the critical experimental conditions for EVs' protein profiling by combining differential ultracentrifugation and MALDI-TOF MS. The results demonstrated that medium components and ultracentrifugation procedures to extract EVs played important roles in MS detection. Compared with EV-depleted serum and normal serum medium, conditioned medium with 2% fetal bovine serum in this study maintained cell proliferation and displayed significant protein profiling of EVs. RPS27A (ribosomal protein), which plays an essential role in mRNA translation and ribosome assembly for the differentiation of cancer cells, was detected from the EVs of lung cancer cells associated with cancer cell migration and invasion. We also found the known tumor diagnosis marker, which is S100A10_S100 calcium-binding protein A10. Therefore, MALDI-TOF MS-based EV analysis with optimized experimental protocols can contribute to future development of rapid screening techniques of protein biomarkers associated with early cancer diagnosis.

Low back pain is a major cause of disability worldwide that declines the quality of life; it poses a substantial economic burden for the patient and society. Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IDD) is the main cause of low back pain, and it is also the pathological basis of several spinal degenerative diseases, such as intervertebral disc herniation and spinal stenosis. The current clinical drug treatment of IDD focuses on the symptoms and not their pathogenesis, which results in frequent recurrence and gradual aggravation. Moreover, the side effects associated with the long-term use of these drugs further limit their use. The pathological mechanism of IDD is complex, and oxidative stress and inflammation play an important role in promoting IDD. They induce the destruction of the extracellular matrix in IVD and reduce the number of living cells and functional cells, thereby destroying the function of IVD and promoting the occurrence and development of IDD. Phytochemicals from fruits, vegetables, grains, and other herbs play a protective role in the treatment of IDD as they have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This article reviews the protective effects of phytochemicals on IDD and their regulatory effects on different molecular pathways related to the pathogenesis of IDD. Moreover, the therapeutic limitations and future prospects of IDD treatment have also been reviewed. Phytochemicals are promising candidates for further development and research on IDD treatment.

Objectives: This study further compared the endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and laparoscopic transcystic common bile duct exploration (LTCBDE) approaches in the treatment of common bile duct stones (CBDS) from the perspective of efficacy, safety and economy.Methods: The therapeutic efficacy and safety of ERCP and LTCBDE approaches were retrospectively compared. Cost-effectiveness analysis of clinical economics was performed to analyze and evaluate the two approaches.Results: There was no significant difference in the success rate of surgery and bile stone residue between ERCP and LTCBDE group. The incidence of postoperative complications in ERCP group was significantly higher than that in the LTCBDE group; while the incidence of pancreatitis in the ERCP group was significantly higher than that in the LTCBDE group. There was no significant difference in biliary infection, bile leakage and sepsis between ERCP and LTCBDE groups. In terms of cost, the costs of surgery and nursing were significantly lower, the costs of treatment and sanitary materials were significantly higher in the ERCP group than that in the LTCBDE group. There was no significant difference in the costs of medical examination, laboratory test, medicine cost and total cost between ERCP group and LTCBDE group. The total length of hospital stay, length of hospital stay before surgery and duration of surgery in the ERCP group were significantly lower than that in the LTCBDE group; there was no significant difference in length of hospital stay after surgery between the ERCP and LTCBDE group. The cost-effectiveness ratio of ERCP group was 34171.25, and the cost-effectiveness of LTCBDE group was 34524.25. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of the two groups was 51415.Conclusion: ERCP and LTCBDE approaches had similar therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of CBDS. The safety of LTCBDE approach is superior to that of ERCP approach for the treatment of CBDS. ERCP approach is more economical in the treatment of CBDS than LTCBDE approach.

Purpose: To identify prognostically relevant genes in hepatocellular carcinoma, and to investigate whether gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and hepatocellular carcinoma tissues can be used as a diagnostic and prognostic marker. Methods: Using RNA-sequencing, gene expression was examined in PBMCs from patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma who survived or died. The expression of the top 10 genes in the survival group was validated.Results: The Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases were used to analyze FAT atypical cadherin 4 (FAT4) transcript levels in PBMCs and in hepatocellular carcinoma and normal tissues. FAT4 expression was lower in hepatocellular carcinoma than in normal PBMCs and tissues. Kaplan–Meier analysis suggested that downregulated FAT4 was associated with a relatively poor prognosis. The correlation between FAT4 expression and immune cell infiltration was also explored using Tumor Immune Estimation Resource, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2, and the Tumor and Immune System Interaction Database. FAT4 overexpression was positively correlated with immune cell infiltration, several immune cell markers, and immune checkpoint expression. MicroRNAs regulating FAT4 expression were identified using correlation, expression, and survival analyses. Hsa-miR-93-5p was the most likely upstream microRNA of FAT4 in hepatocellular carcinoma.Conclusion: FAT4 is highly expressed in PBMCs and hepatocellular carcinoma tissues, indicating a favorable prognosis and immune cell infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma, and revealing the potential role of miRNA-93-5p-mediated downregulation of FAT4 in hepatocellular carcinoma immunology. Our findings provide a new direction for the development of novel immunotherapy targets for hepatocellular carcinoma.