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Background: The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), integrating nutrition and inflammation markers, has been increasingly recognized as a prognostic predictor in diverse patient cohorts. Recently, its effectiveness as a predictive marker for acute kidney injury (AKI) in various clinical settings has gained attention. This study aims to assess the predictive accuracy of the PNI for AKI in critically ill populations through systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure up to August 2023. The included trials reported the PNI assessment in adult population with critical illness and its predictive capacity for AKI. Data on study characteristics, subgroup covariates, and diagnostic performance of PNI, including sensitivity, specificity, and event rates, were extracted. A diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis was performed. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were utilized to investigate the sources of heterogeneity. The GRADE framework evaluated the confidence in the meta-analysis's evidence. Results: The analysis encompassed 16 studies with 17 separate cohorts, totaling 21,239 patients. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of PNI for AKI prediction were 0.67 (95% CI 0.58–0.74) and 0.74 (95% CI 0.67–0.80), respectively. The pooled positive likelihood ratio was 2.49 (95% CI 1.99–3.11; low certainty), and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.46 (95% CI 0.37–0.56; low certainty). The pooled diagnostic odds ratio was 5.54 (95% CI 3.80–8.07), with an area under curve of summary receiver operating characteristics of 0.76. Subgroup analysis showed that PNI's sensitivity was higher in medical populations than in surgical populations (0.72 vs. 0.55; p < 0.05) and in studies excluding patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) than in those including them (0.75 vs. 0.56; p < 0.01). Overall, diagnostic performance was superior in the non-chronic kidney disease group. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that PNI has practical accuracy for predicting the development of AKI in critically ill populations, with superior diagnostic performance observed in medical and non-CKD populations. However, the diagnostic efficacy of the PNI has significant heterogeneity with different cutoff value, indicating the need for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of field tests performed to investigate the installation effects of pre-bored grouted planted (PGP) pile in deep clayey soil. The variation of horizontal soil displacements, excess pore water pressures and lateral soil pressures was measured in the PGP pile installation process. The test results show that the drilling and grouting process induced large horizontal soil displacements in the soil within a radial distance of 2 d (d is pile diameter), and the maximum horizontal soil displacements induced by the drilling and grouting process were smaller than 15.9 mm when the radial distance reached 4–5 d. Moreover, the horizontal soil displacements decreased along the soil layer depth, as the superficial soil layers were of small deformation modulus and lateral soil pressure. The drilling process brought large excess pore water pressures in the soil when the radial distance was less than 3 d, and the excess pore water pressures induced by the drilling stage were all less than 55 kPa when the radial distance reached 4–6 d. The drilling process also induced some lateral soil pressure increases in the soil within a radial distance of 3 d, while the measured maximum lateral soil pressure increases were smaller than 10.9 kPa when the radial distance increased to 4 d. On the whole, the excess pore water pressures and lateral soil pressure increases induced by the installation of PGP pile were much smaller than that induced by the installation of driven PHC pile. Moreover, the horizontal soil displacements, excess pore water pressures and lateral soil pressure increases induced by the installation of PGP pile all recovered rapidly after the installation of pile, as the cemented soil in the pile hole was in liquid state after the drilling and grouting stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To control heavy metal pollution effectively, prevention of heavy metal accumulations in agricultural soils should be the priority rather than remediation of heavy metal contamination. In this research, papers which contained input and output fluxes of Cd, As, Cr, Hg, and Pb in topsoil (the plough layer) of agricultural lands in Hunan, Zhejiang, the Yangtze River Delta, Hainan, and China as a whole were explored. Fluxes of heavy metal species were recalculated, and future trends of pollution were predicted. Also, cases regarding the application of technologies to control the input and output of heavy metals were analyzed. Results indicated that atmospheric decomposition was the dominant input source of heavy metals in all study sites except Hainan. The relative contributions of fertilizers, irrigation water, and straw returning fluctuated greatly among different sites. Cd pollution in all sites was the most serious, followed by Cr and Pb. In Hunan, Cd has already exceeded the maximum limit value and needs to be controlled urgently. The input of heavy metals from irrigation water, fertilizers, and straw returning could be controlled by proposing more policies to manage their quality and application amounts. The amount of heavy metals absorbed by plants could be increased by cultivating crops with hyperaccumulators and high-biomass plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been associated with acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the occurrence rate of ICI-related AKI has not been systematically examined. Additionally, exposure to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were considered as risk factors for AKI, but with inconclusive results in ICI-related AKI. Our aim was to analyse the occurrence rate of all-cause AKI and ICI-related AKI and the occurrence rates of severe AKI and dialysis-requiring AKI, and to determine whether exposure to PPIs and NSAIDs poses a risk for all-cause and ICI-related AKI. Methods This study population was adult ICI recipients. A systematic review was conducted by searching MEDLINE, Embase and PubMed through October 2023. We included prospective trials and observational studies that reported any of the following outcomes: the occurrence rate of all-cause or ICI-related AKI, the relationship between PPI or NSAID exposure and AKI development or the mortality rate in the AKI or non-AKI group. Proportional meta-analysis and pairwise meta-analysis were performed. The evidence certainty was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework. Results A total of 120 studies comprising 46 417 patients were included. The occurrence rates of all-cause AKI were 7.4% (14.6% from retrospective studies and 1.2% from prospective clinical trials). The occurrence rate of ICI-related AKI was 3.2%. The use of PPIs was associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.77 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.43–2.18] for all-cause AKI and an OR of 2.42 (95% CI 1.96–2.97) for ICI-related AKI. The use of NSAIDs was associated with an OR of 1.77 (95% CI 1.10–2.83) for all-cause AKI and an OR of 2.57 (95% CI 1.68–3.93) for ICI-related AKI. Conclusions Our analysis revealed that approximately 1 in 13 adult ICI recipients may experience all-cause AKI, while 1 in 33 adult ICI recipients may experience ICI-related AKI. Exposure to PPIs and NSAIDs was associated with an increased OR risk for AKI in the current meta-analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The confining pressure has a great effect on the internal force of the tunnel. During construction, the confining pressure which has a crucial impact on tunnel construction changes due to the variation of groundwater level and applied load. Therefore, the safety of tunnels must have the magnitude of confining pressure accurately estimated. In this study, a complete tunnel confining pressure time axis was obtained through high-frequency field monitoring, the data are segmented into a training set and a testing set. Using GRU and RNN models, a confining pressure prediction model was established, and the prediction results were analyzed. The results indicate that the GRU model has a fast-training speed and higher accuracy. On the other hand, the training speed of the RNN model is slow, with lower accuracy. The dynamic characteristics of soil pressure during tunnel construction require accurate prediction models to maintain the safety of the tunnel. The comparison between GRU and RNN models not only highlights the advantages of the GRU model but also emphasizes the necessity of balancing speed accuracy in tunnel construction confining pressure prediction modeling. This study is helpful in improving the understanding of soil pressure dynamics and developing effective prediction tools to promote safer and more reliable tunnel construction practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: DNA double-strand break (DSB) induction and repair are important events for determining cell survival and the outcome of cancer radiotherapy. The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) complex functions at the apex of DSBs repair, and its assembly and activity are strictly regulated by post-translation modifications (PTMs)-associated interactions. However, the PTMs of the catalytic subunit DNA-PKcs and how they affect DNA-PKcs's functions are not fully understood. Methods: Mass spectrometry analyses were performed to identify the crotonylation sites of DNA-PKcs in response to γ-ray irradiation. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), western blotting, in vitro crotonylation assays, laser microirradiation assays, in vitro DNA binding assays, in vitro DNA-PK assembly assays and IF assays were employed to confirm the crotonylation, identify the crotonylase and decrotonylase, and elucidate how crotonylation regulates the activity and function of DNA-PKcs. Subcutaneous xenografts of human HeLa GCN5 WT or HeLa GCN5 siRNA cells in BALB/c nude mice were generated and utilized to assess tumor proliferation in vivo after radiotherapy. Results: Here, we reveal that K525 is an important site of DNA-PKcs for crotonylation, and whose level is sharply increased by irradiation. The histone acetyltransferase GCN5 functions as the crotonylase for K525-Kcr, while HDAC3 serves as its dedicated decrotonylase. K525 crotonylation enhances DNA binding activity of DNA-PKcs, and facilitates assembly of the DNA-PK complex. Furthermore, GCN5-mediated K525 crotonylation is indispensable for DNA-PKcs autophosphorylation and the repair of double-strand breaks in the NHEJ pathway. GCN5 suppression significantly sensitizes xenograft tumors of mice to radiotherapy. Conclusions: Our study defines K525 crotonylation of DNA-PKcs is important for the DNA-PK complex assembly and DSBs repair activity via NHEJ pathway. Targeting GCN5-mediated K525 Kcr of DNA-PKcs may be a promising therapeutic strategy for improving the outcome of cancer radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The burgeoning demand for miniaturized energy storage devices compatible with the miniaturization trend of electronic technologies necessitates advancements in micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) that promise safety, cost efficiency, and high-speed charging capabilities. However, conventional aqueous MSCs face a significant limitation due to their inherently narrow electrochemical potential window, which restricts their operational voltage and energy density compared to their organic and ionic liquid counterparts. In this study, we introduce an innovative aqueous NaCl/H2O/EG hybrid gel electrolyte (comprising common salt (NaCl), H2O, ethylene glycol (EG), and SiO2) for Ti3C2Tx MXene MSCs that substantially widens the voltage window to 1.6 V, a notable improvement over traditional aqueous system. By integrating the hybrid electrolyte with 3D-printed MXene electrodes, we realized MSCs with remarkable areal capacitance (1.51 F cm−2) and energy density (675 µWh cm−2), significantly surpassing existing benchmarks for aqueous MSCs. The strategic formulation of the hybrid electrolyte—a low-concentration NaCl solution with EG—ensures both economic and environmental viability while enabling enhanced electrochemical performance. Furthermore, the MSCs fabricated via 3D printing technology exhibit exceptional flexibility and are suitable for modular device integration, offering a promising avenue for the development of high-performance, sustainable energy storage devices. This advancement not only provides a tangible solution to the challenge of limited voltage windows in aqueous MXene MSCs but also sets a new precedent for the design of next-generation MSCs that align with the needs of an increasingly microdevice-centric world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advancement of engineering techniques, underground shield tunneling projects have also started incorporating emerging technologies to monitor the forces and displacements during the construction and operation phases of shield tunnels. Monitoring devices installed on the tunnel segment components generate a large amount of data. However, due to various factors, data may be missing. Hence, the completion of the incomplete data is imperative to ensure the utmost safety of the engineering project. In this research, a missing data imputation technique utilizing Random Forest (RF) is introduced. The optimal combination of the number of decision trees, maximum depth, and number of features in the RF is determined by minimizing the Mean Squared Error (MSE). Subsequently, complete soil pressure data are artificially manipulated to create incomplete datasets with missing rates of 20%, 40%, and 60%. A comparative analysis of the imputation results using three methods—median, mean, and RF—reveals that this proposed method has the smallest imputation error. As the missing rate increases, the mean squared error of the Random Forest method and the other two methods also increases, with a maximum difference of about 70%. This indicates that the random forest method is suitable for imputing monitoring data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concrete-cored cement mixing (CCM) pile composite foundation is a practical technology for soft soil ground treatment. This paper proposed a theoretical analysis model for the CCM pile composite foundation under embankment in undrained condition which comprehensively considered the interaction between the various components of the CCM pile composite foundation. The working behavior and influencing factors of CCM pile composite foundation under the embankment was also investigated based on the proposed analysis model. The research results showed that: the embankment load was transferred from the outer soil column to the inner soil column. The formation of soil arch effect promoted the concrete core pile to undertake the majority of embankment load, which improved the working behavior of the CCM pile composite foundation under flexible foundation. There was a neutral plane at a certain depth below the ground surface, and the pile shaft above the neutral plane was under negative skin friction, moreover, the vertical stresses of the concrete core pile, cement mixing pile and the soil around the pile all reached the maximum value at the neutral plane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to investigate therapeutic effect of Bushenhuoxue recipe in intrauterine adhesions (IUA) and explore the underlying molecular mechanism via integrating network pharmacology and in vitro experimental verification. The active compounds and gene targets of Bushenhuoxue recipe were screened in the TCMSP database and the IUA-related genes were identified using GeneCards database by the keyword “Intrauterine adhesions”. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were conducted to reveal the underlying molecular mechanism of Bushenhuoxue recipe treating IUA. T-HESC cells were inducted to fibrotic state using TGF-β1 of 10 ng/ml concentration treating for 24 h. RT-qPCR or western blot was used to demonstrate the expression levels of fibrosis markers (COL1A1 and α-SMA) and KEGG pathway markers. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay was performed to illustrate the cell viability of endometrial stromal cell. The treatment of Bushenhuoxue recipe could significantly inhibit the proliferation and fibrosis of endometrial stromal cells. We obtained a total of 169 no-repeat ingredients of Bushenhuoxue recipe and 3044 corresponding targets. After taking intersection with 4230 no-repeat IUA-related genes, a total of 83 target genes related to both Bushenhuoxue recipe and IUA were finally identified. KEGG analysis found that PI3K-AKT signaling pathway might be the key pathway. Further experiment revealed that PI3K-AKT signaling pathway was significantly activated in endometrial stromal cells of fibrotic state and the treatment of Bushenhuoxue recipe could inhibit the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. Further rescue assay demonstrated that Bushenhuoxue recipe suppressed the proliferation and fibrosis of endometrial stromal cells via PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. Bushenhuoxue recipe suppresses the proliferation and fibrosis of endometrial stromal cells via PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, eventually inhibiting the progression of IUA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]