Search

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Despite the substantial impact of environmental factors, individuals with a family history of liver cancer have an increased risk for HCC. However, genetic factors have not been studied systematically by genome-wide approaches in large numbers of individuals from European descent populations (EDP). APPROACH AND RESULTS: We conducted a 2-stage genome-wide association study (GWAS) on HCC not affected by HBV infections. A total of 1872 HCC cases and 2907 controls were included in the discovery stage, and 1200 HCC cases and 1832 controls in the validation. We analyzed the discovery and validation samples separately and then conducted a meta-analysis. All analyses were conducted in the presence and absence of HCV. The liability-scale heritability was 24.4% for overall HCC. Five regions with significant ORs (95% CI) were identified for nonviral HCC: 3p22.1, MOBP , rs9842969, (0.51, [0.40-0.65]); 5p15.33, TERT , rs2242652, (0.70, (0.62-0.79]); 19q13.11, TM6SF2 , rs58542926, (1.49, [1.29-1.72]); 19p13.11 MAU2 , rs58489806, (1.53, (1.33-1.75]); and 22q13.31, PNPLA3 , rs738409, (1.66, [1.51-1.83]). One region was identified for HCV-induced HCC: 6p21.31, human leukocyte antigen DQ beta 1, rs9275224, (0.79, [0.74-0.84]). A combination of homozygous variants of PNPLA3 and TERT showing a 6.5-fold higher risk for nonviral-related HCC compared to individuals lacking these genotypes. This observation suggests that gene-gene interactions may identify individuals at elevated risk for developing HCC. CONCLUSIONS: Our GWAS highlights novel genetic susceptibility of nonviral HCC among European descent populations from North America with substantial heritability. Selected genetic influences were observed for HCV-positive HCC. Our findings indicate the importance of genetic susceptibility to HCC development.

Objective To construct prediction models for moderate/severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia （BPD） in extremely preterm infants at different days after birth. Methods The preterm infants with BPD at a gestational age of < 28 weeks at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from September 2017 to December 2019 were retrospectively selected. They were divided into the mild-BPD group and moderate/severe-BPD group. The significant variables screened by using single-factor analysis were subject to risk assessment analysis by multivariate Logistic regression analysis. Early prediction models were established， and the predictive performance was validated and evaluated. Results Ninety extremely preterm infants were included in this study， including 58 cases （64.4%） in the mild-BPD group and 32 cases （35.6%） in the moderate/severe-BPD group. Multiple Logistic regression analysis showed birth weight， maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index （BMI） ≥ 25 kg/m2， 1-minute Apgar score≤7 after birth and pneumonia were the influencing factors for moderate/severe BPD at 7 days after birth. Preeclampsia， maternal pre-pregnancy BMI≥25 kg/m2， pneumonia and hsPDA were the risk factors for moderate/severe BPD at 14 days postnatal age. Preeclampsia， maternal pre-pregnancy BMI≥25 kg/m2， days of invasive mechanical ventilation and hsPDA were the risk factors for moderate/severe BPD at 28 days after birth. The area under the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve of the prediction models for 7， 14 and 28 days after birth were 0.864 （95% CI 0.776-0.952）， 0.860 （95% CI 0.774-0.946） and 0.863 （95% CI 0.783-0.944）， respectively. A nomogram was constructed based on high risk factors， the calibrated curve was close to the reference line， and the predicted value was close to the actual value， indicating good calibration of the model. Conclusions The risk factors for moderate/severe BPD in preterm infants vary slightly on 7， 14 and 28 days after birth， mainly the birth weight， maternal pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2， 1-minute Apgar score≤7， pneumonia， preeclampsia， hsPDA and days of invasive mechanical ventilation. The predictive models based on different factors at different time points have good predictive value， which can provide guidance for clinical practice.

This article reports a case of acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AML-M4, CBFB gene positive) with lower limb microthrombus formation after haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and summarizes the experience of diagnosis and treatment. The patient received achieved complete remission (CR) after routine chemotherapy, but relapsed 2 years later and underwent a haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. During routine treatment after transplantation, the patient’s coagulation related indicators, including D-dimer (D-D), antithrombin Ⅲ (AT-Ⅲ), von Willebrand factor (vWF), fibrinogen degradation products (FDP) and fibrin monomer (FM), were dynamically observed. The patient experienced jaundice and elevated transaminases around 100 days after transplantation, and underwent plasma exchange treatment three times through the right lower limb femoral vein catheterization. After removing the venous catheter for one week, there was left ankle concavea pitting edema of the left ankle. Vascular ultrasound examination indicated the formation of microthrombus in the superficial venous plexus of the gastrocnemius muscle in the left lower limb. D-D, vWF, FDP, FM and other indicators were increased, while AT-Ⅲ levels was decreased. After 2 weeks of oral administration of 5 mg/d berritol for antithrombotic treatment, the above coagulation indicators gradually returned to normal, and the left lower limb intermuscular venous plexus thrombosis and limb swelling disappeared. Therefore, dynamic monitoring of coagulation indicators, such as D-D, AT-Ⅲ, vWF, FDP, and FM may serve as diagnostic indicators for predict transplant related microthrombus and hypercoagulable status, providing an experimental basis for effective anticoagulant treatment in clinical practice.

Uniform symmetric bodies can be observed floating asymmetrically under certain circumstances. Previous explanations of this are mostly abstract and lack experimental verification, making their understanding and application difficult. This article presents in detail alternative insights into the floating equilibria of uniform prisms and parabolic cylinders. The intrinsic characteristics of the equilibrium curves are investigated, and several equilibria different from those in the literature are found. The inflection points in the equilibrium curves are analyzed quantitatively due to their significance for floating states. Furthermore, experiments have been conducted for the square prism which validate the derived equilibrium curve, and provide a practical impression of the asymmetric floating phenomenon of symmetric bodies. These results have the potential to be applied in naval and ocean engineering, such as in the design of vessels and floating offshore structures.

Using the particle swarm optimization algorithm, we conducted an extensive search for the high-pressure stable structure of technetium diboride (TcB2) within the pressure range of 0–400 GPa. At zero pressure, the P63/mmc (hP6-TcB2) structure is considered the ground state configuration. As the pressure increases, a structural transition from hP6-TcB2 to P6/mmm (hP3-TcB2) occurs at approximately 174.9 GPa. We discuss the bonding between the two distinct phases and analyze the contribution of different atomic bonds to maintaining their structural stability. Meanwhile, the temperature–pressure phase diagram of TcB2 was successfully determined for the first time through the quasi-harmonic approximation method. It is predicted that the transition pressure from hP6-TcB2 to hP3-TcB2 can be reduced to about 164 GPa at a room temperature of 300 K. These results provide valuable insights into the behavior of TcB2 under different temperature and pressure conditions and open up new possibilities for exploring its potential applications in a variety of environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When an emergency vehicle (EV) passes through an isolated signal intersection, it is crucial to ensure the efficient passage of the EV while minimizing the negative impact on ordinary vehicles (OVs), particularly in high-traffic flow scenarios. Given the constraints on temporal and spatial resources within intersection areas, OVs ahead of EV often face challenges in finding safe gaps for giving way, resulting in significant obstructions to OVs. This research introduces a novel collaborative control framework to jointly optimize dynamic emergency lane settings and signal schemes, considering EV priority and OVs benefits for a single signalized intersection. Firstly, we propose a dynamic emergency lane control algorithm to help obstructed EV in roadway segments by extending and reallocating temporal and spatial resources for vehicles. Then, we establish a collaborative control model considering EV priority and OVs benefits. Assigning the highest priority to the emergency priority phase, this model optimizes signal schemes to prevent interphase conflict, taking into account OVs benefits. Finally, our collaborative control framework also employs an Eco-Driving algorithm for the optimization of OV speed to reduce fuel consumption. The case study results reveal that in comparison to other baseline methods, our proposed model significantly reduces EV travel time, simultaneously lowering the travel time and fuel consumption of OVs. Sensitivity analysis of varying traffic flow scenarios reveals that, as vehicle volumes increase, our proposed method demonstrates more pronounced reductions in both EV and OV travel time. In addition, there is a progressive increase in the proportion of dynamic emergency lane utilization, with activation occurring at earlier locations., Author(s): Ke-jun Long [1]; Zhong-gen Zhang [1]; Zhi-bo Gao (corresponding author) [1]; Si-qi Zhong [1]; Jian Gu [1] 1. Introduction The severity of hazards arising from emergency incidents increases substantially [...]

Background: To investigate the clinical effects and safety of the hybrid debranching technique for patients with acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (AD). Methods: One hundred nine patients with acute Stanford type a AD were selected and divided into observation group and control group according to the different surgical methods. Fifty-five patients in the observation group were treated with hybrid debranching, and 54 patients in the control group were treated with Sun's operation. The operation duration, clamp time, cardiopulmonary bypass duration, volume of blood transfusion, ventilator application duration, duration of stay in the intensive care unit, aortic rupture, second thoracotomy due to hemorrhage, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, stroke, paraplegia, renal failure, and all-cause mortality were recorded. Postoperative follow-up was conducted. The number of cases that underwent follow-up and the number of cases with complete thrombosis of the false aneurysm cavity detected by computed tomography angiography (CTA) was recorded. Results: The surgical success rate was 100% in both groups, and there were no cases with unplanned secondary surgery. Compared with the control group, only the difference in the volume of blood transfusion was not significantly significant between the two groups (P = 0.052), while the rest of the observation indicators were significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.001 for all). The proportion of cases with complete thrombosis of the false aneurysm cavity was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group at 3 and 6 months after surgery (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In patients with acute Stanford type A AD involving the arch, the hybrid debranching technique was safe and effective. It was recommended for patients with advanced age and a high risk of intolerance to deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of postpartum anxiety and the factors influencing it, while also exploring the multiple mediating roles of related factors between social support and postpartum anxiety symptomatology among postpartum women in China. Methods: Between April and August 2023, we recruited a total of 824 postpartum women through a convenience sampling method. These participants completed a series of general survey questionnaires and were evaluated using the depression anxiety stress scale, perceived social support scale, 10-item Connor–Davidson resilience scale, maternal postpartum stress scale, and Pittsburgh sleep quality index. Additionally, we employed a hierarchical multiple regression model to investigate the relevant factors and mediators of postpartum anxiety symptomatology. A structural equation model was used to examine the mediating role of resilience, postpartum stress, and sleep problems in the relationship between social support and postpartum anxiety symptomatology. Results: Our study found a postpartum anxiety symptomatology prevalence rate of 18.40%. The factors influencing postpartum anxiety symptomatology included age, education of their husband, mastitis, social support, resilience, postpartum stress, and sleep problems. Through a multiple mediation analysis, we found that resilience, postpartum stress, and sleep problems completely mediated the effects of social support on postpartum anxiety symptomatology, with the mediating effect accounting for 83.57% of the total effect. Conclusion: The multiple mediation analysis revealed that among postpartum women, the impact of social support on postpartum anxiety symptomatology is channeled through resilience, postpartum stress, and sleep problems. Therefore, enhancing social support, resilience, postpartum stress, and sleep problems might alleviate postpartum anxiety symptomatology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To quantify the travel time and cost characteristics of mixed traffic involving electric vehicles (EVs) and fuel-powered vehicles on roads, in this paper, we comprehensively consider three factors affecting road impedance: queue length, waiting time, and service rate. Initially, a time characteristic function and a cost characteristic function for mixed traffic impedance are constructed. From the perspective of travel time, we consider the impact of EV penetration on the actual road capacity and introduce a capacity coefficient to modify the BPR (Bureau of Public Roads) road impedance function. Given that different types of vehicles might need to wait at charging stations, we employ queuing theory to calculate the queuing time at these stations and construct an impedance model that considers travel time. From the perspective of travel costs, we account for the energy consumption costs and road usage fees for different types of vehicles. The energy consumption cost for travel mileage is obtained by multiplying the unit mileage energy consumption cost of mixed traffic by the travel mileage. For road usage fees, we adopt the conventional method of multiplying the per-kilometer rate for each vehicle type by the travel mileage, thus constructing an impedance model that incorporates travel costs. Finally, in the numerical analysis section, based on the vehicle travel mileage, we categorize travel into short-, medium-, and long-distance trips for analysis. With the constructed mixed traffic impedance model, we conduct a detailed analysis of the travel time and cost characteristics of mixed traffic over different travel distances. We explore the specific impacts of the electric vehicle penetration rate, traffic flow volume, and travel mileage on road impedance. The results indicate that as the penetration rate of electric vehicles increases, the total energy consumption of the transportation system significantly decreases. Moreover, at high electric vehicle penetration rates, although an increase in traffic flow leads to higher traffic impedance and longer travel times, the overall travel costs are reduced. This demonstrates that increasing the penetration rate of electric vehicles positively contributes to reducing the energy consumption and costs of transportation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation tillage technology possesses substantial potential to enhance agricultural production efficiency and tackle issues such as wind erosion and land degradation in semi-arid regions. The integration of no-tillage and straw mulching technologies in the conventional aeolian semi-arid agricultural zones of western Liaoning, China, has led to notable improvements in crop yield and soil quality. However, a comprehensive assessment of the mechanisms and kinetics involved in soil nutrient variations is yet to be conducted. During a two-year study period, we assessed four tillage systems in the aeolian semi-arid regions of Northern China: no-tillage with full straw mulching (NTFS), no-tillage with half straw mulching (NTHS), no-tillage without straw mulching (NT), and conventional tillage (CT). The investigation focused on examining nutrient conditions, enhancing photosynthetic activity, and increasing maize yield while improving water use efficiency (WUE). Our findings emphasize the beneficial impact of combining no-tillage and straw mulching on enhancing soil water retention, resulting in a notable rise in soil moisture levels during the crucial growth phases of maize. This approach also positively influenced soil nutrient levels, particularly in the 0–20 cm layer, fostering an environment conducive to maize cultivation. In terms of ecological benefits, no-tillage with straw mulching curtailed soil sediment transport and wind erosion, notably at 30–40 cm heights, aiding in the ecological protection of the region. The yield and WUE were substantially higher under NTFS and NTHS than under CT, with NTHS demonstrating the most significant gains in yield (14.5% to 16.6%) and WUE (18.3% to 21.7%) throughout the study period. A TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) analysis confirmed NTHS as the optimal treatment, achieving the highest scores for soil water, nutrient availability, wind erosion control, maize photosynthesis, yield, and WUE, thus emerging as the most effective conservation tillage strategy for sustainable agriculture in aeolian semi-arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer coatings are emerged as promising candidates for zinc anode artificial solid electrolyte interphase (ASEI) owing to their barrier effect and zincophilicity. However, the poor ionic conductivity of conventional polymer coatings limits their application. Herein, inspired by epidermis function, a porous poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) coating is fabricated to stabilize Zn anode via a novel phase inversion method. The modified Zn anode delivers a remarkable lifespan of over 4000 h at 1 mA cm−2, 1 mAh cm−2, and 120 h at 20 mA cm−2, 20 mAh cm−2 in symmetrical cells. Moreover, porous PMMA‐Zn||NVO full cell also exhibits an excellent cycling stability over 500 cycles at 1 A g−1 as well as an ultralong lifespan exceeding 5000 cycles at 5 A g−1. The excellent cycling stability and rate performance are mainly attributed to the avoided side reactions by the coating protection, as well as the enhanced diffusion and reaction kinetics derived from the good zincophilicity and porous structure of porous PMMA. The facile and universal method for fabricating porous polymer ASEI provides a new insight for the application of conventional polymer materials in Zn anode protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water and nitrogen are crucial for producing spring maize. Currently, irrigation and fertilization systems often rely on a single indicator, resulting in inefficient practices. This study aims to determine an optimal nitrogen application rate for shallow buried drip irrigation (SBDI) to balance growth characteristics, yield (Y), water use efficiency (WUE), and soil nitrogen levels. In a typical semi-arid region of Northeast China, we conducted controlled experiments from 2022 to 2023, adopting a two-factor quadratic saturation D-optimal design method to study the effects of different irrigation amounts (145.40, 271.70, 348.20, and 436.20 mm) and nitrogen fertilizer application amounts (34.80, 185.90, 277.40, and 382.80 kg·hm−2) on spring maize. The results indicate that increasing both irrigation and nitrogen application rates can enhance dry matter accumulation (DMA) from 15.17% to 32.70%. The impact of irrigation and fertilization on the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of spring maize was greater for the irrigation applications than the nitrogen applications, particularly at 9:00 a.m. and 13:00 p.m. and slightly less so at 11:00 a.m. and 15:00 p.m. Concurrently, there were significant increases in total nitrogen (TN1 by 20.85% in the 0–20 cm soil layer; TN2 by 33.33% in the 20–40 cm soil layer) and alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen (AHN1 by 14.65% at 0–20 cm; AHN2 by 28.86% at 20–40 cm). Y improved from 12.02% to 44.09%, and WUE increased from 20.08% to 140.07%. The optimal water and fertilizer management mode for spring maize SBDI in semi-arid areas was determined through comprehensive analysis using the TOPSIS entropy weight method. When the irrigation amount is 436.20 mm, and the nitrogen fertilizer application amount is 277.40 kg·hm−2, it can significantly promote the DMA, Y, WUE, photosynthetic characteristics, and soil nitrogen content of spring maize. This study provides a theoretical basis for the practical application of SBDI water–fertilizer coupling for spring maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a multifactorial disease influenced by genetic, environmental, and immunological factors. Genetic polymorphisms in the interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene have been implicated in PCa susceptibility, development, and progression. This study aims to assess the contributions of three IL-10 promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), A-1082G (rs1800896), T-819C (rs3021097), and A-592C (rs1800872), to the risk of PCa in Taiwan. The three IL-10 genotypes were determined using PCR-RFLP methodology and were evaluated for their contributions to PCa risk among 218 PCa patients and 436 non-PCa controls. None of the three IL-10 SNPs were significantly associated with the risks of PCa (p all > 0.05) in the overall analyses. However, the GG at rs1800896 combined with smoking behavior was found to significantly increase the risk of PCa by 3.90-fold (95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.28–11.89, p = 0.0231). In addition, the rs1800896 AG and GGs were found to be correlated with the late stages of PCa (odds ratio [OR] = 1.90 and 6.42, 95% CI = 1.05–3.45 and 2.30–17.89, p = 0.0452 and 0.0003, respectively). The IL-10 promoter SNP, A-1082G (rs1800896), might be a risk factor for PCa development among smokers and those at late stages of the disease. These findings should be validated in larger and more diverse populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]