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Purposes: Developing the cultivation and utilization of tiger nuts on marginal land is an effective approach to tackle the shortage of arable land in northern China. However, key information on their growth is unclear. This study aims to reveal the adaption potential of tiger nuts to on marginal land to help improve and adjust management practices. Methods: Three treatments were arranged to plant tiger nut in marginal land: no fertilization (N:P = 0:0), traditional fertilization (N:P = 15:15), and additional nitrogen fertilizer (N:P = 60:15). Functional traits of tiger nut and soil nutrients over three growth periods were investigated. Results: Under no fertilization, tiger nuts extended roots and toughened leaves to maximize nutrient absorption, and then quickly transported those nutrients to tubers. However, the lack of available phosphorus in the soil prevented the expansion of tubers. With the addition of fertilizers, tiger nuts produced more individuals, and their abundant belowground tissues resulted in soil organic matter increase. Under traditional fertilization, the tuber remains the main reproductive organ for tiger nuts, and phosphorus has a significant effect on the expansion of tubers. But under additional nitrogen fertilizer, the main reproductive organ changed to the stolon, nitrogen and phosphorus acted on stolons to promote their extension. Conclusion: Tiger nuts outstandingly adapt to marginal land environments and adjust their adaptation strategies according to varying soil nutrient conditions, Best tuber production will be achieved in soils with higher phosphorus availability, and a significant nitrogen proportion increase in fertilizers is necessary for enhancing aboveground production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Elevated carboxypeptidase E (CPE) levels play crucial roles in tumorigenesis and metastasis. This study investigated the expression and clinicopathological significance of CPE in early-stage cervical cancer.Methods: Elevated carboxypeptidase E expression was analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting in normal cervical tissue, cervical cancer cell lines, and in cervical cancer tissues and adjacent noncancerous tissues (ANTs) from the same patient. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to examine CPE expression in tissue samples from 112 patients with early-stage cervical cancer (FIGO stages Ia2-IIa2), 60 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, and 19 patients with normal cervical tissues (NCTs). Associations between CPE expression and prognostic and diagnostic factors were evaluated statistically.Results: CPE expression was significantly higher in cervical cancer cell lines and tissues than in normal tissues and ANTs. Semi-quantitative analysis of IHC indicated that CPE gradually increased from CIN I to cervical cancer, but was absent in NCTs. CPE expression was seen in 40.2 % (45/112) of the cervical cancer samples. CPE expression was significantly associated with FIGO stage (P = 0.003), tumor size (P = 0.012), stromal invasion (P < 0.001), lymphovascular space invasion (P = 0.016), parametrial infiltration (P = 0.027), vaginal involvement (P = 0.007), postoperative adjuvant therapy (P = 0.024), recurrence (P < 0.001), survival (P < 0.001), and pelvic lymph node metastasis (PLNM) (P < 0.001), and it was significantly higher in tissues from patients with PLNM than without PLNM. Logistic regression analysis identified high-level CPE expression as an independent risk factor for PLNM (P = 0.001). Patients with higher CPE expression had shorter overall survival duration than patients with lower CPE expression. Univariate and multivariate Cox-regression analyses suggested that high-level CPE expression is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in early-stage cervical cancer.Conclusions: High-level CPE expression was associated with a poor prognosis in early-stage cervical cancer. CPE may serve as a biomarker for predicting PLNM and survival in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An urban subway network system is a complex public transportation system. To compare rail transit braking digital command control strategies based on neural network, this article analyzes and studies the characteristics of subway vehicle driver controllers and their design methods from three aspects: mechanical, electrical and software-assisted design. The learning rule of the BP neural network is called the mentor system learning rule, which is a kind of error-correcting algorithm. In the learning and training process, the expected output value needs to be given. The weights and thresholds of the BP neural network are optimized by selecting the parameters of the SA algorithm. The search method of SA is heuristic, and it has the following advantages: The selection of the initial solution does not affect the optimal solution. The simplified model extracts the core data processing individual analysis. In this paper, the physical data are extracted from the physical entity operation process for analysis, and the twin model is established to extract the twin data for analysis. This paper uses the characteristics of physical data to test the modeling effect and utilizes the twin data to carry out algorithm experiments on physical data. The ultimate goal is to use twin data to predict the state information of physical entities. The network error in the scheme designed by the article is 6%. The smooth implementation of this research constitutes an important reference for the design of subway train network control systems in other cities in China. Therefore, this research has great application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to analyze the patterns, therapeutic modalities, and short-term outcomes of patients with chest injuries in the aftermath of the Wen-Chuan earthquake, which occurred on May 12, 2008 and registered 8.0 on the Richter scale. Of the 1522 patients who were referred to the West China Hospital of Sichuan University from May 12 to May 27, 169 patients (11.1%) had suffered major chest injuries. The type of injury, the presence of infection, Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS 2005), New Injury Severity Score (NISS), treatment, and short-term outcome were all documented for each case. Isolated chest injuries were diagnosed in 129 patients (76.3%), while multiple injuries with a major chest trauma were diagnosed in 40 patients (23.7%). The mean AIS and the median NISS of the hospitalized patients with chest injuries were 2.5 and 13, respectively. The mortality rate was 3.0% (5 patients). Most of the chest injuries were classified as minor to moderate trauma; however, coexistent multiple injuries and subsequent infection should be carefully considered in medical response strategies. Coordinated efforts among emergency medical support groups and prior training in earthquake preparedness and rescue in earthquake-prone areas are therefore necessary for efficient evacuation and treatment of catastrophic casualties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]