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Brucellosis is a zoonosis caused by Brucella, which poses a great threat to human health and animal husbandry. Pathogen surveillance is an important measure to prevent brucellosis, but the traditional method is time-consuming and not suitable for field applications. In this study, a recombinase polymerase amplification–SYBR Green I (RPAS) assay was developed for the rapid and visualized detection of Brucella in the field by targeting BCSP31 gene, a conserved marker. The method was highly specific without any cross-reactivity with other common bacteria and its detection limit was 2.14 × 104 CFU/mL or g of Brucella at 40 °C for 20 min. It obviates the need for costly instrumentation and exhibits robustness towards background interference in serum, meat, and milk samples. In summary, the RPAS assay is a rapid, visually intuitive, and user-friendly detection that is highly suitable for use in resource-limited settings. Its simplicity and ease of use enable swift on-site detection of Brucella, thereby facilitating timely implementation of preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prognosis of limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) after surgery usually is estimated at diagnosis, but how the prognosis actually evolves over time for patients who survived for a predefined time is unknown. Methods: Data on patients with a diagnosis of LS-SCLC after surgery between 2004 and 2015 were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The 5-year conditional cancer-specific survival (CCSS) and conditional overall survival (COS) were calculated. Results: This study analyzed 997 patients (555 women, 55.7%) with a median age, of 67 years (interquartile range [IQR], 60–73 years). The 5-year CCSS and COS increased from 44.7% and 38.3%, respectively, at diagnosis to 83.7% and 67.9% at 5 years after diagnosis. Although there were large differences with different stages (stages I, II, and III) at diagnosis (respectively 59.5%, 28.4%; 28.1% for CCSS and 50.6%, 24.8%, and 23.6% for COS), the gap decreased with time, and the rates were similar after 5 years (respectively 85.0%, 80.3%, and 79.4% for CCSS; 65.6%, 56.9%, and 61.3% for COS). The 5-year conditional survival for the patients who received lobectomy was better than for those who received sublobectomy or pneumonectomy. Multivariable analyses showed that only age and resection type were independent predictors for CCSS and COS, respectively, throughout the period. Conclusion: Conditional survival estimates for LS-SCLC generally increased over time, with the most significant improvement in patients with advanced stage of disease. Resection type and old age represented extremely important determinants of prognosis after a lengthy event-free follow-up period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Central South University is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Here, we present a unique method to enhance the low-frequency absorption performance of a honeycomb absorber by integrating a metasurface. The geometrical dimensions of the proposed metasurface have been numerically optimized. The introduction of the metasurface allows exploitation of its robust resonance and superior impedance matching in low-frequency bands, thereby improving microwave absorption properties. The incorporation of the metasurface does not impact the wave transmission performance of the honeycomb core absorber at high-frequency band, thus preserving its high-frequency performance. This broadens the absorption range, leading to an expanded bandwidth. Simulation results reveal that the composite absorber (CA) exhibits strong absorption performance with an incident angle stability up to 45° for both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes. The absorption mechanism of the CA has been investigated by using an equivalent circuit model and electromagnetic field analysis. A prototype was designed, fabricated, and tested to validate the proposed method. Both simulation and measurement results demonstrate that the prototype can achieve an average absorption rate exceeding 90% across a 1.0–18.0 GHz range. This study introduces an innovative technique for creating microwave absorbers for low-frequency wideband applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has been suggested as a possible trigger of disease flares in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, factors associated with disease flares remain unknown. This study aimed to identify factors associated with breakthrough infection (BIs) and disease flares in patients with RA following COVID-19. We analysed data from RA patients who participated in the COVID-19 vaccination in autoimmune diseases (COVAD) study. Demographic data, patient-reported outcomes, comorbidities, pharmacologic treatment and details regarding disease flares were extracted from the COVAD database. Factors associated with disease flare-ups were determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis. The analysis comprised 1928 patients with RA who participated in the COVAD study. Younger age, Caucasian ethnicity, comorbidities with obstructive chronic pulmonary disease and asthma were associated with COVID-19 breakthrough infection. Moreover, younger age (odds ratio (OR): 0.98, 95% CI 0.96–0.99, p < 0.001), ethnicity other than Asian, past history of tuberculosis (OR: 3.80, 95% CI 1.12–12.94, p = 0.033), treatment with methotrexate (OR: 2.55, 95% CI: 1.56–4.17, p < 0.001), poor global physical health (OR: 1.07, 95% CI 1.00–1.15, p = 0.044) and mental health (OR: 0.91, 95% CI 0.87–0.95, p < 0.001) were independent factors associated disease flares in patients with RA. Our study highlights the impact of socio-demographic factors, clinical characteristics and mental health on disease flares in patients with RA. These insights may help determine relevant strategies to proactively manage RA patients at risk of flares. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent imperative to discover practical and efficacious artificial catalysts for the expeditious decontamination of toxic organophosphates. Herein, we propose a novel molecularly imprinted approach utilizing electrospun fiber scaffolds. Specifically, an amidoxime-based functional polymer (PMAOX) has been synthesized, which contains amidoxime groups that can act as nucleophiles and ligands for the formation of catalytic active sites. This polymer was blended with polyacrylonitrile (PAN), a well-processable material, to prepare a nanofiber mat using electrospinning techniques. Then, the amidoxime side groups on fiber surface were further cross-linked after the molecular coordination of templates to complete the molecularly imprinting process. This approach can not only enhance the content of functional molecularly imprinted polymers without affecting structural stability, but also combines surface MI technology to fully expose and leverage the advantages of active sites. The as prepared molecularly imprinted electrospun nanofibers MIF-Zn-PMAOX/PAN-6/4 catalyzes the degradation of paraoxon with a half-life of 32 min, and MIF-Ag-PMAOX/PAN catalyzes the degradation of parathion with a half-life of 18 min. The maximum catalytic rate evidence rate enhancements nearly 3700-fold of the self-hydrolysis. Thus, the mono-amidoxime based molecularly imprinted fibers demonstrate the versatility and superiority as self-detoxifying for organophosphates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) in promoting recovery of the facial function with the involvement of autophagy, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. Methods: Seventy-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into the control, sham-operated, facial nerve injury (FNI), EA, EA+3-methyladenine (3-MA), and EA+GDNF antagonist groups using a random number table, with 12 rats in each group. An FNI rat model was established with facial nerve crushing method. EA intervention was conducted at Dicang (ST 4), Jiache (ST 6), Yifeng (SJ 17), and Hegu (LI 4) acupoints for 2 weeks. The Simone's 10-Point Scale was utilized to monitor the recovery of facial function. The histopathological evaluation of facial nerves was performed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The levels of Beclin-1, light chain 3 (LC3), and P62 were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Additionally, IHC was also used to detect the levels of GDNF, Rai, PI3K, and mTOR. Results: The facial functional scores were significantly increased in the EA group than the FNI group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). HE staining showed nerve axons and myelin sheaths, which were destroyed immediately after the injury, were recovered with EA treatment. The expressions of Beclin-1 and LC3 were significantly elevated and the expression of P62 was markedly reduced in FNI rats (P<0.01); however, EA treatment reversed these abnormal changes (P<0.01). Meanwhile, EA stimulation significantly increased the levels of GDNF, Rai, PI3K, and mTOR (P<0.01). After exogenous administration with autophagy inhibitor 3-MA or GDNF antagonist, the repair effect of EA on facial function was attenuated (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusions: EA could promote the recovery of facial function and repair the facial nerve damages in a rat model of FNI. EA may exert this neuroreparative effect through mediating the release of GDNF, activating the PI3K/mTOR signaling pathway, and further regulating the autophagy of facial nerves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lymph node status is an important factor in determining preoperative treatment strategies for stage T1b–T2 esophageal cancer (EC). Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for lymph node metastasis (LNM) in T1b–T2 EC and to establish and validate a risk-scoring model to guide the selection of optimal treatment options. Methods: Patients who underwent upfront surgery for pT1b–T2 EC between January 2016 and December 2022 were analyzed. On the basis of the independent risk factors determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis, a risk-scoring model for the prediction of LNM was constructed and then validated. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to assess the discriminant ability of the model. Results: The incidence of LNM was 33.5% (214/638) in our cohort, 33.4% (169/506) in the primary cohort and 34.1% (45/132) in the validation cohort. Multivariate analysis confirmed that primary site, tumor grade, tumor size, depth, and lymphovascular invasion were independent risk factors for LNM (all P < 0.05), and patients were grouped based on these factors. A 7-point risk-scoring model based on these variables had good predictive accuracy in both the primary cohort (AUC, 0.749; 95% confidence interval 0.709–0.786) and the validation cohort (AUC, 0.738; 95% confidence interval 0.655–0.811). Conclusion: A novel risk-scoring model for lymph node metastasis was established to guide the optimal treatment of patients with T1b–T2 EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by localized bone loss, general osteoporosis and increased fracture risks. Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi), non-tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (non-TNFi) biologic, Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) had shown the suppression effects to osteoclast activation and improvement of bone mineral density (BMD). Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA) is associated with osteoclast activation and the resultant bone loss. However, few studies have compared BMD changes among patients with RA treated with targeted therapies that have different mechanisms of action. Methods: This retrospective study recruited patients with RA who had undergone BMD testing twice. Changes in the BMD were compared using the generalized estimating equation (GEE) in treatment groups that received conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs), TNFi, non-TNFi biologics, and JAKi. Results: In total, 362 patients with RA were enrolled (csDMARDs, n = 153, TNFi, n = 71, non-TNFi biologics, n = 108, JAKi, n = 30). We observed greater changes in femoral BMD (left, 0.06, 95% CI 0.01–0.12, p = 0.016; right, 0.09, 95% CI 0.04–0.15, p = 0.001 by GEE) following JAKi treatment as compared with other treatments. Compared to the ACPA-negative group, patients with ACPA positivity exhibited greater improvement in the femoral BMD (left, 0.09, 95% CI 0.02–0.15, p = 0.008; right, 0.11, 95% CI 0.05–0.18, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Compared to other targeted therapies, JAKi might exert a more potent effect to prevent BMD loss, specifically in ACPA-positive patients with RA, and could be a potential therapeutic option to mitigate generalized bone loss. Key Points •JAKi therapy inhibits systemic bone loss in patients with RA. •ACPA-positive RA patients exhibited a greater BMD improvement than ACPA-negative RA patients. •JAKi might more potently prevent BMD decline than conventional synthetic or biological DMARDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA) is associated with an increased mortality risk; however, the effect of conventional synthetic, biologics or targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs, bDMARDs or tsDMARDs) on the EORA-specific mortality risk is unknown. In this study, we investigated the risk factors for all-cause mortality of patients with EORA. Methods: Data of EORA patients diagnosed with RA at age > 60 years between January 2007 and June 2021 were extracted from the electronic health record of Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan. Multivariable Cox regression was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The survival of patients with EORA was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Among the 980 EORA patients who were enrolled (survivors 852 and non-survivor 128), the significant mortality-associated risk factors [HR (95% CI)] included higher age (1.10 [1.07–1.12], p < 0.001), male sex (1.92 [1.22–3.00], p = 0.004), current smoker (2.31 [1.10–4.87], p = 0.027) and underlying malignancy (1.89 [1.20–2.97], p = 0.006). Hydroxychloroquine treatment conferred protection against mortality in patients with EORA (HR 0.30, 95% CI 0.14–0.64, p = 0.002). Patients with malignancy who did not receive hydroxychloroquine treatment had the highest mortality risk compared with their counterparts. Patients with a monthly cumulative dose of hydroxychloroquine dose < 1374.5 mg had the lowest survival rate compared to patients who received hydroxychloroquine 1374.5–5778.5 and ≥ 5778.5 mg. Conclusion: Hydroxychloroquine treatment is associated with survival benefits in patients with EORA, and prospective studies are needed to validate the abovementioned findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An accurate recurrence risk assessment system and surveillance strategy for hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach (HAS) remain poorly defined. This study aimed to develop a nomogram to predict postoperative recurrence of HAS and guide individually tailored surveillance strategies. Methods: The study enrolled all patients with primary HAS who had undergone curative-intent resection at 14 institutions from 2004 to 2019. Clinicopathologic variables with statistical significance in the multivariate Cox regression were incorporated into a nomogram to build a recurrence predictive model. Results: The nomogram of recurrence-free survival (RFS) based on independent prognostic factors, including age, preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen, number of examined lymph nodes, perineural invasion, and lymph node ratio, achieved a C-index of 0.723 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.674–0.772) in the whole cohort, which was significantly higher than those of the eighth American Joint Committed on Cancer (AJCC) staging system (C-index, 0.629; 95% CI, 0.573–0.685; P < 0.001). The nomogram accurately stratified patients into low-, middle-, and high-risk groups of postoperative recurrence. The postoperative recurrence risk rates for patients in the middle- and high-risk groups were respectively 3 and 10 times higher than for the low-risk group. The patients in the middle- and high-risk groups showed more recurrence and metastasis, particularly multiple site metastasis, within 36 months after the operation than those in the low-risk group (low, 2.2%; middle, 8.6%; high, 24.0%; P = 0.003). Conclusions: The nomogram achieved good prediction of postoperative recurrence for the patients with HAS after radical resection. For the middle- and high-risk patients, more active surveillance and targeted examination methods should be adopted within 36 months after the operation, particularly for liver and multiple metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate autophagy-related mechanisms of electroacupuncture (EA) action in improving gastrointestinal motility in mice with functional constipation (FC). Methods: According to a random number table, the Kunming mice were divided into the normal control, FC and EA groups in Experiment I. The autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) was used to observe whether it antagonized the effects of EA in Experiment II. An FC model was established by diphenoxylate gavage. Then the mice were treated with EA stimulation at Tianshu (ST 25) and Shangjuxu (ST 37) acupoints. The first black stool defecation time, the number, weight, and water content of 8-h feces, and intestinal transit rate were used to assess intestinal transit. Colonic tissues underwent histopathological assessment, and the expressions of autophagy markers microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and Beclin-1 were detected by immunohistochemical staining. The expressions of phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K)-protein kinase B (AKT)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway members were investigated by Western blot and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The relationship between enteric glial cells (EGCs) and autophagy was observed by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy, localization analysis, and electron microscopy. Results: EA treatment shortened the first black stool defecation time, increased the number, weight, and water content of 8-h feces, and improved the intestinal transit rate in FC mice (P<0.01). In terms of a putative autophagy mechanism, EA treatment promoted the expressions of LC3 and Beclin-1 proteins in the colonic tissue of FC mice (P<0.05), with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and LC3 significantly colocalized. Furthermore, EA promoted colonic autophagy in FC mice by inhibiting PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The positive effect of EA on intestinal motility in FC mice was blocked by 3-MA. Conclusion: EA treatment can inhibit PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in the colonic tissues of FC mice, thereby promoting EGCs autophagy to improve intestinal motility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to investigate the consistency and diversity between metabolic and structural brain networks at individual level constructed with divergence-based method in healthy Chinese population. The 18F-FDG PET and T1-weighted images of brain were collected from 209 healthy participants. The Jensen-Shannon divergence (JSD) was used to calculate metabolic or structural connectivities between any pair of brain regions and then individual brain networks were constructed. The global and regional topological properties of both networks were analyzed with graph theoretical analysis. Regional properties including nodal efficiency, degree, and betweenness centrality were used to define hub regions of networks. Cross-modality similarity of brain connectivity was analyzed with differential power (DP) analysis. The default mode network (DMN) had the largest number of brain connectivities with high DP values. The small-worldness indexes of metabolic and structural networks in all participants were greater than 1. The structural network showed higher assortativity and local efficiency than metabolic network, while hierarchy and global efficiency were greater in the metabolic network (all P < 0.001). Most of hubs in both networks were symmetrically spatial distributed in the regions of the DMN and subcortical nuclei including thalamus and amygdala, etc. The human brain presented small-world architecture both in perspective of individual metabolic and structural networks. There was a structural substrate that supported the brain to globally and efficiently integrate and process metabolic interaction across brain regions. The cross-modality cooperation or specialization in both networks might imply mechanisms of achieving higher-order brain functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bridging the gap between the computation of mechanical properties and the chemical structure of elastomers is a long-standing challenge. To fill the gap, we create a raw dataset and build predictive models for Young's modulus, tensile strength, and elongation at break of polyurethane elastomers (PUEs). We then construct a benchmark dataset with 50.4% samples remained from the raw dataset which suffers from the intrinsic diversity problem, through a newly proposed recursive data elimination protocol. The coefficients of determination (R2s) from predictions are improved from 0.73–0.78 to 0.85–0.91 based on the raw and the benchmark datasets. The fitting of stress-strain curves using the machine learning model shows a slightly better performance than that for one of the well-performed constitutive models (e.g., the Khiêm-Itskov model). It confirmed that the black-box machine learning models are feasible to bridge the gap between the mechanical properties of PUEs and multiple factors for their chemical structures, composition, processing, and measurement settings. While accurate prediction for these curves is still a challenge. We release the raw dataset and the most representative benchmark dataset so far to call for more attention to tackle the long-standing gap problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyse the correlation between the characteristics of coronary plaque in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients with phlegm-blood stasis syndrome (PBS) and blood stasis syndrome (BSS). Methods: Patients were divided into different groups based on Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome differentiation. The baseline demographics and clinical variables were collected from the medical records. Additionally, the characteristics of plaque and pathological manifestations in coronary artery were evaluated using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Results: A total of 213 CHD patients were enrolled in two groups: 184 were diagnosed with PBS and the remaining 29 were diagnosed with BSS. There were no significant differences in age, body mass index, proportions of patients with high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, smoking, hyperlipidemia, history of coronary artery bypass graft and percutaneous coronary intervention, medications, index from cardiac ultrasound image, blood lipids and C-reactive protein between the two groups (P>0.05), except gender, weight and proportions of IVUS observed target vessels (P<0.05 or P<0.01). More adverse events such as acute myocardial infarction (P=0.003) and unstable angina (P=0.048) were observed in BSS. Additionally, dissection, thrombus and coronary artery ectasia were significantly increased in BSS (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In contrast, PBS had more patients with stable angina and chronic total occlusion with significantly higher SYNTAX (synergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with Taxus and coronary artery bypass surgery) scores (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, dense-calcium was significantly elevated in PBS (P<0.01). Conclusions: Coronary plaque characteristics were correlated with different CM syndromes. Patients with PBS were associated with a higher degree of calcified plaque and severe coronary artery stenosis, indicating poor clinical prognosis but with a low probability of acute coronary events. In contrast, the degree of calcified plaque in patients with BSS remained relatively low, and plaque was more vulnerable, resulting in the possibility of the occurrence of acute coronary events remaining high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment can influence treatment response and outcomes. A previously validated immunosuppression scoring system (ISS) assesses multiple immune checkpoints in gastric cancer (GC) using tissue-based assays. We aimed to develop a radiological signature for non-invasive assessment of ISS and treatment outcomes. Methods: A total of 642 patients with resectable GC from three centers were divided into four cohorts. Radiomic features were extracted from portal venous–phase CT images of GC. A radiomic signature for predicting ISS (RISS) was constructed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression method. Moreover, we investigated the value of the RISS in predicting survival and chemotherapy response. Results: The RISS, which consisted of 10 selected features, showed good discrimination of immunosuppressive status in three independent cohorts (area under the curve = 0.840, 0.809, and 0.843, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that the RISS was an independent prognostic factor for both disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in all cohorts (all p < 0.05). Further analysis revealed that stage II and III GC patients with low RISS exhibited a favorable response to adjuvant chemotherapy (OS: hazard ratio [HR] 0.407, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.284–0.584); DFS: HR 0.395, 95% CI 0.275–0.568). Furthermore, the RISS could predict prognosis and select stage II and III GC patients who could benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy independent of microsatellite instability status and Epstein–Barr virus status. Conclusion: The new, non-invasive radiomic signature could effectively predict the immunosuppressive status and prognosis of GC. Moreover, the RISS could help identify stage II and III GC patients most likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy and avoid overtreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maximum plant height (Hmax), stem tissue mass density (SD), leaf mass per area (LMA), and relative growth rate (RGR) have all been linked to flowering phenology. However, it is still unknown whether these functional traits varying with flowering phenology are related to other floral traits associated with pollinator preference and reproductive success. We investigated the relationship between vegetative and floral traits, as well as the rates of insect visitation and seed set of five Gentiana species in eastern Tibetan meadows. Our results showed that flowering onset and flowering offset time were all found to be positively correlated with the Hmax, SD, and LMA, but negatively correlated with the RGR. Flowering onset time was positively correlated with corolla diameter and pollen grain number, whereas was negatively correlated with flower number and flower longevity. The rates of insect visitation were positively related to flowering onset time, pollen grain number, corolla diameter, and seed set, but negatively related to flower number and longevity. Early flowering species have higher RGR but lower SD, LMA and Hmax, as well as smaller flowers, fewer pollen grains, longer flower longevity, and lower insect visitation rates than late-flowering plant species. Our findings indicate that floral traits are related to vegetative traits in Gentiana species. Also these plant trait relationships were associated with pollinator preference, and plant reproductive success of eastern Tibetan meadows. We speculate that these traits relationships are likely adaptive in unpredictable and often pollinator-limited environments in the Tibet alpine meadows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The burdens and trends of gastric cancer are poorly understood, especially in high-prevalence countries. Based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, we analyzed the incidence, death, and possible risk factors of gastric cancer in five Asian countries, in relation to year, age, sex, and sociodemographic index. The annual percentage change was calculated to estimate the trends in age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) and age-standardized death rate (ASDR). The highest ASIR per 100,000 person-years in 2019 was in Mongolia [44 (95% uncertainty interval (UI), 34 to 55)], while the lowest was in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) [23 (95% UI, 19 to 29)]. The highest ASDR per 100,000 person-years was in Mongolia [46 (95% UI, 37 to 57)], while the lowest was in Japan [14 (95% UI, 12 to 15)]. Despite the increase in the absolute number of cases and deaths from 1990 to 2019, the ASIRs and ASDRs in all five countries decreased with time and improved sociodemographic index but increased with age. Smoking and a high-sodium diet were two possible risk factors for gastric cancer. In 2019, the proportion of age-standardized disability-adjusted life-years attributable to smoking was highest in Japan [23% (95% UI, 19 to 28%)], and the proportions attributable to a high-sodium diet were highest in China [8.8% (95% UI, 0.21 to 33%)], DPRK, and the Republic of Korea. There are substantial variations in the incidence and death of gastric cancer in the five studied Asian countries. This study may be crucial in helping policymakers to make better decisions and allocate appropriate resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Central South University is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Classic Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL) is a lymphoid neoplasm deriving from B cells in a rich inflammatory background. There are four histological subtypes with different epidemiological features. Bone marrow involvement by CHL is infrequent, and subtyping CHL from the bone marrow is not suggested as there might be discordant histopathology between the primary tumors and bone marrow specimens. In this study, we aimed to identify the histopathological features of bone marrow involved by CHL and tried to correlate these features with their subtypes. Among the 23 recruited cases, the frequencies of mixed cellularity (MC; 48%, 11/23) and nodular sclerosis (NS; 44%, 10/23) were similar. There were two patterns of marrow involvement: pattern A (fibrous), space-occupying lesions with alternating hypo- and hypercellular areas against a fibrotic background with dilated sinusoids and pattern B (histiocyte-rich), ill-defined granuloma-like lesions in which histiocytes merged with normal hematopoietic and inflammatory cells. Pattern A was more frequent in patients with CHL-NS than CHL-MC (100% vs. 18.2%; p < 0.001). Diagnostic Hodgkin cells and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells were identified in all cases, while HRS variant lacunar cells were occasionally discovered, particularly in the CHL-NS subtype (NS 100% vs. MC 9%; p < 0.001). The frequency of EBV association was higher in MC (64%) than that in NS (36%) subtype, but not statistically significant. Of the two patterns of marrow involvement, pattern A was more commonly associated with the NS subtype and less frequently associated with EBV. Recognizing the patterns of marrow involvement is important for diagnosis and may contribute to the subtyping of CHL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of separation surgery for Epidural Spinal Cord Compression (ESCC) graded ≥ 2 in patients with Multiple Myeloma (MM), analyze factors influencing surgical outcomes, and develop a preliminary treatment decision framework for these patients.A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 35 MM patients who underwent separation surgery for ESCC graded ≥ 2 between 2013 and 2018. Patient data, including baseline information, surgical details, complications, and pre-operative as well as one-month post-operative efficacy evaluation indicators were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed on pre-operative and post-operative efficacy indicators to determine if there were significant improvements (p < 0.05). Ordered logistic regression was utilized to assess factors associated with an unfavorable post-operative quality of life outcome.Compared to pre-operative values, at one-month post-surgery, patients showed significant improvements in Frankel Score Classification (4 vs 5, p < 0.05), Karnofsky Performance Score (30 vs 70, p < 0.05), and Visual Analogue Scale (8 vs 3, p < 0.05). Complications occurred in 7 cases (20%). The number of segments with ESCC (OR = 0.171, p < 0.05) and pre-operative chemotherapy (OR = 5.202, p = 0.05) were identified as independent factors influencing patient outcomes. Patients with more than two vertebral segments with ESCC exhibited significantly worse post-operative conditions.Separation surgery effectively alleviates pain, improves neurological function, and enhances the quality of life in patients with ESCC graded ≥ 2 due to MM.Methods: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of separation surgery for Epidural Spinal Cord Compression (ESCC) graded ≥ 2 in patients with Multiple Myeloma (MM), analyze factors influencing surgical outcomes, and develop a preliminary treatment decision framework for these patients.A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 35 MM patients who underwent separation surgery for ESCC graded ≥ 2 between 2013 and 2018. Patient data, including baseline information, surgical details, complications, and pre-operative as well as one-month post-operative efficacy evaluation indicators were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed on pre-operative and post-operative efficacy indicators to determine if there were significant improvements (p < 0.05). Ordered logistic regression was utilized to assess factors associated with an unfavorable post-operative quality of life outcome.Compared to pre-operative values, at one-month post-surgery, patients showed significant improvements in Frankel Score Classification (4 vs 5, p < 0.05), Karnofsky Performance Score (30 vs 70, p < 0.05), and Visual Analogue Scale (8 vs 3, p < 0.05). Complications occurred in 7 cases (20%). The number of segments with ESCC (OR = 0.171, p < 0.05) and pre-operative chemotherapy (OR = 5.202, p = 0.05) were identified as independent factors influencing patient outcomes. Patients with more than two vertebral segments with ESCC exhibited significantly worse post-operative conditions.Separation surgery effectively alleviates pain, improves neurological function, and enhances the quality of life in patients with ESCC graded ≥ 2 due to MM.Results: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of separation surgery for Epidural Spinal Cord Compression (ESCC) graded ≥ 2 in patients with Multiple Myeloma (MM), analyze factors influencing surgical outcomes, and develop a preliminary treatment decision framework for these patients.A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 35 MM patients who underwent separation surgery for ESCC graded ≥ 2 between 2013 and 2018. Patient data, including baseline information, surgical details, complications, and pre-operative as well as one-month post-operative efficacy evaluation indicators were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed on pre-operative and post-operative efficacy indicators to determine if there were significant improvements (p < 0.05). Ordered logistic regression was utilized to assess factors associated with an unfavorable post-operative quality of life outcome.Compared to pre-operative values, at one-month post-surgery, patients showed significant improvements in Frankel Score Classification (4 vs 5, p < 0.05), Karnofsky Performance Score (30 vs 70, p < 0.05), and Visual Analogue Scale (8 vs 3, p < 0.05). Complications occurred in 7 cases (20%). The number of segments with ESCC (OR = 0.171, p < 0.05) and pre-operative chemotherapy (OR = 5.202, p = 0.05) were identified as independent factors influencing patient outcomes. Patients with more than two vertebral segments with ESCC exhibited significantly worse post-operative conditions.Separation surgery effectively alleviates pain, improves neurological function, and enhances the quality of life in patients with ESCC graded ≥ 2 due to MM.Conclusions: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of separation surgery for Epidural Spinal Cord Compression (ESCC) graded ≥ 2 in patients with Multiple Myeloma (MM), analyze factors influencing surgical outcomes, and develop a preliminary treatment decision framework for these patients.A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 35 MM patients who underwent separation surgery for ESCC graded ≥ 2 between 2013 and 2018. Patient data, including baseline information, surgical details, complications, and pre-operative as well as one-month post-operative efficacy evaluation indicators were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed on pre-operative and post-operative efficacy indicators to determine if there were significant improvements (p < 0.05). Ordered logistic regression was utilized to assess factors associated with an unfavorable post-operative quality of life outcome.Compared to pre-operative values, at one-month post-surgery, patients showed significant improvements in Frankel Score Classification (4 vs 5, p < 0.05), Karnofsky Performance Score (30 vs 70, p < 0.05), and Visual Analogue Scale (8 vs 3, p < 0.05). Complications occurred in 7 cases (20%). The number of segments with ESCC (OR = 0.171, p < 0.05) and pre-operative chemotherapy (OR = 5.202, p = 0.05) were identified as independent factors influencing patient outcomes. Patients with more than two vertebral segments with ESCC exhibited significantly worse post-operative conditions.Separation surgery effectively alleviates pain, improves neurological function, and enhances the quality of life in patients with ESCC graded ≥ 2 due to MM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In poultry, feed restriction is common feeding management to limit poultry nutrients intake so that poultry only intake the essential energy, meeting the basic need of growth and development. Our study investigated whether feeding restriction affects the diversity of the intestinal microbiota of growing breeding ducks. In this research, the 60–120-day-old ducks were raised in restricted and free-feeding groups. After slaughtering, the carcass traits and the cecal contents were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing analysis. After feeding restriction, the growth rate of ducks was limited, the weight and rate of abdominal fat decreased, and the rate of chest and leg muscles increased. In addition, feeding restriction can also change the diversity of intestinal microorganisms in breeding ducks, such as the increase of Firmicutes abundance and the decrease of Bacteroidetes abundance. After analyzing of correlation, significant correlations between gut microbiota and carcass phenotypes were found. The results indicated that gut microbiota might be involved in the life activities associated with phenotypic changes. This study proved the effect of feeding methods on the intestinal microbiota of ducks, providing a theoretical basis of the microbial angle for raising ducks in a feeding-restricted period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the key approach to enhance the efficient application of solar energy, solar selective absorbers have been extensively investigated in the past years. With great efforts contributed by scientists and engineers all around the world, new materials and excellent structures were achieved in solid progress to stimulate applications in broad fields. In this book, we will present an overview of both theory and experimental methods to fulfill the high-efficiency solar absorber devices. It begins with a historical description of the study and development for the spectrally selective solar absorber materials and structures based on the optical principles and methods in past decades. The optical properties of metals and dielectric materials are addressed to provide the background on how to realize high performance of the solar absorber devices applied in the solar energy field. In the following sections, different types of materials and structures, including the experimental methods, are discussed for practical construction and fabrication of the solar absorber devices, aiming at maximally harvest the solar energy, at the same time to suppress the heat-emission loss effectively. The optical principles and methods used to evaluate the performance of solar absorber devices with broad applications in different physical conditions are presented. The book will be suitable for graduate students in applied physics fields with valuables reference also for the researchers working actively in the solar energy fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual working memory (VWM) content disrupts visual search performance when there is a singleton in the search array that is similar to the content in VWM, even when this singleton is task irrelevant. Typically, the memory-similar singleton captures attention, which results in slower search performance for memory-similar conditions compared to conditions where memory-similar content is absent. Recently, it has also been shown that VWM content may be affected when memory-similar stimuli are processed. Specifically, it appears that VWM representations bias toward memory-similar information that is processed but not memory-dissimilar information. Here, we test whether the bias caused by processing memory-similar information is an active interference process (growing with engagement with the memory-similar stimuli) or a passive interference process (indifferent to the engagement with memory-similar stimuli). To test this, observers were tasked with memorizing a single color followed by a search task. The search task was either easy or difficult, and the search items could either be memory-similar or memory-dissimilar. Critically, the target in the search task was defined by its shape, so the color of the search items was irrelevant to the search task. At the end of each trial, participants reported the color in memory using a continuous report color wheel. The results showed that VWM representations drifted towards the irrelevant color of the search items in the memory-similar conditions, and this effect was larger in the difficult search condition. The results provide evidence that VWM representations receive active interference from processing memory-similar stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary intracranial leiomyosarcomas (PILMSs) are extremely rare neoplasms, and their management remains unclear. The authors aimed to enunciate the radiological features and design a treatment protocol based on previously published cases combined with our series. Clinical data from all 12 cases of PILMS treated at their institute between 2008 and 2018 were reviewed. Meanwhile, they searched the Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane databases using the keywords "leiomyosarcoma" and "intracranial," "central nervous system," "cerebral," or "brain" Previously published data were processed and used according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The authors' cohort included 4 males (33.3%) and 8 females (66.7%) ranging in age from 13 to 67 years with a mean of 44.1 ± 5.0 years. Gross total resection (GTR), subtotal resection, and partial resection were achieved in 8 (66.7%), 3 (25%), and 1 (8.3%) patient, respectively, and only four patients (33.3%) received adjuvant therapy after surgery. After a mean follow-up of 30.5 ± 7.6 months, 6 patients (50%) experienced recurrences, and all of them died at the final. Twenty-seven patients (15 were male and 12 were female), in the literature cases, were identified between January 1980 and November 2019, presenting with PILMS. GTR and non-GTR were achieved in 21 (77.8%) and 6 (22.2%) patients, respectively. Postoperative radiotherapy was administrated in 17 patients (63.0%), and postoperative chemotherapy was administrated in 9 patients (33.3%), After a mean follow-up of 22.2 ± 4.1 months, recurrence and death occurred in 8 (36.4%) and 4 (14.8%) cases, respectively. In the pooled cases, the univariate analysis model revealed that only GTR was a significantly favorable factor for increased progression-free survival (hazard ratio 0.270, 95% confidence interval = 0.093–0.787, p = 0.016) and overall survival (hazard ratio 0.255, 95% confidence interval = 0.073–0.890, p = 0.032). GTR was recommended as an optimal treatment; meanwhile, postoperative radiation was also a choice to help increase the survival of patients of PILMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The buried depth of the gas-producing reservoir in the Kuqa foreland thrust belt of the Tarim Basin exceeds 6000 m. The average matrix porosity of the reservoir is 5.5%, and the average matrix permeability is 0.128 × 10−3 μm2. In order to reveal the characteristics and effectiveness of ultra-deep fractures and their effects on reservoir properties and natural gas production, outcrops, cores, thin section, image logs and production testing data are used to investigate the effectiveness of tectonic fractures in ultra-deep reservoirs in the Kuqa foreland thrust zone, and the corresponding geological significance for oil and gas exploration and development are discussed. Tectonic fractures in the thrust belt include EW-trending high-angle tensile fractures and NS-trending vertical shear fractures. The former has a relatively high filling rate, while the latter is mostly unfilled. Micro-fractures are usually grain-piercing-through cracks with width of 10–100 microns. In the planar view, the effective fractures are concentrated in the high part and wing zones of the long axis of the anticline, and along the vertical direction, they are mainly found in the tensile fracture zone above the neutral plane. The adjustment fracture zone has the strongest vertical extension abilities and high effectiveness, followed by the nearly EW longitudinal tensile fracture zone, and the netted fracture zone with multiple dip angles. The effectiveness of fracture is mainly controlled by fracture aperture and filling degrees. Effective fractures can increase reservoir permeability by 1–2 orders of magnitude. The higher part of the anticline is associated with high tectonic fracture permeability, which control enrichment and high production of natural gas. The netted vertical open fractures effectively communicate with pores and throats of the reservoir matrix, which forms an apparent-homogenous to medium-heterogeneous body that is seen with high production of natural gas sustained for a long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary intracranial gliosarcoma is a rare malignant brain tumour, and the most effective treatment for gliosarcoma remains unclear. This study aimed to identify risk factors for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in these cases. This retrospective single-centre study evaluated 103 patients (median age, 51 years; 67 men [65%]) with primary intracranial gliosarcoma between 2006 and 2017. Treatments included surgery (GTR, 63 patients; STR, 39 patients; biopsy, 1 patient), radiotherapy (adjuvant, 76 patients; exclusive treatment, 1 patient), and chemotherapy (adjuvant temozolomide, 52 patients; adjuvant nimustine/teniposide, 19 patients; adjuvant bevacizumab, 1 patient; exclusive nimustine/teniposide treatment, 1 patient). The median OS was 13.3 months, and the median PFS was 9.1 months. In the multivariate analyses, the poor prognostic factors were ependymal lining enhancement of the lateral ventricle (PFS, HR 2.406, p = 0.005; OS, HR 2.946, p = 0.009) and enhancement in the motor functional cortex (PFS, HR 2.892, p = 0.002; OS, HR 2.639, p = 0.009). Good OS was predicted by adjuvant radiotherapy alone (HR 0.071, p < 0.001), adjuvant temozolomide-based chemotherapy alone (HR 0.063, p = 0.005), adjuvant temozolomide-based chemotherapy with concurrent radiotherapy (HR 0.056, p < 0.001), and salvage surgery at recurrence (HR 0.449, p = 0.031). The present study revealed that, in patients with primary intracranial gliosarcoma, enhancement in the functional motor cortex and ependymal lining enhancement of the lateral ventricle were both poor prognostic factors. Survival was optimized in cases treated using maximal safe resection followed by adjuvant temozolomide-based chemotherapy with concurrent radiotherapy. Furthermore, salvage surgery provided meaningful therapeutic benefits for recurrent gliosarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Gold-enhanced mechanical exfoliation method attracts broad interests in recent years, which has been widely used for preparing large-area and high-quality 2D single crystals. Even many calculations predict that there is strong interaction between Au film and the exfoliated 2D crystals, direct experimental evidence is still lacking. Here, we perform Raman spectroscopy measurements for few layer MoS2 with and without Au film underneath. The main peaks of MoS2 on Au film show no obvious change at higher frequency, however, the breathing and shear modes at low-frequency are suppressed, especially for breathing modes. In contrast, both breathing modes and shear modes can be detected on suspended MoS2 and the samples are transferred from Au film to SiO2/Si. These comparison results provide direct evidence for the existence of covalent-like quasi-bonding at the interface of Au film and the exfoliated MoS2 crystal. This MoS2/Au interface interaction presents a special pinning-effect for low-frequency rigid vibration. Similar pinning-effect is also discovered in WS2/Au system. Our work reports the suppression of low-frequency Raman modes of MoS2, WS2 on Au film, which will deliver new inspiration for studying other interactions between layered materials and solid surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inline assembly code is common in system software to interact with the underlying hardware platforms. The safety and correctness of the assembly code is crucial to guarantee the safety of the whole system. In this paper, we propose a practical Hoare-style program logic for verifying SPARC (Scalable Processor Architecture) assembly code. The logic supports modular reasoning about the main features of SPARCv8 ISA (instruction set architecture), including delayed control transfers, delayed writes to special registers, and register windows. It also supports relational reasoning for refinement verification. We have applied it to verify that there is a contextual refinement between a context switch routine in SPARCv8 and a switch primitive. The program logic and its soundness proof have been mechanized in Coq. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Axial structural damping behavior induced by internal friction and viscoelastic properties of polymeric layers may have an inevitable influence on the global analysis of flexible pipes. In order to characterize this phenomenon and axial mechanical responses, a full-scale axial tensile experiment on a complex flexible pipe is conducted at room temperature, in which oscillation forces at different frequencies are applied on the sample. The parameters to be identified are axial strains which are measured by three kinds of instrumentations: linear variable differential transformer, strain gauge and camera united particle-tracking technology. The corresponding plots of axial force versus axial elongation exhibit obvious nonlinear hysteretic relationship. Consequently, the loss factor related to the axial structural damping behavior is found, which increases as the oscillation loading frequency grows. The axial strains from the three measurement systems in the mechanical experiment indicate good agreement, as well as the values of the equivalent axial stiffness. The damping generated by polymeric layers is relatively smaller than that caused by friction forces. Therefore, it can be concluded that friction forces maybe dominate the axial structural damping, especially on the conditions of high frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic variations in the 18S ribosomal DNA (18S), 28S ribosomal DNA (28S), second internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA (ITS2), and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) of Neoschoengastia gallinarum collected from subtropical China were examined. First, a portion of the 18S (p18S), a portion of the 28S (p28S), and the complete ITS2 were separately amplified from individual mites and sequenced. The lengths of the sequences of p18S, p28S, and ITS2 were found to be 1379 bp, 3465~3468 bp, and 200 bp, respectively. The intraspecific sequence variation was 0~0.1% for p28S and 0~1.6% for ITS2, though no variation was observed for p18S, suggesting conservation of rDNA sequences. Second, a portion of the mitochondrial cox1 gene (pcox1) of N. gallinarum was analyzed. The length of the pcox1 sequence is 460 bp, and two distinct groups were observed in N. gallinarum. All pcox1 sequences in group I were identical, and there was only one nucleotide transition observed in group II; however, 7.0~7.2% variations between the two groups were observed, suggesting that two genotypes of N. gallinarum: genotype I and genotype II. Phylogenetic analyses based on pcox1 sequences indicated that N. gallinarum isolates (genotype I or genotype II) clustered into one branch; according to cox1 sequence analysis of Trombiculidae, Walchia hayashii is the closest species. The present study shows that ITS2 rDNA sequence can act as marker for the identification of N. gallinarum samples. Furthermore, analysis of the mitochondrial pcox1 sequence suggests the existence of two genotypes, which has implications for further studies of the ecology and population genetic structures of N. gallinarum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The γ/γ' phase interface, being the main plane defect in nickel-based single-crystal superalloys, can have a significant effect on the microstructural stability and mechanical properties of superalloys. To improve the thermodynamic stability and fracture strength of the γ-Ni/γ'-Ni3Al interface and gain insight into the underlying micro-mechanisms, the segregation tendency of 12 alloying elements X at the γ-Ni/γ'-Ni3Al interface and their effects on the interfacial formation and Griffith fracture works were investigated by using first-principles calculations. It is found that all alloying elements X can segregate to the corner-point site of the γ-Ni (001) layer except the element Y. The Re-, Ti-, Mo-, W-, Cr-, Nb-, Ta-, Hf- and Zr-segregated interfaces are more stable than the unalloyed interface due to the presence of pseudogap and lower values of densities of states at the Fermi level. The segregation of Ru, Co, Re, Mo, W, Cr, Nb and Ta strengthens the interfacial fracture strength, which can be mainly attributed to the enhanced bonding strengths of X–Ni bonds formed in these segregated interfaces. The interfacial segregation of Cr, Re, Mo, W, Nb and Ta can not only improve the thermodynamic stability but also enhance the fracture strength of the phase interface. The segregation of Ta and Re is able to improve the thermodynamic stability and fracture strength of the γ-Ni/γ'-Ni3Al interface to the maximum extent, respectively. The effect of interfacial segregation of alloying elements on the fracture strength and thermodynamic stability of the γ-Ni/γ'-Ni3Al phase interface and the underlying mechanisms are studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In clinical practice, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 are the most common markers measured before and after surgery for gastric cancer (GC). However, which pre- or post-operative combined tumour markers (CEA and CA19-9) have more prognostic value remains unclear.Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing a resection for GC at the Fujian Medical University Union Hospital were included as a discovery database between January 2011 and December 2014. The prognostic impact of pre- and post-operative tumour markers was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier log-rank survival analysis and multivariable Cox regression analysis. The results were then externally validated.Results: A total of 735 and 400 patients were identified in the discovery cohort and in the validation cohort, respectively. Overall survival rates decreased in a stepwise manner in association with the number of pre- and post-operative positive tumour markers (both P < 0.001). Multivariable analysis revealed that the number of pre-operative positive tumour markers was an independent prognostic factor (P < 0.05). For patients with abnormal pre-operative tumour markers, normalisation of tumour markers after surgery is an independent prognostic protective factor (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.618; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.414-0.921), and patients with both positive post-operative tumour markers had double the risk of overall death (HR = 2.338; 95% CI = 1.071-5.101). Similar results were observed in the internal validation and external validation cohorts.Conclusion: Pre-operative tumour markers have a better discriminatory ability for post-operative survival in GC patients than post-operative tumour markers, and the normalisation of tumour markers after surgery was associated with better survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the correlation between number of retrieved lymph nodes (rLNs) and prognosis and further ascertain the optimal number of rLNs with a beneficial survival impact in patients with pN0 colon cancer. Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was searched for pN0 colon cancer cases. X-Tile software and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis were applied to determine the optimal number of rLNs based on the minimal probability (P) value and the largest χ2 value. Univariate analyses and Cox proportional hazard regression model were used to investigate the relationship between rLN number and overall survival. Multiple analyses were conducted to assess the prognostic predictive ability of the identified optimal rLN cut-off value under different stratifications. Nomograms were established based on the independent prognostic factors selected by the multivariate analysis to predict 3- and 5-year overall survival rates of pN0 patients. Results: A total of 6269 pN0 colon cancer patients who underwent surgical therapy were finally included for analysis. Harvest of at least 18 lymph nodes was determined as the optimal rLN number. This cut-off rLN value (< 18 versus ≥ 18) was identified as an independent prognostic factor (P < 0.001) of overall survival via multivariate analysis. Similar findings were obtained in patients with retrieval of at least 12 lymph nodes (18 > rLNs ≥ 12 versus rLNs ≥ 18) stratified into several groups. Conclusions: The number of rLNs was identified as an independent prognostic factor for pN0 colon cancer. Retrieval of at least 18 lymph nodes was associated with favorable prognosis in patients with pN0 colon cancer, and should, therefore, be regarded as an alternative cut-off value for survival analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In solids, charge polarity can one-to-one correspond to spin polarity phenomenologically, e.g., ferroelectricity/ferromagnetism, antiferroelectricity/antiferromagnetism, and even dipole-vortex/magnetic-vortex, but ferrielectricity/ferrimagnetism kept telling a disparate story in microscopic level. Since the definition of a charge dipole involves more than one ion, there may be multiple choices for a dipole unit, which makes most ferrielectric orders equivalent to ferroelectric ones, i.e., this ferrielectricity is not necessary to be a real independent branch of polarity. In this work, by using the spherical aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope, we visualize a nontrivial ferrielectric structural evolution in BaFe2Se3, in which the development of two polar sub-lattices is out-of-sync, for which we term it as irreducible ferrielectricity. Such irreducible ferrielectricity leads to a non-monotonic behavior for the temperature-dependent polarization, and even a compensation point in the ordered state. Our finding unambiguously distinguishes ferrielectrics from ferroelectrics in solids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the evolution of the fluvial geomorphology in an orogenic belt provides valuable insight into the relationship between upper crustal deformation and surface processes. The upper Lancang-Mekong River is in an area experiencing both uplift and erosion. The related processes provide a steady sediment supply to the lower reaches of the river and play an important role in the regional environmental changes. The Xiaohei (Weiyuan) River Basin is an important sub-basin in this area, which is characterized by large-scale topographic fluctuations, active tectonics and erosion, and anthropogenic activities. These different factors introduce numerous complexities to the local surface processes. In this study, we investigate and quantify the controls of geomorphic evolution of the Xiaohei River Basin. We located and mapped the main knick-zones within the channels and examined the main genetic factors, such as faults and stratigraphic differences. The results show that the areas with the lowest uplift rates are characterized by a low steepness index and are located in the southeastern part of the basin. The stream power of the mainstream increases downstream, with an average value of ~122 W/m. The erosional activity of the various stream channels is intense. Overall, the basin tends to expansion, with only local instances of inward contraction. Our analysis confirms that a number of the geomorphic evolutionary characteristics of the Xiaohei River Basin are transient. In addition, the future potential for the increasing the number of dams and the hydropower development in the basin may weaken the expansion trend of the basin over a long period of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Recently, trabecular bone score (TBS) has emerged as an important supplementary assessment tool in osteoporosis diagnosis and management. The high incidence of fragility fracture within the non-osteoporotic range of bone mineral density (BMD), among systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, highlights the crucial role of bone microarchitecture in osteoporosis. This study aimed to evaluate whether TBS identified existing vertebral fractures (VF) more accurately than BMD in SLE patients. Methods: This study enrolled 147 SLE patients from the Asia Pacific Lupus Collaboration (APLC) cohort, who had BMD and TBS assessed from January 2018 until December 2018. Twenty-eight patients sustaining VF and risk factors associated with increased fracture occurrence were evaluated. Independent risk factors and diagnostic accuracy of VF were analyzed by logistic regression and ROC curve, respectively. Result: The prevalence of vertebral fracture among SLE patients was 19%. BMD, T-score, TBS, and TBS T-score were significantly lower in the vertebral fracture group. TBS exhibited higher positive predictive value and negative predictive value than L spine and left femur BMD for vertebral fractures. Moreover, TBS had a higher diagnostic accuracy than densitometric measurements (area under curve, 0.811 vs. 0.737 and 0.605). Conclusion: Degraded microarchitecture by TBS was associated with prevalent vertebral fractures in SLE patients. Our result suggests that TBS can be a complementary tool for assessing vertebral fracture prevalence in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feature Integration Theory (FIT) set out the groundwork for much of the work in visual cognition since its publication. One of the most important legacies of this theory has been the emphasis on feature-specific processing. Nowadays, visual features are thought of as a sort of currency of visual attention (e.g., features can be attended, processing of attended features is enhanced), and attended features are thought to guide attention towards likely targets in a scene. Here we propose an alternative theory – the Target Contrast Signal Theory – based on the idea that when we search for a specific target, it is not the target-specific features that guide our attention towards the target; rather, what determines behavior is the result of an active comparison between the target template in mind and every element present in the scene. This comparison occurs in parallel and is aimed at rejecting from consideration items that peripheral vision can confidently reject as being non-targets. The speed at which each item is evaluated is determined by the overall contrast between that item and the target template. We present computational simulations to demonstrate the workings of the theory as well as eye-movement data that support core predictions of the theory. The theory is discussed in the context of FIT and other important theories of visual search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Glioma surgery near the functional area is still a dilemma. Intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring (IONM) and functional mapping can play a role to maximize the extent of resection (EOR), while minimizing the risk of sequelae. We herein review the utility of tailored intraoperative mapping and monitoring in patients undergoing glioma surgery in our institute. Methods: Patients were divided into two groups on the basis of application tailored IONM (group A, 2013–2017, n = 53) or not (group B, 2008–2012, n = 49) between January 2008 and December 2017. The setup, tailored IONM protocols, surgery, and clinical results of all patients with eloquent glioma were analyzed with the EOR, functionality scores, overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) retrospectively. Results: The 102 patients were considered eligible for analysis. High grade and low grade gliomas accounted for 73 (72%) and 29 (28%) cases, respectively. There was a positive association between the application of neuromonitor and post-operative functional preservation, but no significant statistical differences over the EOR, OS and PFS between the two groups. Conclusions: In our experience, tailored intraoperative functional mapping provides an effective neurological function preservation. Routine implementation of neurophysiological monitoring with adequate pre-operative planning and intraoperative teamwork in eloquent glioma can get more satisfied functional preservation. Due to the maturation and experience of our IONM team may also be the variation factor, prospective studies with a more prominent sample and proper multivariate analysis will be expected to determine the real benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly potent ionic organocatalyst is developed for room-temperature controlled ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactones, including δ-valerolactone, ε-caprolactone, and δ-hexalactone. The catalysts are prepared by simply mixing tetra-n-butyl ammonium hydroxide and a (thio)urea at elevated temperature under vacuum, and used in cooperation with an alcoholic initiator. The performance of the catalyst is readily adjusted and optimized through variation of the (thio)urea precursor, catalyst composition, and reaction condition. Urea-derived catalysts are generally superior to thiourea-derived ones. Provided with proper N-substituents, the catalyst affords both high polymerization efficiency and high selectivity for monomer enchainment over macromolecular transesterification, even at high monomer conversion and/or substantially extended reaction time. In addition to acidity, structural symmetry of the urea also proves decisive for the catalytic activity, which enables a catalyst-assisted proton transfer process for the ring-opening of lactone and thus provides a novel mechanistic insight for ROP catalyzed by hydrogen-bonding type bifunctional ionic organocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have suggested that preoperative anemia negatively influences survival in patients with gastric cancer (GC). We sought to investigate which anemic markers can better predict the prognosis of patients with resectable GC. Methods: The study involved 2277 GC patients who underwent curative resection between December 2008 and December 2014. Cox regression models were used to identify the best anemic markers associated with prognosis. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristics analysis (t-ROC) and the estimated area under the curve (AUC) were used to compare the prognostic values. Results: Of all patients, 1709 (75.1%) were male, and the median age was 61 years. Univariate analyses showed that preoperative hematocrit (HCT), hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular volume were associated with OS (all P < 0.05). However, in a separate analysis of individual stages, only HCT was shown to be significantly prognostic across all tumor stages (all P < 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, preoperative HCT remained an independent prognostic factor for GC. Low HCT was significantly associated with older age, female sex, lower body mass index, higher American Society of Anesthesiologists score, higher preoperative transfusion rate, 90-day mortality, adjuvant chemotherapy, larger tumor size, lymph node metastasis, later stage, and vascular involvement. The t-ROC curve and AUC for HCT were similar to those for the controlling nutritional status and prognostic nutritional index throughout the observation period. Conclusions: The preoperative HCT is a novel, simple, and powerful prognostic indicator of poor outcome in patients with GC and can be used as a part of the preoperative risk stratification process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connective tissue growth factor (ctgf) is involved in the proliferation, migration, adhesion of cell, and the constituent of extracellular matrix, which plays an important role in embryogenesis, angiogenesis, wound repair, and fibrosis diseases. In this study, the cDNA sequence of grass carp ctgf gene was cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method; then, the characteristics of this gene and the predicted protein sequence were analyzed by bioinformatics methods, and the tissue differential expression pattern was detected by the quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that the grass carp ctgf gene has a full-length of 2223 bp, encoding 343 amino acids. The deduced CTGF protein is a hydrophilic and secretary protein with a molecular mass of 37,978.2 Da and an isoelectric point of 8.22. The signal peptide locates between residue positions 1 and 22 of the polypeptide chain. The protein contains α-helix, β-strand, and loops. The CTGF protein of grass carp shows a homology of 98%, 96%, 91%, and 91% with Wuchang bream (Megalobrama amblycephala), zebrafish (Danio rerio), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), and Mexican tetra (Astyanax mexicanus). The grass carp ctgf gene expressed significantly higher in blood and spleen than that in other tissues (P < 0.05). The low expression tissues included the heart, gill, skin, muscle, kidney, brain, and intestinal, and the lowest expression tissue was the liver. The results are consistent with the function of this gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]