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The connection between metabolic reprogramming and tumor progression has been demonstrated in an increasing number of researches. However, further research is required to identify how metabolic reprogramming affects interpatient heterogeneity and prognosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). In this work, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) based deconvolution was utilized to create a malignant cell hierarchy with metabolic differences and to investigate the relationship between metabolic biomarkers and prognosis. Simultaneously, we created a machine learning-based approach for creating metabolism-related prognostic signature (MRPS). Gamma-glutamyltransferase 6 (GGT6) was further explored for deep biological insights through in vitro experiments. Compared to 51 published signatures and conventional clinical features, MRPS showed substantially higher accuracy. Meanwhile, high MRPS-risk samples demonstrated an immunosuppressive phenotype with more infiltrations of regulatory T cell (Treg) and tumour-associated macrophage (TAM). Following the administration of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), MRPS showed consistent and strong performance and was an independent risk factor for overall survival. GGT6, an essential metabolic indicator and component of MRPS, has been proven to support proliferation and invasion in ccRCC. MRPS has the potential to be a highly effective tool in improving the clinical results of patients with ccRCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of transaxillary and transsubclavian approaches for endoscopic thyroidectomy has increased globally. However, studies examining the comparative outcomes of these procedures are scarce. In this study, we aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of thyroidectomy between the gasless endoscopic thyroidectomy transaxillary approach (GETTA) and gasless endoscopic thyroidectomy transsubclavian approach (GETTSA) in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Medical records of patients with PTC who underwent GETTA or GETTSA performed by the same surgical team between August 2022 and August 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to mitigate potential selection bias and adjust for baseline clinical characteristic differences. After PSM using 10 covariates, 196 patients (GETTA: 98; GETTSA: 98) were included. In comparison to the GETTSA group, the GETTA group exhibited a longer duration of operation (120.00 [103.75–140.00] vs. 110.00 [90.00–125.00] min, P = 0.001), longer postoperative hospital stays (1.00 [1.00–3.00] vs. 1.00 [1.00–2.00] days, P = 0.008), higher hospitalisation costs (23,973.02 [22,640.80–25,379.80] vs. 23,306.00 [21,968.97–24,070.68] Yuan, P = 0.015), and greater postoperative drainage (60.00 [50.00–70.00] vs. 46.50 [40.00–56.25] mL, P < 0.001). Intraoperative parathyroid autotransplantation and vocal cord paralysis rates were not significantly different between groups. The number of lymph node metastases via central lymph node dissection was not significantly different between groups (0.00 [0.00–1.00] vs. 0.00 [0.00–1.00], P = 0.645). No significant procedural safety or completeness differences were observed between GETTA and GETTSA. GETTA had better cosmetic outcomes. GETTSA had shorter duration of operation durations, shorter hospital stays, lower hospitalisation costs, and lower postoperative drainage, making it a better option for clinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, yellow-pigmented, catalase-positive, oxidase-positive, non-motile with no flagella and irregularly rod-shaped, denominated strain YIM 134122T, was isolated from a Stereocaulon tomentosum Fr. lichen gathered on Baima Snow Mountain in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. The novel strain grew at pH 6.0–8.0 (optimum, pH 7.0–7.2), 4–35 ℃ (optimum,25–35 ℃), and with the existence of 0–10% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0–2%). Phylogenetic analysis on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain YIM 134122T belonged to the genus Leifsonia and presented high levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Leifsonia kafniensis JCM 17021T (97.92%) and Leifsonia psychrotolerans CGMCC 1.12166T (97.79%). Based on the draft genome sequence, the G + C content of strain YIM 134122T was found to be 68.41%, and the average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridizations values between strain YIM 134122T and Leifsonia kafniensis JCM 17021T and Leifsonia psychrotolerans CGMCC 1.12166T were 73.78% and 73.75%, and 19.6% and 19.9%, respectively, which were extremely lower than the generally proposed threshold value for species delineation. The predominant polar lipids in strain YIM 134122T consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, three unknown glycolipids, two unknown phospholipids, and one unknown lipid, whereas MK-10, MK-11 and MK-12 were the main menaquinones. The major fatty acids (> 4%) of the strain contained iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0, iso-C16:0 and anteiso-C17:0. On the basis of phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic, phenotypic and genotypic evidences, it is concluded that strain YIM 134122T represents a novel species of the genus Leifsonia, for with the name Leifsonia stereocauli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM 134122T (= CGMCC 1.62033T = MCCC 1K08590T = KCTC 59219T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the influence of Bacillus subtilis adhesion on the corrosion and cavitation erosion resistance of high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) sprayed WC-10Co-4Cr coatings. The polished HVOF-sprayed WC-10Co-4Cr coatings were divided into two groups: one immersed in artificial seawater (ASW) and the other immersed in ASW containing Bacillus subtilis (BASW). Following an immersion period of 42 days, chromium oxide was detected on the ASW-immersed coating according to x-ray diffraction, while the BASW-immersed coating showed no signs of oxidation or corrosion. Electrochemical testing indicated compromised corrosion resistance in both the coatings. Nonetheless, the corrosion resistance of the BASW-immersed coating was much better than the ASW-immersed coating, suggesting that the Bacillus subtilis biofilm protected the coating surface from the corrosive substances in ASW, such as chloride ions and oxygen. Cavitation erosion testing revealed that prior immersion in ASW accelerated the erosion process, while the BASW-immersed coating displayed better resistance to cavitation erosion due to the inhibited corrosion attained by the Bacillus subtilis biofilm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MnO2/CoMoO4/ NF (Nickel foam) was obtained by loading MnO2 onto the surface of CoMoO4/NF using electrodeposition. The results of degradation experiments showed that the degradation efficiency of levofloxacin (LVF) (15 ppm, pH = 6.12) over MnO2/CoMoO4//NF reached 80.4% in 30 min when the PMS concentration was 0.08 mM. When the pH was lower or higher than the pH value of the original solution, the performance of the material significantly decreased due to the repulsive effect between the catalyst and SO52−. Cobalt and manganese ions exhibited a synergistic effect on the activation of PMS. The HCO3− ions showed the most significant inhibitory effect on the degradation of LVF. The free radical trapping experiments indicated that ·OH, and O2·− were the main active species in the degradation process of levofloxacin. The cyclic stability experiments proved the MnO2/CoMoO4/NF catalysts were efficient, stable and easy to recover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the community of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the rhizosphere soil with different generations of the hybridized progeny of wild Erianthus arundinaceus and sugarcane. Rhizosphere soils were collected from E. arundinaceus (P), and the F1, F3, and F5 progeny of its hybrid with sugarcane, and community of AMF in the rhizosphere soil was analyzed using Illumina Miseq high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that a total of 159 AMF fungal OTUs were obtained from the sequencing analysis, belonging to 1 phylum, 4 classes, 6 orders, 11 families, 14 genera, and 42 species. Alpha diversity analysis showed that the Chao1 and ACE indices decreased with increasing of the generations, that is, the highest species abundance was in parent P, and significant differences were observed between P and F1, F3, and F5 (P < 0.05). The Shannon index in P was the highest, with significant differences between P and F3, and F5. The dominant genus in P was Acaulospora, while that in F1 was Glomus, that in F3 was Claroideoglomus, and that in F5 was Glomus. Diversispora and Dentiscutata were the dominant genera unique to P. Glomus, Claroideoglomus, Acaulospora, Rhizophagus, and Gigaspora were present in the rhizosphere soil of different generations. PCoA analysis showed significant differences in the distribution of AMF communities in the rhizosphere soils of different generations. Significant differences were observed between the inter-group comparisons of the AMF community at the genus level, with significant differences in the relative abundance of Glomus and Acaulospora in different generations on the levels P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively. These findings indicate that the community of AMF in the rhizosphere soils with different generations of the hybridized progeny of E. arundinaceus with sugarcane is different, but some AMF groups do not change with addition of the generations. Further research is needed to determine whether these characteristics are related to the agronomic traits of the crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continual learning addresses the challenge of acquiring and retaining knowledge over time across multiple tasks and environments. Previous research primarily focuses on offline settings where models learn through increasing tasks from samples paired with ground truth annotations. In this work, we focus on an unsolved, challenging, yet practical scenario, specifically, the semi-supervised online continual learning in autonomous driving and mobile robotics. In our settings, models are tasked with learning new distributions from streaming unlabeled samples and performing 3D object detection as soon as the LiDAR point cloud arrives. Additionally, we conducted experiments on both the KITTI dataset, our newly built IUSL dataset and Canadian Adverse Driving Conditions (CADC) Dataset. The results indicate that our method achieves a balance between rapid adaptation and knowledge retention, showcasing its effectiveness in the dynamic and complex environment of autonomous driving and mobile robotics. The developed ROS packages and IUSL dataset will be publicly available at: . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Posaconazole enteric-coated tablet and oral suspension are two oral drugs in the treatment of invasive fungal infections (IFIs). This study compared the effectiveness and safety between posaconazole enteric-coated tablet and oral suspension, and provided a real world basis for the clinical practice. A retrospective cohort study was performed on IFIs patients treated with posaconazole enteric–coated tablet or oral suspension. The primary endpoints were in-hospital mortality, treatment discontinuation rate and clinical effective rate. The secondary endpoints were adverse events incidence (liver dysfunction, renal dysfunction and hypokalemia). One hundred and forty-four patients were totally included and divided into enteric-coated tablet group (n = 46) and oral suspension group (n = 98). There was no significant difference in effectiveness and safety between two groups. The female (OR = 0.130, P = 0.018) and diabetes mellitus (OR = 4.242, P = 0.003) were independently associated with combined in-hospital mortality/treatment discontinuation rate. The renal replacement therapy (OR = 10.071, P = 0.006), hypoalbuminemia (OR = 6.646, P = 0.002) and posaconazole duration (OR = 1.119, P = 0.002) were risk factors for liver dysfunction. The posaconazole enteric-coated tablet has comparable effectiveness and safety with oral suspension in IFIs, which need large-scale cases studies to confirm in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer aging under environmental conditions causes deterioration of service properties. Understanding the aging behavior and mechanism is important not only for lifetime prediction, but also for material improvement and development. Therefore, comprehensive characterization of polymer materials during aging is crucial. In this review, various analytical methods for characterization of chemical changes, physical changes and service properties are introduced. Based on that, methods for stabilization evaluation and lifetime prediction, especially sensitive evaluation methods are reviewed. Chemical changes include molecular weight changes by chain scission and crosslinking, functional group changes on the surface and in the bulk, formation of free radicals, formation of small molecular species as the degradation products, and chemical distribution by heterogeneous aging and additives migration. Physical changes include crystallization changes (post- or chemi-crystallization) and morphology changes (cracking, debonding, etc.). Service property changes include deterioration of processability, mechanical properties, electrical properties and appearance. In the end, existing problems and future research perspective are proposed, including relationship between chemical/physical changes and service properties, introduction of modern mathematical and computer tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying cell-type-specific 3D chromatin interactions between regulatory elements can help decipher gene regulation and interpret disease-associated non-coding variants. However, achieving this resolution with current 3D genomics technologies is often infeasible given limited input cell numbers. We therefore present ChromaFold, a deep learning model that predicts 3D contact maps, including regulatory interactions, from single-cell ATAC sequencing (scATAC-seq) data alone. ChromaFold uses pseudobulk chromatin accessibility, co-accessibility across metacells, and a CTCF motif track as inputs and employs a lightweight architecture to train on standard GPUs. Trained on paired scATAC-seq and Hi-C data in human samples, ChromaFold accurately predicts the 3D contact map and peak-level interactions across diverse human and mouse test cell types. Compared to leading contact map prediction models that use ATAC-seq and CTCF ChIP-seq, ChromaFold achieves state-of-the-art performance using only scATAC-seq. Finally, fine-tuning ChromaFold on paired scATAC-seq and Hi-C in a complex tissue enables deconvolution of chromatin interactions across cell subpopulations. Obtaining a high-resolution contact map using current 3D genomics technologies can be challenging with small input cell numbers. Here, the authors develop ChromaFold, a deep learning model that predicts cell-type-specific 3D contact maps from single-cell chromatin accessibility data alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. This study investigates the role and mechanisms of ADAM9 as a biomarker and potential therapeutic target in HCC. Utilizing RNA-sequencing data and clinicopathological characteristics from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, we conducted survival and meta-analyses, functional enrichment, and immune infiltration studies. Additionally, we evaluated the effects of ADAM9 silencing on HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through in vitro experiments. Our results demonstrate that high ADAM9 expression is associated with poor prognosis and increased immune infiltration in HCC patients. Furthermore, ADAM9 knockdown significantly inhibited tumor cell proliferation and migration. These findings indicate that ADAM9 is a promising prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target in HCC. In conclusion, ADAM9 could offer avenues for developing strategies to inhibit tumor progression and improve patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A precise understanding of cold compressive creep behavior is essential for elucidating the failure mechanisms of titanium pressure hulls in deep-sea service and designing enhanced alloys with optimized performance. In this study, we systematically investigated room temperature compressive creep mechanisms in an α + β titanium alloy featuring a multi-level lamellar microstructure under varying applied stresses, using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. At an applied stress of 0.75σ0.2, the alloy exhibits minimal plastic strain accumulation, with most dislocations remaining immobile. Once the stress threshold is exceeded, planar slip initiates along the prismatic plane, followed by the activation of basal and pyramidal slip at higher stress levels. Under high stress (0.95σ0.2), creep deformation is primarily governed by prismatic and basal slip. Slip transfer between similar oriented grains within a microtextured region frequently occurs at stresses above 0.83σ0.2. Additionally, we observed that higher applied stresses suppress the cross-slip of prismatic screw dislocations within the α grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LncRNAs are long non-coding RNAs that are widely recognized as crucial regulators of gene expression and metabolic control, involved in numerous dormancy-related processes. Aestivation is a common hypometabolism strategy of sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) in response to high-temperature conditions and is typically characterized by the degradation of the intestine and respiratory tree. Although the aestivation process has been extensively studied in sea cucumbers, the role of lncRNAs in the context of aestivation states remains a conspicuous knowledge gap. Here, we identified and characterized 14,711 lncRNAs in A. japonicus and analyzed their differential expression patterns during the aestivation process in the intestine and respiratory tree. The results revealed the physiological differences, especially the metabolic processes, between the intestine and respiratory tree during the aestivation. The co-expression network of lncRNA-mRNA suggested the dominant role of lncRNA in regulating the differential response of the intestine and respiratory trees. Differentially co-expressed factors were significantly enriched in the deep-aestivation stage-specific modules. Conserved co-expressed factors included several transcription factors known to be involved in rhythm regulation, such as Klf2 and Egr1. Furthermore, a specific trans-acting lncRNA (lncrna.1393.1) was identified as a potential regulator of Klf2 and Egr1. Overall, the systematic identification, characterization, and expression analysis of lncRNAs in A. japonicus enhanced our knowledge of long non-coding regulation of aestivation in sea cucumber and provided new clues for understanding the common “toolkit” of dormancy regulatory mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The twin boundaries and inherent lattice strain of five-fold twin (5-FT) structures offer a promising and innovative approach to tune nanocrystal configurations and properties, enriching nanomaterial performance. However, a comprehensive understanding of the nonclassical growth models governing 5-FT nanocrystals remains elusive, largely due to the constraints of their small thermodynamically stable size and complex twin configurations. Here, we conducted in situ investigations to elucidate the atomic-scale mechanisms driving size-dependent and twin configuration-related aggregation phenomena between 5-FT and other nanoparticles at the atomic scale. Our results reveal that surface diffusion significantly shapes the morphology of aggregated nanoparticles, promoting the symmetrical formation of 5-FT, especially in smaller nanoparticles. Moreover, the inherent structural characteristics of 5-FT mitigate the dominance of surface diffusion in its morphological evolution, retarding the aggregation evolution process and fostering intricate twin structures. These findings contribute to advancing our capacity to manipulate the configuration of twinned particles, enabling more predictable synthesis of functional nanomaterials for advanced engineering applications. The mechanisms underlying the nonclassical growth of penta-twinned gold nanocrystals remain unclear. Here, the authors elucidate the atomic-level processes that drive size-dependent and twin configuration-related aggregation phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high temperature β/B2 phase field of Ti3Al-Nb based alloys was rarely studied due to limitation in experimental technique, but different states of this phase field lead to difference in subsequent phase transformation path and resulting microstructure. By controlling the heating temperature and dwell time of α2′ → β/B2 transformation and subsequent cooling rate, we achieved a new microstructure consisting of domains of the B2 phase with α2′ martensite occupying the disordered BCC domain walls, effectively forming a pseudo sub-grain microstructure. It is shown that the domain walls evolved from the disordered β phase in the β/B2 phase field. Such pseudo sub-grain boundaries refine the prior β grains by subdividing them into smaller α2 colonies that form during subsequent heat treatment in the α2′ + β/B2 phase field upon reheating, and improve the mechanical properties of the alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interferometry Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technology is widely employed in the identification of geological hazards. However, in regions characterized by high mountains, canyons, and dense vegetation, decorrelation often hampers effective identification. In this study, focusing on the landslide-prone area of Wenxian County in Longnan City with abundant vegetation, we propose a Multi-Temporal InSAR (MTI) monitoring method that integrates Persistent Scatterers (PS) points with Slowly-Decorrelating Filtered Phase (SDFP) points in order to effectively reduce decorrelation effects. Additionally, we conduct high-precision monitoring of landslide surface deformation in Wenxian County using the the Generic Atmospheric Correction Online Service for InSAR (GACOS). Based on cross-validation of results obtained from three different techniques and the comparison with GNSS monitoring results, we validate the accuracy of these identification results. Furthermore, we use time-series deformation analysis methods to analyze the dynamic evolution of the characteristics of landslides in Chengguan Town and Koutouba Township, Wenxian County, Longnan City, and investigate their relationship with different environmental factors, such as rainfall and temperature. Our findings demonstrate that the spatial distribution consistency of the surface deformation information identified by the three techniques is high. However, StaMPS-MTI technology has the highest spatial sampling rate in deformation results, which is 21.02% higher than that of StaMPS-PS and over 4.6 times higher than that of StaMPS-SBAS. Additionally, the errors and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of StaMPS-MTI results in comparison to GNSS monitoring results are also the smallest, with values of 5.35 mm and 9.38 mm. We also observe varying degrees of deformation in Level 1 landslide areas identified by the STAMPS-MTI method in Chengguan Town and Koutouba Township with distinct seasonal characteristics. The cumulative deformation in the period from March to June shows a noticeable acceleration, with landslide incidents caused by the freeze-thaw phenomenon due to rising temperatures in March and April while rainfall caused landslide incidents from April to June. This research provides essential data and scientific support for geological hazard monitoring, prevention, and early warning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Active vitamin D analogs and calcimimetic agents are primary drugs for patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism. Due to the different pharmacological mechanisms, they have different effects on the level of parathyroid hormone, serum calcium, phosphorus, and bone turnover biomarkers. This study aimed to evaluate the active vitamin D analogs and calcimimetic agents in hemodialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism. Methods: We included randomized clinical trials of hemodialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism, comparing active vitamin D analogs to calcimimetic agents or placebo/control. The primary outcome was the change of PTH level from baseline to end-up. The secondary outcome was the change in serum calcium, phosphorus, calcium-phosphorus product, and bone turnover biomarkers. A network meta-analysis method was applied to complete this study. The forest plots reflected statistical differences in the outcomes between active vitamin D analogs and calcimimetic agents. The SUCRA result presented the ranking of impact on the outcomes. Results: Twenty-one randomized clinical trials with 4653 patients were included in this network meta-analysis. Global and splitting-node inconsistencies provided no evidence of inconsistency in this study. There was no statistical difference between two active vitamin D analogs and three calcimimetic agents in the PTH, and phosphorus levels changed. Considering serum calcium level, compared with placebo, calcitriol (9.73, 3.09 to 16.38) and paricalcitol (9.74, 3.87 to 15.60) increase serum calcium. However, cinacalcet (− 1.94, − 3.72 to − 0.15) and etelcalcetide (− 7.80, − 11.80 to − 3.80) reduced the serum calcium, even a joint use of cinacalcet with active vitamin D analogs (− 5.83, − 9.73 to − 1.93). Three calcimimetic agents decreased calcium levels much more than calcitriol and paricalcitol. The same type of drugs was not distinct, with each one affecting the change in calcium level. Cinacalcet reduced calcium-phosphorus product much more than paricalcitol (− 3.66, − 6.72 to − 0.60). Evocalcet decreased calcium-phosphorus product more than cinacalcet (− 5.64, − 8.91 to − 2.37), calcitriol (− 9.36, − 14.81 to − 3.92), and paricalcitol (− 9.30, − 13.78 to − 4.82). Compared with paricalcitol, cinacalcet significantly increases the level of ALP (24.50, 23.05 to 25.95) and bALP (0.67, 0.03 to 1.31). The incidence of gastrointestinal disorders in cinacacet (29.35, 1.71 to 504.98) and etelcalcetide (20.92, 1.20 to 365.68) was notably higher than in paricalcitol. Etelcalcetide (0.71, 0.53 to 0.96) and evocalcet (0.46, 0.33 to 0.64) presented a lower rate of gastrointestinal disorders than cinacalcet. Cinacalcet ranked first in adverse gastrointestinal, nervous, and respiratory reactions. Conclusion: The same kinds of agents perform similar efficacy on the level of PTH, serum calcium, phosphorus, and calcium-phosphorus product. Paricalcitol did not lead to more hypercalcemia than calcitriol. The calcium decrease induced by cinacalcet was not settled even by associating it with active vitamin D analogs. Cinacalcet and evocalcet were superior to calcitriol and paricacitol in reducing calcium-phosphorus product. Calcimimetics induced more gastrointestinal disorders than active vitamin D analogs, especially cinacalcet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high quality (Q) factor is essential for enhancing the performance of resonant nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). NEMS resonators based on two-dimensional (2D) materials such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) have high frequency tunability, large dynamic range, and high sensitivity, yet room-temperature Q factors are typically less than 1000. Here, we systematically investigate the effects of device size and surface nonidealities on Q factor by measuring 52 dry-transferred fully clamped circular MoS2 NEMS resonators with diameters ranging from 1 μm to 8 μm, and optimize the Q factor by combining these effects with the strain-modulated dissipation model. We find that Q factor first increases and then decreases with diameter, with an optimized room-temperature Q factor up to 3315 ± 115 for a 2-μm-diameter device. Through extensive characterization and analysis using Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, we demonstrate that surface nonidealities such as wrinkles, residues, and bubbles are especially significant for decreasing Q factor, especially for larger suspended membranes, while resonators with flat and smooth surfaces typically have larger Q factors. To further optimize Q factors, we measure and model Q factor dependence on the gate voltage, showing that smaller DC and radio-frequency (RF) driving voltages always lead to a higher Q factor, consistent with the strain-modulated dissipation model. This optimization of the Q factor delineates a straightforward and promising pathway for designing high-Q 2D NEMS resonators for ultrasensitive transducers, efficient RF communications, and low-power memory and computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escalating incidence of breast cancer (BC) in women underscores its grave health threat. Current molecular insights into BC's post-adjuvant therapy cure remain elusive, necessitating active treatment explorations. Immunotherapy, notably chemotherapy-induced immunogenic cell death (ICD), has emerged as a promising BC therapy. ICD harnesses chemotherapeutics to activate anti-tumor immunity via DAMPs, fostering long-term T-cell memory and primary BC cure. Besides chemotherapy drugs, Nanodrugs, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and ICIs also induce ICD, boosting immune response. ICIs, like PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, revolutionize cancer treatment but face limited success in cold tumors. Thus, ICD induction combined with ICIs is studied extensively for BC immunotherapy. This article reviews the mechanism of ICD related drugs in BC and provides reference for the research and development of BC treatment, in order to explore more effective clinical treatment of BC, we hope to explore more ICD inducers and make ICIs more effective vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to make the image copyright protection system can resist network attacks, and to solve the problems of unknown copyright owner, difficulty in data integrity verification and unauthorized redistribution, a digital image copyright protection method based on blockchain and zero trust mechanism was proposed. Firstly, after the copyright owner signs with the elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA), the signature and copyright information are encrypted with the elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) algorithm, and the ciphertext and the generated image hashing are uploaded to the blockchain; Then, the smart contract is called to authenticate the copyright owner, the similarity of the hash value is used to detect the infringement of the verified image, the MD5 key generated by the image hashing value is used to encrypt the detected image, the ciphertext and encrypted image are uploaded to the interplanetary file system (IPFS), and the corresponding storage address is returned to the blockchain. Consumers can download ciphertext and encrypted images in IPFS as needed after completing asset evaluation and paying when calling the dual-smart contract to initiate copyright transaction. Experimental results show that the proposed method can not only authenticate the identity, but also realize double encryption of the image and copyright information. It can prevent the unauthorized use and redistribution of digital content, and improve the overall security of the image copyright protection system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bullying is a common public safety issue among adolescents, which has an impact on their healthy growth. There is a need for research on the causes and mechanisms of this phenomenon among adolescents. This study involved a total of 603 Chinese adolescents who completed a self-reported questionnaire on community violence exposure, deviant peer affiliation, internet game disorder, and traditional bullying. These participants included 291 boys and 312 girls with a mean age of 13.81 years (SD = 1.76). We applied the structural equation model (SEM) to explore the relationship between community violence exposure and traditional bullying, and the mediating roles of deviant peer affiliation and internet game disorder. The results of the indicated that community violence exposure may predict traditional bullying, and the mediating effect of deviant peer affiliation and internet game disorder in this relationship are significant. The discovery of the present study that provide important theoretical reference value for parents and educators to intervene in traditional bullying among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-related osteoporosis is a prevalent bone metabolic disorder distinguished by an aberration in the equilibrium between bone formation and resorption. The reduction in the stemness of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BMSCs) plays a pivotal role in the onset of this ailment. Comprehending the molecular pathways that govern BMSCs stemness is imperative for delineating the etiology of age-related osteoporosis and devising efficacious treatment modalities. The study utilized single-cell RNA sequencing and miRNA sequencing to investigate the cellular heterogeneity and stemness of BMSCs. Through dual-luciferase reporter assays and functional experiments, the regulatory effect of miR-183 on CTNNB1 (β-catenin) was confirmed. Overexpression and knockdown studies were conducted to explore the impact of miR-183 and β-catenin on stemness-related transcription factors Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2. Cell proliferation assays and osteogenic differentiation experiments were carried out to validate the influence of miR-183 and β-catenin on the stemness properties of BMSCs. Single-cell analysis revealed that β-catenin is highly expressed in both high stemness clusters and terminal differentiation clusters of BMSCs. Overexpression of β-catenin upregulated stemness transcription factors, while its suppression had the opposite effect, indicating a dual regulatory role of β-catenin in maintaining BMSCs stemness and promoting bone differentiation. Furthermore, the confluence of miRNA sequencing analyses and predictions from online databases revealed miR-183 as a potential modulator of BMSCs stemness and a novel upstream regulator of β-catenin. The overexpression of miR-183 effectively diminished the stemness characteristics of BMSCs by suppressing β-catenin, whereas the inhibition of miR-183 augmented stemness. These outcomes align with the observed alterations in the expression levels and functional assessments of transcription factors associated with stemness. This study provides evidence for the essential involvement of β-catenin in preserving the stemness of BMSCs, as well as elucidating the molecular mechanism through which miR-183 selectively targets β-catenin to modulate stemness. These results underscore the potential of miR-183 and β-catenin as molecular targets for augmenting the stemness of BMSCs. This strategy is anticipated to facilitate the restoration of bone microarchitecture and facilitate bone tissue regeneration by addressing potential cellular dysfunctions, thereby presenting novel targets and perspectives for the management of age-related osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe defects in human IFNγ immunity predispose individuals to both Bacillus Calmette–Guérin disease and tuberculosis, whereas milder defects predispose only to tuberculosis1. Here we report two adults with recurrent pulmonary tuberculosis who are homozygous for a private loss-of-function TNF variant. Neither has any other clinical phenotype and both mount normal clinical and biological inflammatory responses. Their leukocytes, including monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) do not produce TNF, even after stimulation with IFNγ. Blood leukocyte subset development is normal in these patients. However, an impairment in the respiratory burst was observed in granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-matured MDMs and alveolar macrophage-like (AML) cells2 from both patients with TNF deficiency, TNF- or TNFR1-deficient induced pluripotent stem (iPS)-cell-derived GM-CSF-matured macrophages, and healthy control MDMs and AML cells differentiated with TNF blockers in vitro, and in lung macrophages treated with TNF blockers ex vivo. The stimulation of TNF-deficient iPS-cell-derived macrophages with TNF rescued the respiratory burst. These findings contrast with those for patients with inherited complete deficiency of the respiratory burst across all phagocytes, who are prone to multiple infections, including both Bacillus Calmette–Guérin disease and tuberculosis3. Human TNF is required for respiratory-burst-dependent immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in macrophages but is surprisingly redundant otherwise, including for inflammation and immunity to weakly virulent mycobacteria and many other infectious agents.Human TNF is required for respiratory-burst-dependent immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in macrophages but seems to be largely redundant physiologically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovadia and Rodriguez-Hertz defined neutralized Bowen open ball as B n (x , e - n ϵ) = { y ∈ X : d (T j x , T j y) < e - n ϵ , ∀ 0 ≤ j ≤ n - 1 }. We introduce the notion of neutralized Bowen topological entropy of subsets by neutralized Bowen open ball, and establish variational principles for neutralized Bowen topological entropy of compact subsets in terms of neutralized Brin–Katok local entropy and neutralized Katok’s entropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First-in-human (FIH) dose-escalation trials on oncology should prioritize safety and emphasize efficacy. We reviewed the FIH trials of 67 anti-tumor products approved by the Food and Drug Administration between 2018 and 2023 and found that the "3 + 3" design remains the predominant dose-escalation method (66.2%). The number of patients receiving sub-therapeutic doses is positively correlated with the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) or maximum dose (MD) to starting dose ratio (P = 0.056) and the number of dose levels in trials (P < 0.001). In addition, the proportion of products with a high ratio in antibody drugs is higher than that in small molecules (P < 0.001). The MTD or MD exceeded the label dose by three or more doses in 22.03% of the products. In conclusion, optimizing the starting dose selection method, refining the way of determining doses, and finding alternative indicators to replace toxicity as the endpoints will increase the effectiveness and broaden the beneficiary scope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chat generative pre-trained transformer (ChatGPT) is a publicly available extensive artificial intelligence (AI) language model that leverages deep learning to generate text that mimics human conversations. In this study, the performance of ChatGPT was assessed by offering insightful and precise answers to a series of fictional questions and emulating a preliminary consultation on blepharoplasty. Methods: ChatGPT was posed with questions derived from a blepharoplasty checklist provided by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Board-certified plastic surgeons and non-medical staff members evaluated the responses for accuracy, informativeness, and accessibility. Results: Nine questions were used in this study. Regarding informativeness, the average score given by board-certified plastic surgeons was significantly lower than that given by non-medical staff members (2.89 ± 0.72 vs 4.41 ± 0.71; p = 0.042). No statistically significant differences were observed in accuracy (p = 0.56) or accessibility (p = 0.11). Conclusions: Our results emphasize the effectiveness of ChatGPT in simulating doctor–patient conversations during blepharoplasty. Non-medical individuals found its responses more informative compared with the surgeons. Although limited in terms of specialized guidance, ChatGPT offers foundational surgical information. Further exploration is warranted to elucidate the broader role of AI in esthetic surgical consultations. Level of Evidence V: Observational study under respected authorities. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ras guanine nucleotide-releasing protein 1 (RasGRP1), a Ras activator, is upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and other kinds of cancer and is associated with the poor prognosis of patients. However, little is known about the underlying regulatory mechanisms of RasGRP1 in the context of cancer. Here, we report that RasGRP1 physically interacted with the adaptor protein Src homolog and collagen homolog 3 (Shc3). Moreover, RasGRP1 C-terminus domain (aa 607–797) bound to the central collagen-homology 1 (CH1) domain of Shc3. Subsequently, Shc3 enhanced the RasGRP1 tyrosine phosphorylation rate and stability by inhibiting its ubiquitination. Notably, the phosphorylation-mimicking mutants of RasGRP1, RasGRP1 Y704A, and Y748A, rescued the phosphorylation and ubiquitination levels of RasGRP1 in HCC cells. Further investigation showed that the RasGRP1 and Shc3 interaction induced activation of Ras and c-Jun, resulting in cell proliferation in vitro. Moreover, the regulation of Shc3/RasGRP1/Ras/c-Jun signal transduction was confirmed in vivo using the subcutaneous xenograft mouse model. Thus, we propose that continuous Shc3 overexpression may be a possible mechanism for maintaining RasGRP1 stability and that persistent activation of Ras/c-Jun signaling through the interaction of RasGRP1 and Shc3 is a key event increasing cell proliferation. Our findings suggest that the interaction of RasGRP1 and Shc3 plays an important role in HCC tumorigenesis and suggests the potential clinical usage of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) exhibits different blood imaging features and prognosis depending on histology. To clarity histopathological growth patterns (HGPs) and vascularization processes of iCCA, we collected 145 surgical specimens and histologically classified them into large bile duct (LBD) (20 cases), small bile duct (SBD) (54), cholangiolocarcinoma (CLC) (35), combined SBD–CLC (cSBD–CLC) (26), and ductal plate malformation (DPM) (10) (sub)types. According to the invasive pattern at the interface between tumor and adjacent background liver, HGPs were classified into desmoplastic, pushing, and replacing HGPs. Desmoplastic HGP predominated in LBD type (55.5%), while replacing HGP was common in CLC (82.9%) and cSBD–CLC (84.6%) subtypes. Desmoplastic HGP reflected angiogenesis, while replacing HGP showed vessel co-option in addition to angiogenesis. By evaluating microvessel density (MVD) using vascular markers, ELTD1 identified vessel co-option and angiogenesis, and ELTD1-positive MVD at invasive margin in replacing HGP was significantly higher than those in desmoplastic and pushing HGPs. REDD1, an angiogenesis-related marker, demonstrated preferably higher MVD in the tumor center than in other areas. iCCA (sub)types and HGPs were closely related to vessel co-option and immune-related factors (lymphatic vessels, lymphocytes, and neutrophils). In conclusion, HGPs and vascular mechanisms characterize iCCA (sub)types and vessel co-option linked to the immune microenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatobiliary mucoepidermoid carcinoma is a rare malignant tumor comprising mucous, intermediate, and epidermoid cells. Herein, we presented a case of primary liver mucoepidermoid carcinoma preoperatively misdiagnosed as conventional intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. A 67-year-old male was admitted to our hospital. Preoperative laboratory tests showed increased aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and carbohydrate antigen 19–9. Abdominal Computer Tomography revealed a 4.8 × 4.9 cm liver mass in segment VI. A preliminary diagnosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma was made, with undergoing partial hepatectomy. However, on histopathology, the tumor comprised a mixture of epidermoid, mucous, and intermediate cells with diffuse infiltrating at the tumor margin. On special stains, mucous and intermedia cells were positive for mucicarmine and Alcian blue, whereas epidermoid cells were positive for Keratin 5/6 and p63. Intermediate cells are also positive for p63. All tumor cells were positive for Keratin 7. The Ki-67 index was 35%. The final diagnosis was primary hepatic mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Although rare, hepatic mucoepidermoid carcinoma should be considered in the intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma differential diagnosis. We reviewed previous studies and found that hepatobiliary mucoepidermoid carcinoma is more likely to originate from the biliary tract adjacent to the tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is aimed at studying the down-reaching flame behaviors of tank fires with large ullage heights. Experiments were first conducted using a gas burner in a transparent quartz glass cylinder to simulate the large ullage and the experimental data was used to validate the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. Subsequently the effects of ullage height, fuel velocity and burner diameter on the flame behaviors were examined systematically. Both experimental and numerical results showed that, for lower fuel velocities, the down-reaching flame height (hdown) is restricted by the ullage height. As the fuel velocity continues to increase exceeding a critical value, independent of the ullage height, hdown starts to decrease. For a given fuel velocity, hdown increases with an increase of the burner diameter owing to enhanced air entrainment. A detailed analysis of the flow field and oxygen concentration inside the tank at the steady burning stage was also carried out. Based on the numerical results and dimensionless analysis, a piecewise function was proposed to predict the down-reaching flame height and validated against the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial testicular inflammation is one of the important causes of male infertility. Using plant-derived compounds to overcome the side effects of antibiotics is an alternative treatment strategy for many diseases. Schizandrin B (SchB) is a bioactive compound of herbal medicine Schisandra chinensis which has multiple pharmacological effects. However its effect and the mechanism against testicular inflammation are unknown. Here we tackled these questions using models of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mice and -Sertoli cells (SCs). Histologically, SchB ameliorated the LPS-induced damages of the seminiferous epithelium and blood-testicular barrier, and reduced the production of pro-inflammatory mediators in mouse testes. Furthermore, SchB decreased the levels of pro-inflammatory mediators and inhibited the nuclear factor kB (NF-κB) and MAPK (especially JNK) signaling pathway phosphorylation in LPS-induced mSCs. The bioinformatics analysis based on receptor prediction and the molecular docking was further conducted. We targeted androgen receptor (AR) and illustrated that AR might bind with SchB in its function. Further experiments indicate that the AR expression was upregulated by LPS stimulation, while SchB treatment reversed this phenomenon; similarly, the expression of the JNK-related proteins and apoptotic-related protein were also reversed after AR activator treatment. Together, SchB mitigates LPS-induced inflammation and apoptosis by inhibiting the AR-JNK pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-linear rheological behaviours of high fluorine content fluoroelastomer (HF-FKM) mixtures with varied carbon black (CB) filling amounts were investigated. Non-linear viscoelastic characteristics of HF-FKM mixture are characterised by large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) tests, correlations between rheological behaviour and CB content were then discussed. Each non-linear viscoelastic parameter of HF-FKM mixture presents a three-stage characteristic with increasing CB content, corresponding to ranges of 0–20 phr, 25–30 phr, and 35–45 phr. Three stages of viscoelasticity characteristics for HF-FKM mixtures were considered to depend on the alteration of CB-elastomer network structure with increasing CB content, corresponding to the states where continuous phase of gum, CB-elastomer mesophase and excessive CB agglomerates predominate in mixture compound, respectively. After vulcanisation, samples with 30 phr CB content show the best resilience performance against thermal ageing, contributing to the existence of CB-elastomer mesophase. Samples with 25 phr CB content possess the second lowest compression sets at 225 and 250 °C ageing conditions but perform no better than those with 35 phr at 275 °C. The reason is presumed to be that the presence of excessive CB agglomerates in HF-FKM vulcanisate reduced irreversible deformation of the CB-elastomer network under compression at elevated temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: GPX8, which is found in the endoplasmic reticulum lumen, is a member of the Glutathione Peroxidases (GPXs) family. Its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unknown. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the protein levels of GPX8 in HCC tissue microarrays. A short hairpin RNA lentivirus was used to knock down GPX8, and the main signaling pathways were investigated using transcriptome sequencing and a phosphorylated kinase array. The sphere formation assays, cloning-formation assays and cell migration assays were used to evaluate the stemness and migration ability of HCC cells. Identifying the GPX8-interacting proteins was accomplished through immunoprecipitation and protein mass spectrometry. Results: The GPX8 protein levels were downregulated in HCC patients. Low expression of GPX8 protein was related to early recurrence and poor prognosis in HCC patients. GPX8 knockdown could enhance the stemness and migration ability of HCC cells. Consistently, Based on transcriptome analysis, multiple signaling pathways that include the PI3K-AKT and signaling pathways that regulate the pluripotency of stem cells, were activated after GPX8 knockdown. The downregulation of GPX8 could increase the expression of the tumor stemness markers KLF4, OCT4, and CD133. The in vivo downregulation of GPX8 could also promote the subcutaneous tumor-forming and migration ability of HCC cells. MK-2206, which is a small-molecule inhibitor of AKT, could reverse the tumor-promoting effects both in vivo and in vitro. We discovered that GPX8 and the 71-kDa heat shock cognate protein (Hsc70) have a direct interaction. The phosphorylation of AKT encouraged the translocation of Hsc70 into the nucleus and the expression of the PI3K p110 subunit, thereby increasing the downregulation of GPX8. Conclusion: The findings from this study demonstrate the anticancer activity of GPX8 in HCC by inactivating the Hsc70/AKT pathway. The results suggest a possible therapeutic target for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study sought to identify associations between the Yost Index, a geocoded area neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) score, and race/ethnicity with patient refusal of recommended surgery for metastatic bone disease. Methods: Patients with metastatic bone disease were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The Yost Index was geocoded using factor analysis and categorized into quintiles using census tract-level American Community Service (ACS) 5-year estimates and seven nSES measures. Multivariable logistic regression models calculated odds ratios (ORs) of refusal of recommended surgery and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for clinical covariates. Results: A total of 138,257 patients were included, of which 14,943 (10.8%) were recommended for surgical resection. Patients in the lowest nSES quintile had 57% higher odds of refusing surgical treatment than those in the highest quintile (aOR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.30–1.91, p < 0.001). Patients in the lowest nSES quintile also had a 31.2% higher age-adjusted incidence rate of not being recommended for surgery compared with those in the highest quintile (186.4 vs. 142.1 per 1 million, p < 0.001). Black patients had 34% higher odds of refusing treatment compared with White patients (aOR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.14–1.58, p = 0.003). Advanced age, unmarried status, and patients with aggressive cancer subtypes were associated with higher odds of refusing surgery (p < 0.001). Conclusions: nSES and race/ethnicity are independent predictors of a patient refusing surgery for metastatic cancer to bone, even after adjusting for various clinical covariates. Effective strategies for addressing these inequalities and improving the access and quality of care of patients with a lower nSES and minority backgrounds are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endothelial dysfunction is associated with the development of hypertension. We hypothesize that inflammatory and normal endothelial exosomes play their roles by mediating endothelial function, and they induce endothelial angiogenesis through different signaling pathways. Endothelial cell-derived exosomes were isolated from the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with (TExo) or without (CExo) tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. We monitored dermal microcirculation profiles in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and WKY rats using a laser Doppler imager and a laser Doppler perfusion and temperature monitor. Tube formation, levels of angiogenesis-related proteins in HUVEC-conditioned media, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were assessed following TNF-α, CExo, or TExo treatments. Western blot analysis was conducted to examine signaling proteins associated with inflammation and ROS. The results showed increased blood perfusion and the mean amplitude of endothelial oscillator in SHRs following CExo administration. TNF-α, CExo, and TExo treatments promoted endothelial tube formation and elevated levels of angiogenic factors and ROS. TExo significantly increased phosphorylation levels of STAT3, p38, and level of NF-κB, while decreasing phosphorylation levels of JNK and Erk (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). CExo significantly increased STAT3 phosphorylation and reduced JNK and Erk phosphorylation (all P < 0.01). In conclusion, TNF-α and TExo induce inflammatory and pathological angiogenesis via the NF-κB pathway, while CExo exhibits a physiologically pro-angiogenic effect on endothelial cells. Increased ROS, interplaying with inflammatory signals, contribute to exosome-mediated alterations of endothelial function, thereby playing a role in the development of hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sugar industry is important for the economic development in China. Guangxi province is the largest sugar producer with over 60% of the total sugarcane cultivating area in the country. Research, development, and industrialization on the intensive processing and comprehensive utilization of sugarcane as a raw material will increase in the coming years. This article provides an overview of the development of diversified sugarcane deep processing, focusing on the current research development with special reference to the production of sugarcane wine, vinegar, sugarcane cell water, white sugar, and fructooligosaccharides in China, especially in Guangxi. The aim is to promote the second entrepreneurship of the sugar industry, upgrade the industrial chain, and provide advanced technologies to upgrade the quality and efficiency of the industry and achieve sustainable and healthy socioeconomic development in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the status of the sugar industry in China, especially the production of sugarcane, sugarbeet and sugar, as well as achievements in sugarcane breeding, farming technology exploitation and value chain-added by-product development. In recent years, China has planted about 1.6–1.8 Mha of sugar crops and produces about 9–11 MT of sugar, with about 85–91% from sugarcane. Guangxi is an enormous cane and sugar producer, which provides about 60–70% of the total sugar in the country. The production of sugarcane and cane sugar decreased dramatically in the recent two milling seasons, especially in Guangxi, because of continuous severe drought during the fast-growing season, leading to a considerable decline in cane sugar and total sugar production. However, beet sugar production recovered to the level 10 years ago. The sugarcane-planting area is relatively more stable, especially in Guangxi, than sugarbeet production. The sugar recovery has been improved in recent years because of the dramatic progress in sugarcane breeding and new technology development. At present, the elite sugarcane varieties GT42 and GL05136 occupied 28.66% and 28.48%, respectively, of the total sugarcane-growing area in China in 2023, and other main sugarcane varieties, i.e. GT44, GT46, GT49, GT55, GT58, YT93-159, YT55, YZ05-51, YZ08-1609, etc. The domestic breeding sugarcane varieties occupied over 95% of the total sugarcane-growing area in 2023; among them, more than 80% were bred in Guangxi, and GT varieties covered the more extensive sugarcane-planting area in China. For sugarcane production, drought is still the most important abiotic limit. At the same time, smut and borer continue to be the most critical biotic constraints, production cost needs to be lowered, and machine harvest is not popular. The R&D priorities for sustainable sugarcane production in China include creating elite parents by utilizing wild germplasm, breeding high-yield, high-sugar, highly resistant and nitrogen-efficient sugarcane varieties with strong ratoon ability by conventional and biotechnological approaches, promoting the commercial supply of healthy seedcane for millable cane production, and developing mechanical operation for field management, especially for harvest, and applying low-cost and efficient cultivation technologies for sugarcane production, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and timely diagnosis of COVID-like virus is of paramount importance for lifesaving. In this work, deep learning techniques are applied to lung CT image segmentation for accurate disease diagnosis. We discuss the limitations of current diagnostic methods, such as RT-PCR, and highlights the advantages of deep learning, including its ability to automatically learn features and handle complex lesion morphology and texture. We, therefore, propose a novel deep learning framework, GAHFNet, specifically designed for automatic segmentation of COVID-19 lung CT images. The proposed method addresses the challenges in lung CT image segmentation, such as the complex image structure and difficulties of distinguishing COVID-19 pneumonia lesions from other pathologies. We provide the detailed description of the proposed GAHFNet. Finally, comprehensive experiments are carried out to evaluate the performance of GAHFNet, and the proposed method outperforms other traditional and the state-of-the-art methods in various evaluation metrics, demonstrating the effectiveness and the efficiency of the proposed method in this task. GAHFNet is able to facilitate the application of artificial intelligence in COVID-19 diagnosis and achieve accurate automatic segmentation of infected areas in COVID-19 lung CT images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrocytes are key targets for treating cerebral ischemia in the central nervous system. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) participate in the pathological processes of astrocytes in cerebral ischemia. Recent reports suggest that ncRNAs ameliorate the outcome of cerebral ischemia by mediating astrocytes' inflammatory reaction, oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, autophagy, and apoptosis. Reconstructing cellular systems might offer a promising strategy for treating cerebral ischemia. This review briefly discusses the potential of ncRNAs as drug targets and explores the molecular regulatory mechanisms through which ncRNAs target astrocytes in cerebral ischemia. It provides an overview of the current research, discusses ncRNAs' implications as clinical markers for cerebral ischemia, and anticipates that ongoing research on ncRNAs may contribute to novel therapeutic approaches for treating this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a colonic immune system disorder, manifested with long duration and easy relapse. Genistein has been reported to possess various biological activities. However, it remains unclear whether genistein can ameliorate UC by modulating the homeostasis of the intestinal bacterial community. Methods: The dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced UC mice were administrated with genistein (20 mg/kg/day) or genistein (40 mg/kg/day) for ten days. The general physical condition of the mice was monitored. After sacrifice, the changes in colon length and colonic pathological morphology were observed. The expression of intestinal barrier proteins, inflammatory cytokines, and macrophage markers in the colon was detected. The composition and metabolic products of the intestinal microbiota were analyzed. Results: Genistein treatment visibly improved body weight change and disease activity index in DSS-induced mice. Genistein treatment ameliorated colonic pathological alterations and promoted the expression of mucin-2 and tight junction proteins. Genistein administration inhibited myeloperoxidase activity and colonic inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, genistein administration improved the structure of the intestinal microbial community, promoted the production of short-chain fatty acids, and modulated macrophage polarization. Conclusions: These results revealed that genistein mediated macrophage polarization balance by improving intestinal microbiota and its metabolites, thereby alleviating DSS-induced colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this review is to summarize the impact of the multidisciplinary tumor board as a tool or mechanism for orthopedic oncology care, to highlight its evolution and changing role over time, to assess its strengths and weaknesses, and to report our institutional experience as an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Methods: We reviewed the relevant literature about multidisciplinary tumor boards in orthopedic oncology, and summarized the articles to provide a summary of the topic. Additionally, we retrospectively reviewed our electronic medical records to analyze the distribution, characteristics, and numbers of the cases that were discussed. Results: Our retrospective institutional review revealed a total of 1178 individual patients discussed between August 2018 and August 2023. There was an even distribution of patients by sex, with 549 female (50.2%) patients and 544 male (49.8%). Diagnoses peaked in the second and sixth decades of life (189 and 175 patients, respectively). The majority of patients were discussed once (55%) or twice (21%). The most common neoplastic diagnosis that was presented in these meetings was giant cell tumor of bone (n = 51). Osteosarcoma (n = 41) was the most common diagnosis among the primary malignant bone tumors, and liposarcomas (n = 41) were the most frequently discussed soft tissue sarcoma histology. Conclusion: Tumor boards have played a central role in cancer care for almost a century. Our experience at an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center has yielded a review of over a thousand individual cases in only a 5-year span of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Procuring silicone rubber composite with different content of vinyl MQ silicone resin was prepared and its thermal stability was evaluated. A total of 50 wt% MQ resin containing 5 wt% vinyl MQ exhibited optimal thermal stability and was consequently chosen. This silicone rubber composite was blended with TPU at high temperature using an internal mixer to produce a modified TPU. The TPU modified by silicone rubber was firstly investigated by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The FTIR results indicated that negligible chemical reactions occurred between TPU and silicone rubber during the mixing process. Furthermore, the TGA results demonstrated that the silicone rubber composite positively influenced the thermal stability of TPU. Additionally, the modified TPU displayed satisfactory thermal stability even after aging. Moreover, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) results indicated that uniform dispersion of silicone rubber was facilitated by the banburying method. The tensile strength of modified TPU initially increased and then decreased when the content of silicone rubber reached 3 wt%. On the other hand, the elongation at break of modified TPU demonstrated continuous improvement. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the modified TPU were still acceptable after aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]