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Abstract Background Preserved Ratio Impaired Spirometry (PRISm) is considered to be a precursor of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Radiomics nomogram can effectively identify the PRISm subjects from non-COPD subjects, especially when during large-scale CT lung cancer screening. Methods Totally 1481 participants (864, 370 and 247 in training, internal validation, and external validation cohorts, respectively) were included. Whole lung on thin-section computed tomography (CT) was segmented with a fully automated segmentation algorithm. PyRadiomics was adopted for extracting radiomics features. Clinical features were also obtained. Moreover, Spearman correlation analysis, minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR) feature ranking and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) classifier were adopted to analyze whether radiomics features could be used to build radiomics signatures. A nomogram that incorporated clinical features and radiomics signature was constructed through multivariable logistic regression. Last, calibration, discrimination and clinical usefulness were analyzed using validation cohorts. Results The radiomics signature, which included 14 stable features, was related to PRISm of training and validation cohorts (p

"Objective To explore the influencing factors of osteoporosis (OP) in postmenopausal patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and try to establish a predictive model of nomogram in developing OP in postmenopausal patients with T2DM. Methods A total of 335 postmenopausal patients with T2DM hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology of Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital from September 1, 2022 to September 1, 2023 were selected retrospectively as the study subjects. According to bone mineral density, the patients were divided into osteoporosis group (176 cases, 52.5%) and non-osteoporosis group (159 cases, 47.5%). Univariate analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the influencing factors of OP in postmenopausal patients with T2DM, and a nomogram prediction model of OP in postmenopausal patients with T2DM was constructed based on the latter, the receiver operating charateristics (ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive performance of the nomogram model, and the accuracy of the nomogram model was analyzed by the calibration curve. Results Compared with the non-osteoporosis group, the osteoporosis group had older age, longer duration of diabetes, higher level of β-isomerized C-terminal telopeptides of type Ⅰ collagen (β-CTX), lower body mass index (BMI) and lower serum phosphorus level（P＜0.05）. Age (OR=1.095,P＜0.01), duration of diabetes (OR=1.055,P＜0.01), β-CTX (OR=1.003,P＜0.01), BMI (OR=0.875,P＜0.01), and serum phosphorus (OR=0.187,P=0.023) were the influencing factors of OP in postmenopausal patients with T2DM.〖JP3〗 ROC curve analysis results showed that the area under curve (AUC) of the constructed nomogram model for predicting OP in postmenopausal patients with T2DM was 0.770. The calibration curve analysis results showed that the calibration curve of the nomogram model was close to the ideal curve. Conclusion High BMI and high phosphorus are protective factors of OP in postmenopausal patients with T2DM, while old age, long duration of diabetes and high level of β-CTX are risk factors. The nomogram model based on the above influencing factors has good predictive value for OP in postmenopausal patients with T2DM."

Abstract Background To explore the incidence of chronic endometritis (CE) in patients with infertility and different forms of adenomyosis and analyze potential high-risk factors for infection. Methods This retrospective cohort study included 154 patients with infertility in the Liuzhou Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital. Among them, 77 patients with adenomyosis were divided into four subgroups based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): internal, exterior, intramural, and full-thickness. Meanwhile, 77 patients did not have adenomyosis. Hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy were performed in the proliferative phase. The main outcome measures were the morphology of the endometrium, syndecan-1 (CD138) immunohistochemical staining, clinical characteristics, and prevalence of CE in the adenomyosis subgroups. Results In comparison to the non-adenomyosis group, the adenomyosis group had significantly higher body mass index (BMI) and CA125 levels. The menstrual cycle in the adenomyosis group was significantly shorter, and menarche was significantly earlier. In comparison to the non-adenomyosis group, the adenomyosis group had a significantly higher diagnostic rate of CE (75.3% vs. 46.8% according to hysteroscopy and 74.0% vs. 33.8% according to histopathology, both with p

Abstract Background Acute thrombotic events play a major role in various cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, direct thrombus imaging can be proved beneficial for early diagnosis and prompt therapy of thrombosis. Our study investigated targeted dual‐modality cyclic arginine‐glycine‐aspartic micro bubbles (cRGD‐MBs) for direct imaging of thrombi by fluorescence and ultrasound. Methods cRGD‐MBs were prepared by mechanical vibration and chemical chelation methods. Results Coulter counter analysis demonstrated that the cRGD‐MBs were well dispersed, with diameters ranging from 1 to 3 μm. They emitted bright red fluorescence under an excitation wavelength of 660 nm. In vivo fluorescence and ultrasound imaging revealed that cRGD‐MBs accumulated at the site of thrombus in the carotid artery with significant fluorescence and ultrasonic signal. Conclusions This study showed that novel microbubble cRGD‐MBs were successfully synthesized, and that these could potentially be used as contrast agents for immediate diagnosis of acute thrombus in vivo.

Abstract Background Tau is aberrantly acetylated in various neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Previously, we reported that reducing acetylated tau by pharmacologically inhibiting p300-mediated tau acetylation at lysine 174 reduces tau pathology and improves cognitive function in animal models. Methods We investigated the therapeutic efficacy of two different antibodies that specifically target acetylated lysine 174 on tau (ac-tauK174). We treated PS19 mice, which harbor the P301S tauopathy mutation that causes FTLD, with anti-ac-tauK174 and measured effects on tau pathology, neurodegeneration, and neurobehavioral outcomes. Furthermore, PS19 mice received treatment post-TBI to evaluate the ability of the immunotherapy to prevent TBI-induced exacerbation of tauopathy phenotypes. Ac-tauK174 measurements in human plasma following TBI were also collected to establish a link between trauma and acetylated tau levels, and single nuclei RNA-sequencing of post-TBI brain tissues from treated mice provided insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the observed treatment effects. Results Anti-ac-tauK174 treatment mitigates neurobehavioral impairment and reduces tau pathology in PS19 mice. Ac-tauK174 increases significantly in human plasma 24 h after TBI, and anti-ac-tauK174 treatment of PS19 mice blocked TBI-induced neurodegeneration and preserved memory functions. Anti-ac-tauK174 treatment rescues alterations of microglial and oligodendrocyte transcriptomic states following TBI in PS19 mice. Conclusions The ability of anti-ac-tauK174 treatment to rescue neurobehavioral impairment, reduce tau pathology, and rescue glial responses demonstrates that targeting tau acetylation at K174 is a promising neuroprotective therapeutic approach to human tauopathies resulting from TBI or genetic disease.

Abstract Background Peritoneal dialysis (PD) and conventional in‐center hemodialysis (HD) are treatment options for patients with end‐stage kidney disease (ESKD). However, their impact on all‐cause mortality is unclear. Methods We conducted a multicenter, open‐label, randomized, non‐inferiority trial to determine the effect of dialysis modality on mortality in patients with ESKD. Eligible patients were recruited from 30 sites across China and assigned to receive either PD or HD in a ratio of 1:1. The primary outcome was all‐cause mortality. Non‐inferiority was defined as the upper bound of the one‐sided 95% confidence interval (CI) for the hazard ratio (HR) being ≤1.25. Results A total of 414 patients with incident ESKD were randomly assigned to PD (n = 213) or HD (n = 201). During a median follow‐up of 1.7 years, 37 patients in the PD group and 31 in the HD group died, giving respective event rates per patient‐year of 0.061 and 0.071. The HR for mortality on PD in comparison with HD was 0.76 (95% CI 0.47–1.24) after adjustment for age, sex, and diabetes status, achieving the limit for non‐inferiority. There were more adverse events (p = 0.003), serious adverse events (p = 0.009), and adverse events leading to hospitalization (p = 0.003) in the PD group than in the HD group; however, there was no significant between‐group difference in adverse events leading to death or discontinuation of treatment. Conclusions PD was non‐inferior to conventional in‐center HD in terms of survival in patients with ESKD. Our findings underscore the need for shared decision‐making between physicians and patients regarding the selection of dialysis modality. Trial registration Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01413074).

Reasonable regulation of electronic structures of heterogeneous composite catalysts can enhance the charge separation and transfer at the interface of materials, thus further promoting the catalytic performance of catalysts. Recently, peracetic acid〔CH3C(O)OOH, PAA〕 based on heterogeneous advanced oxidation process with biochar(BC) materials has attacked much interests due to various reactive oxygen species(ROS) generated in the process. In this study, biochar modified with Co(OH)2 nanoparticles(h-Co/BC) was successfully synthesized by a simple co-precipitation method, which was applied to activate PAA for tetracycline(TC) degradation. The results showed that h-Co/BC could completely degrade TC with an initial concentration of 10 µmol/L within 7 min at pH 7. The scavenger quenching tests and electron paramagnetic resonance(EPR) analysis further indicated that the produced primary ROS were alkoxy radical, which mainly including CH3COO·, CH3COOO·, ·OH and 1O2. In addition, materials characterizations combined with density functional theory calculation showed that biochar was successfully modified with Co(OH)2 nanoparticles. Thus, the Co 3d-band in h-Co/BC was closer to Fermi level compared with that in pure Co(OH)2, benefiting to directional electron transfer, which could then be easily captured by PAA for cleavage to ROS. This study provided a new method for synthesis of functional materials applied in PAA-based AOPs.

Abstract Novelty and appropriateness are two fundamental components of creativity. However, the way in which novelty and appropriateness are separated at behavioral and neural levels remains poorly understood. In the present study, we aim to distinguish behavioral and neural bases of novelty and appropriateness of creative idea generation. In alignment with two established theories of creative thinking, which respectively, emphasize semantic association and executive control, behavioral results indicate that novelty relies more on associative abilities, while appropriateness relies more on executive functions. Next, employing a connectome predictive modeling (CPM) approach in resting-state fMRI data, we define two functional network-based models—dominated by interactions within the default network and by interactions within the limbic network—that respectively, predict novelty and appropriateness (i.e., cross-brain prediction). Furthermore, the generalizability and specificity of the two functional connectivity patterns are verified in additional resting-state fMRI and task fMRI. Finally, the two functional connectivity patterns, respectively mediate the relationship between semantic association/executive control and novelty/appropriateness. These findings provide global and predictive distinctions between novelty and appropriateness in creative idea generation.

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) are most common in anti-aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibody positive NMOSDs, which are characterized by recurrent episodes of optic neuritis and myelitis, etc., and severely reduce the quality of life. In recent years, new insights into the diagnostic techniques, diagonstic markers, and immunotherapy of anti - AQP4 antibody positive NMOSDs have continued to emerge, and here we focus on synthesizing new advances in the diagnostic techniques and diagonstic markers of anti-AQP4 antibody positive NMOSDs and the most recent recommendations for its treatment, in hopes of summarizing to promote the understanding and application of new diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for anti-AQP4 antibody positive NMOSDs in China, and to explore more possible clinical diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Abstract Background Accurate prediction of visceral pleural invasion (VPI) in lung adenocarcinoma before operation can provide guidance and help for surgical operation and postoperative treatment. We investigate the value of intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics nomograms for preoperatively predicting the status of VPI in patients diagnosed with clinical stage IA lung adenocarcinoma. Methods A total of 404 patients from our hospital were randomly assigned to a training set (n = 283) and an internal validation set (n = 121) using a 7:3 ratio, while 81 patients from two other hospitals constituted the external validation set. We extracted 1218 CT-based radiomics features from the gross tumor volume (GTV) as well as the gross peritumoral tumor volume (GPTV5, 10, 15), respectively, and constructed radiomic models. Additionally, we developed a nomogram based on relevant CT features and the radscore derived from the optimal radiomics model. Results The GPTV10 radiomics model exhibited superior predictive performance compared to GTV, GPTV5, and GPTV15, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.855, 0.842, and 0.842 in the three respective sets. In the clinical model, the solid component size, pleural indentation, solid attachment, and vascular convergence sign were identified as independent risk factors among the CT features. The predictive performance of the nomogram, which incorporated relevant CT features and the GPTV10-radscore, outperformed both the radiomics model and clinical model alone, with AUC values of 0.894, 0.828, and 0.876 in the three respective sets. Conclusions The nomogram, integrating radiomics features and CT morphological features, exhibits good performance in predicting VPI status in lung adenocarcinoma.

Abstract Depression is a prevalent mental disorder with a complex biological mechanism. Following the rapid development of systems biology technology, a growing number of studies have applied proteomics and metabolomics to explore the molecular profiles of depression. However, a standardized resource facilitating the identification and annotation of the available knowledge from these scattered studies associated with depression is currently lacking. This study presents ProMENDA, an upgraded resource that provides a platform for manual annotation of candidate proteins and metabolites linked to depression. Following the establishment of the protein dataset and the update of the metabolite dataset, the ProMENDA database was developed as a major extension of its initial release. A multi-faceted annotation scheme was employed to provide comprehensive knowledge of the molecules and studies. A new web interface was also developed to improve the user experience. The ProMENDA database now contains 43,366 molecular entries, comprising 20,847 protein entries and 22,519 metabolite entries, which were manually curated from 1370 human, rat, mouse, and non-human primate studies. This represents a significant increase (more than 7-fold) in molecular entries compared to the initial release. To demonstrate the usage of ProMENDA, a case study identifying consistently reported proteins and metabolites in the brains of animal models of depression was presented. Overall, ProMENDA is a comprehensive resource that offers a panoramic view of proteomic and metabolomic knowledge in depression. ProMENDA is freely available at https://menda.cqmu.edu.cn .

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of Redo-Bentall surgery in the reoperation of aortic root lesions. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 46 patients who underwent Redo-Bentall surgery for aortic root lesions in our department from June 2010 to April 2022. They were 35 males and 11 females, at a mean age of 43.37±12.79 years, in 4.96±6.76 years since the last operation. General clinical data in perioperative period and during follow-up were collected and analyzed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare the survival rates of each etiological group. Results There were 9 cases of central end otitis, 12 cases of Behset's disease, and 25 cases of other causes. After operation, 4 cases (8.70%) experienced cardiac arrest, 4 cases (8.70%) renal failure, 2 cases (4.35%) gastrointestinal bleeding, 2 cases (4.35%) new third-degree atrioventricular block and 2 cases (4.35%) permanent pacemaker placement. In perioperative period, 3 cases (6.52%) died in hospital. During a mean follow-up of 5.03±3.27 years after discharge, 5 cases (11.63%) were lost to follow-up, 1 case died (2.33%), 1 case had lacunar infarction (2.33%), and no severe bleeding or embolism complications was observed in the rest patients. The long-term survival rate was significantly lower in the endocarditis group (62.3%) and the Behcet's disease group (70%) than the other etiological groups (80%, P < 0.05). Conclusion The application of Redo-Bentall in the reoperation of aortic root lesions is safe and effective, but the survival rate is quite lower in the patients with infective endocarditis and Behcet's disease.

Abstract Background The association between the triglyceride–glucose (TyG) index and subclinical left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction in obese patients remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the TyG index and LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) in obese patients. Methods A total of 1028 obese patients from January 2019 to January 2024 were included in the present study. Clinical parameters and biochemical and echocardiographic data were obtained from the participants. LV GLS was obtained from the GE EchoPAC workstation for evaluating subclinical LV function. The TyG index was calculated as Ln (fasting TG [mg/dL] × fasting glucose [mg/dL]/2). LV GLS was compared between obese patients with a high TyG index and those with a low TyG index. Results Obese patients with a high TyG index had greater incidences of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia. The LV GLS was significantly lower in the high TyG index group than in the low TyG index group (P = 0.01). After adjusting for sex, age, body mass index, heart rate, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, LV mass and LV hypertrophy, the TyG index remained an independent risk indicator related to an LV GLS

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to develop and validate a new feature fusion algorithm to improve the classification performance of benign and malignant ground-glass nodules (GGNs) based on deep learning.MethodsWe retrospectively collected 385 cases of GGNs confirmed by surgical pathology from three hospitals. We utilized 239 GGNs from Hospital 1 as the training and internal validation set, and 115 and 31 GGNs from Hospital 2 and Hospital 3, respectively, as external test sets 1 and 2. Among these GGNs, 172 were benign and 203 were malignant. First, we evaluated clinical and morphological features of GGNs at baseline chest CT and simultaneously extracted whole-lung radiomics features. Then, deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and backpropagation neural networks (BPNNs) were applied to extract deep features from whole-lung CT images, clinical, morphological features, and whole-lung radiomics features separately. Finally, we integrated these four types of deep features using an attention mechanism. Multiple metrics were employed to evaluate the predictive performance of the model.ResultsThe deep learning model integrating clinical, morphological, radiomics and whole lung CT image features with attention mechanism (CMRI-AM) achieved the best performance, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.941 (95% CI: 0.898-0.972), 0.861 (95% CI: 0.823-0.882), and 0.906 (95% CI: 0.878-0.932) on the internal validation set, external test set 1, and external test set 2, respectively. The AUC differences between the CMRI-AM model and other feature combination models were statistically significant in all three groups (all p

Kombucha, a fermented tea prepared with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), offers a unique and unpredictable home-brewed fermentation process. Therefore, the need for a controlled kombucha fermentation process has become evident, which requiring a thorough understanding of the microbial composition and its relationship with the metabolites produced. In this study, we investigated the dynamics of microbial communities and metabolites over a 12-day fermentation period of a conventional kombucha-making process. Our findings revealed similarities between the microbial communities in the early (0–2 days) and late (10–12 days) fermentation periods, supporting the principle of back-slopping fermentation. Untargeted metabolite analysis unveiled the presence of harmful biogenic amines in the produced kombucha, with concentrations increasing progressively throughout fermentation, albeit showing relatively lower abundance on days 8 and 12. Additionally, a contrasting trend between ethanol and caffeine content was observed. Canonical correspondence analysis highlighted strong positive correlations between specific bacterial/yeast strains and identified metabolites. In conclusion, our study sheds light on the microbial and metabolite dynamics of kombucha fermentation, emphasizing the importance of microbial control and quality assurance measures in the production process.

Rationale and objectives: To compare the performance of SS, FOCUS SS, MUSE, and FOCUS MUSE DWI for pulmonary lesions to obtain a better technique for pulmonary DWI imaging. Materials and methods: 44 patients with pulmonary lesions were recruited to perform pulmonary DWI using SS, FOCUS SS, MUSE, and FOCUS MUSE sequences. Then, two radiologists with 12 and 10 years of chest MRI experiences assessed the overall image quality while another two radiologists both with 3 years of experiences evaluated the SNR, DR, and ADC of pulmonary lesions. Using interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and kappa statistics to assess consistency of readers, Friedman test and Dunn-Bonferroni post hoc were used to calculate the difference between sequences. Mann-Whitney test and ROC curve were used to distinguish malignant from benign lesions. Results: All the assessed variables of the four sequences presented good to excellent intra-/inter-observer consistency. Compared with SS, FOCUS SS and MUSE, FOCUS MUSE demonstrated better image quality, including significantly higher 5-point Likert scale score (P 0.05) while MUSE presented with significantly higher SNR over them (P

IntroductionAmong cultivated tea plants (Camellia sinensis), only four mitogenomes for C. sinensis var. assamica (CSA) have been reported so far but none for C. sinensis var. sinensis (CSS). Here, two mitogenomes of CSS (CSSDHP and CSSRG) have been sequenced and assembled.MethodsUsing a combination of Illumina and Nanopore data for the first time. Comparison between CSS and CSA mitogenomes revealed a huge heterogeneity.ResultsThe number of the repetitive sequences was proportional to the mitogenome size and the repetitive sequences dominated the intracellular gene transfer segments (accounting for 88.7%- 92.8% of the total length). Predictive RNA editing analysis revealed that there might be significant editing in NADH dehydrogenase subunit transcripts. Codon preference analysis showed a tendency to favor A/T bases and T was used more frequently at the third base of the codon. ENc plots analysis showed that the natural selection play an important role in shaping the codon usage bias, and Ka/Ks ratios analysis indicated Nad1 and Sdh3 genes may have undergone positive selection. Further, phylogenetic analysis shows that six C. sinensis clustered together, with the CSA and CSS forming two distinct branches, suggesting two different evolutionary pathway.DiscussionAltogether, this investigation provided an insight into evolution and phylogeny relationship of C. sinensis mitogenome, thereby enhancing comprehension of the evolutionary patterns within C. sinensis species.

ABSTRACT Purpose: To assess the effect of Amorphophallus campanulatus tuber (Ac) extract in the protection of diabetic nephropathy in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic nephropathy (DN) rat model. Methods: Diabetes was induced with STZ (60 mg/kg, i.p.), and DN was confirmed after six weeks of STZ administration with the estimation of kidney function test. Further rats were treated with Ac 250 and 500 mg/kg p.o. for next four week. Oxidative stress and level of inflammatory cytokines were estimated in the kidney tissue of DN rats. Histopathology of kidney tissue was performed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results: There was improvement in the body weight of Ac treated groups than DN group of rats. Blood glucose level was observed to be reduced in Ac treated groups than DN group on 42nd and 70th day of protocol. Treatment with Ac ameliorated the altered level of kidney function tests (creatinine and BUN), enzymes of liver function (aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase), and lipid profile in the serum of DN rats. Oxidative stress parameters (malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species enhances and reduction in the level of glutathione and superoxide dismutase) and inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor-α, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 reduces in the tissue of Ac treated group than DN group. Treatment with Ac also attenuates the altered histopathological changes in the kidney tissue of DN rats. Conclusions: The report suggests that Ac protects renal injury in DN rats by regulating inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress.

ABSTRACTShiraia-like fungi, which are rare parasitic fungi found around bamboo, play an important role in traditional medicine. Their main active component, hypocrellin, is widely used in medicine, food, and cosmetics. By comparing strains with different hypocrellin yields, we identified a transcription factor (SbTF) in the hypocrellin biosynthesis pathway. SbTF from high-yielding zzz816 and low-yielding CNUCC C72 differed in its protein structure. Subsequently, SbTF from high-yielding zzz816 was overexpressed in several strains. This stabilised the yield in zzz816 and significantly increased the yield in low-yielding CNUCC C72. Comparing downstream non-essential genes between wild type and SbTF-overexpressing CNUCC C72 showed that SbMNF was significantly up-regulated. Therefore, it was selected for further study. SbMNF overexpression increased the hypocrellin yield in low-yielding CNUCC C72 and altered the composition of compounds in high-yielding CNUCC 1353PR and zzz816. This involved an increased elsinochrome C yield in CNUCC 1353PR and an increased hypocrellin B yield in zzz816 (by 2 and 70.3 times that in the corresponding wild type, respectively). This study is the first to alter hypocrellin synthesis to alter the levels of one bioactive agent compared to another. The results provide new insights regarding genetic modification and will help to optimise fungal fermentation.

Abstract Background Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are involved in the maintenance of immune homeostasis and immune regulation. Clinical trials on the adoptive transfer of Tregs have been ongoing for > 10 years. However, many unresolved issues remain in the production of readymade Treg products and selection of patients. Hence, this study aimed to develop a method to expand off-the-shelf Tregs derived from umbilical cord blood (UCB-Tregs) in vitro without changing their phenotype and inhibitory function. In addition, the study intended to design an approach to precisely select patients who are more likely to benefit from the adoptive Treg transfer therapy. Methods UCB-Tregs were isolated and cultured in a medium containing human recombinant IL-2 and rapamycin and then multiply restimulated with human T-activator CD3/CD28 dynabeads. The phenotype and suppressive capacity of Tregs were assessed on days 18 and 42. The relationship between the suppressive function of UCB-Tregs in vitro and clinical indicators was analyzed, and the ability of the in vitro suppressive capacity to predict the in vivo therapeutic effects was evaluated. Results UCB-Tregs expanded 123-fold and 5,981-fold at 18 and 42 days, respectively. The suppressive function of UCB-Tregs on the proliferation of immune cells at 42 days was not significantly different compared with that of UCB-Tregs obtained at 18 days. The suppression rate of UCB-Tregs to PBMCs was negatively correlated with the course of diabetes. Moreover, the high-suppression group exhibited a better treatment response than the low-suppression group during the 12-month follow-up period. Conclusions Multiply restimulated UCB-Tregs expanded at a large scale without any alterations in their classical phenotypic features and inhibitory functions. The suppressive function of Tregs in vitro was negatively correlated with the disease duration. The present study revealed the possibility of predicting the in vivo therapeutic effects via the in vitro inhibition assay. Thus, these findings provided a method to obtain off-the-shelf Treg products and facilitated the selection of patients who are likely to respond to the treatment, thereby moving toward the goal of precision treatment.

Compared to the traditional Intensity Modulation and Direct Detection (IM/DD) system, the coherent system offers higher capacity and power budget, better meeting the needs of high-capacity Passive Optical Network (PON). In recent years, the application of coherent technology in PON to better support future high-bandwidth services has become a hot research topic. This article summarizes the research progress in coherent PON technology from four aspects: system architecture, coherent simplification, uplink burst-mode detection, and flexible PON. In addition, it proposes laser-shared uplink and downlink Filter Bank Multi-Carrier (FBMC)-PON and Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA) current-adjusted flexible PON schemes.

Abstract Background Computed tomography (CT) plays a great role in characterizing and quantifying changes in lung structure and function of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study aimed to explore the performance of CT-based whole lung radiomic in discriminating COPD patients and non-COPD patients. Methods This retrospective study was performed on 2785 patients who underwent pulmonary function examination in 5 hospitals and were divided into non-COPD group and COPD group. The radiomic features of the whole lung volume were extracted. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression was applied for feature selection and radiomic signature construction. A radiomic nomogram was established by combining the radiomic score and clinical factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the predictive performance of the radiomic nomogram in the training, internal validation, and independent external validation cohorts. Results Eighteen radiomic features were collected from the whole lung volume to construct a radiomic model. The area under the curve (AUC) of the radiomic model in the training, internal, and independent external validation cohorts were 0.888 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.869–0.906], 0.874 (95%CI 0.844–0.904) and 0.846 (95%CI 0.822–0.870), respectively. All were higher than the clinical model (AUC were 0.732, 0.714, and 0.777, respectively, P

Abstract Background Mastering the spatial distribution and planting area of paddy can provide a scientific basis for monitoring rice production, and planning grain production layout. Previous remote sensing studies on paddy concentrated in the plain areas with large-sized fields, ignored the fact that rice is also widely planted in vast hilly regions. In addition, the land cover types here are diverse, rice fields are characterized by a scattered and fragmented distribution with small- or medium-sized, which pose difficulties for high-precision rice recognition. Methods In the paper, we proposed a solution based on Sentinel-1 SAR, Sentinel-2 MSI, DEM, and rice calendar data to focus on the rice fields identification in hilly areas. This solution mainly included the construction of rice feature dataset at four crucial phenological periods, the generation of rice standard spectral curve, and the proposal of spectral similarity algorithm for rice identification. Results The solution, integrating topographical and rice phenological characteristics, manifested its effectiveness with overall accuracy exceeding 0.85. Comparing the results with UAV, it presented that rice fields with an area exceeding 400 m2 (equivalent to 4 pixels) exhibited a recognition success rate of over 79%, which reached to 89% for fields exceeding 800 m2. Conclusions The study illustrated that the proposed solution, integrating topographical and rice phenological characteristics, has the capability for charting various rice field sizes with fragmented and dispersed distribution. It also revealed that the synergy of Sentinel-1 SAR and Sentinel-2 MSI data significantly enhanced the recognition ability of rice paddy fields ranging from 400 m2 to 2000 m2.

Purpose: It is vital to develop noninvasive approaches with high accuracy to discriminate the preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) group from the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) groups. Radiomics has emerged as an image analysis technique. This study aims to develop and confirm the new radiomics-based noninvasive approach to discriminate these two groups. Methods: Totally 1066 subjects from 4 centers were included in this retrospective research, and classified into training, internal validation or external validation sets. The chest computed tomography (CT) images were segmented by the fully automated deep learning segmentation algorithm (Unet231) for radiomics feature extraction. We established the radiomics signature (Rad-score) using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm, then conducted ten-fold cross-validation using the training set. Last, we constructed a radiomics signature by incorporating independent risk factors using the multivariate logistic regression model. Model performance was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analyses (DCA). Results: The Rad-score, including 15 radiomic features in whole-lung region, which was suitable for diffuse lung diseases, was demonstrated to be effective for discriminating between PRISm and COPD. Its diagnostic accuracy was improved through integrating Rad-score with a clinical model, and the area under the ROC (AUC) were 0.82(95 %CI 0.79–0.86), 0.77(95 %CI 0.72–0.83) and 0.841(95 %CI 0.78–0.91) for training, internal validation and external validation sets, respectively. As revealed by analysis, radiomics nomogram showed good fit and superior clinical utility. Conclusions: The present work constructed the new radiomics-based nomogram and verified its reliability for discriminating between PRISm and COPD.

ABSTRACTHuman metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a primary cause of acute respiratory infection, yet there are no approved vaccines or antiviral therapies for HMPV. Early host responses to HMPV are poorly characterized, and further understanding could identify important antiviral pathways. Type III interferon (IFN-λ) displays potent antiviral activity against respiratory viruses and is being investigated for therapeutic use. However, its role in HMPV infection remains largely unknown. Here, we show that IFN-λ is highly upregulated during HMPV infection in vitro in human and mouse airway epithelial cells and in vivo in mice. We found through several immunological and molecular assays that type II alveolar cells are the primary producers of IFN-λ. Using mouse models, we show that IFN-λ limits lung HMPV replication and restricts virus spread from upper to lower airways but does not contribute to clinical disease. Moreover, we show that IFN-λ signaling is predominantly mediated by CD45- non-immune cells. Mice lacking IFN-λ signaling showed diminished loss of ciliated epithelial cells and decreased recruitment of lung macrophages in early HMPV infection along with higher inflammatory cytokine and interferon-stimulated gene expression, suggesting that IFN-λ may maintain immunomodulatory responses. Administration of IFN-λ for prophylaxis or post-infection treatment in mice reduced viral load without inflammation-driven weight loss or clinical disease. These data offer clinical promise for IFN-λ in HMPV treatment.IMPORTANCEHuman metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a common respiratory pathogen and often contributes to severe disease, particularly in children, immunocompromised people, and the elderly. There are currently no licensed HMPV antiviral treatments or vaccines. Here, we report novel roles of host factor IFN-λ in HMPV disease that highlight therapeutic potential. We show that IFN-λ promotes lung antiviral responses by restricting lung HMPV replication and spread from upper to lower airways but does so without inducing lung immunopathology. Our data uncover recruitment of lung macrophages, regulation of ciliated epithelial cells, and modulation of inflammatory cytokines and interferon-stimulated genes as likely contributors. Moreover, we found these roles to be distinct and non-redundant, as they are not observed with knockout of, or treatment with, type I IFN. These data elucidate unique antiviral functions of IFN-λ and suggest IFN-λ augmentation as a promising therapeutic for treating HMPV disease and promoting effective vaccine responses.

The evaluation of auto insurance risks is a fundamental task for financial institutions, crucial for setting equitable premiums and managing risks effectively. Traditional machine learning algorithms often struggle to capture the intricate relationships necessary for accurate risk assessment. In contrast, deep learning methods, while capable of processing complex data structures, lack the ability to model feature interactions and provide interpretability, which are essential for transparent decision-making in the insurance industry. To address these challenges, we introduce the Actuarial Transformer (AT)–a pioneering model that leverages the self-attention mechanism of the Transformer architecture to meticulously map feature interactions. The AT integrates advanced residual models with tree-based methods, enhancing its predictive accuracy. Additionally, it incorporates the SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) model, which uses Shapley values from cooperative game theory to ensure interpretability and transparency in its risk assessments. Our empirical analysis, conducted on a representative dataset of auto insurance risks, demonstrates the AT’s superior performance in risk prediction. The SHAP analysis further validates the model’s ability to prioritize features logically, providing clear insights into the decision-making process. The AT not only improves the precision of auto insurance risk evaluations but also enhances the interpretability of these evaluations, making it a valuable tool for both industry practitioners and clients.

Abstract Background To investigate the associations between insulin resistance (IR)-related features and cognitive function in type 1 diabetes (T1D). Methods A total of 117 adult patients with T1D were recruited in this cross-sectional study. IR-related features include overweight/obesity/central obesity, hypertension, atherogenic dyslipidemia, and decreased estimated insulin sensitivity (eIS). The Wechsler Memory Scale-Chinese Revision, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and Sustained Attention to Response Task was used to assess memory, executive function and sustained attention, respectively. A z-score was generated from each test, and a composite measure of global cognitive performance was calculated by averaging the z-scores of all tests. Cognitive differences were measured between T1D patients with and without IR-related features. The associations between IR-related features and and cognitive performance were analyzed using: logistic regression, partial correlation, and multivariate linear regression analysis. Results A total of 53 (45.3%) T1D patients were defined as having IR-related features. Individuals with IR-related features displayed worse overall cognitive scores compared to those without and had a 4-fold increase in the risk for having global cognitive z-score

Phages are one of the most diverse and widely distributed organisms on the earth today, and have great advantages in eliminating bacteria, especially multi-drug resistant bacteria that are widespread at present. At present, a variety of bacteriophage products have been well applied in the fields of breeding for food raw materials, farmed animals, foodborne pathogenic bacteria detection, and instant food sterilization. However, the narrow host range and complex interaction mechanism between bacteriophage and host bacteria greatly limit their development as new bacteriostatic agents. The specific binding between bacteriophages and host bacteria depends on the receptor binding proteins on the surface of bacteriophages. Studying the structure, function and mechanism of action of various bacteriophage receptor binding proteins will help in understanding the interaction process between bacteriophage and bacteria. On this basis, phage receptor binding protein modification by genetic engineering and induced culture methods to obtain high-quality broad-spectrum phages has become an important content of phage research. This paper summarizes the current research on different structures of phage receptor binding proteins and various host spectrum expansion schemes in an effort to provide theoretical support for the development and application of bacteriophages in the food industry.

Introduction and objectives: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common devastating complication characterized by an abrupt loss of renal function. It is of great significance to explore promising biomarkers for AKI treatment. Materials and methods: Here, we established LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-induced AKI mice models and LPS-induced AKI mouse renal tubular epithelial cell model. The severity of AKI was determined by the levels of BUN (blood urea nitrogen) and SCr (serum creatinine), the observation of pathological section as well as the renal tubular injury score. The apoptosis was determined by the measurement of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 activities, and cell apoptosis assays. qRT-PCR (quantitative real-time PCR) and western blot revealed that miR-322-5p (microRNA-322-5p) was up-regulated in LPS -induced AKI models while Tbx21 (T-box transcription factor 21) was down-regulated in LPS-induced AKI models. Dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pulldown assays detected the interaction of Tbx21 with miR-322-5p. Results: We found that miR-322-5p was overtly over-expressed in the in vitro LPS-induced AKI model and promoted the apoptosis of AKI mouse renal tubular epithelial cells via inhibiting Tbx21, which suppressed the mitochondrial fission and cell apoptosis through MAPK/ERK (mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-related kinase) pathway. Conclusions: We demonstrated that miR-322-5p promotes LPS-induced mouse AKI by regulating Tbx21/MAPK/ERK axis, which might provide new sights for AKI research. Resumen: Introducción y objetivos: La insuficiencia renal aguda (IRA) es una complicación común devastadora caracterizada por una pérdida abrupta de la función renal. Es de vital importancia explorar biomarcadores prometedores para el tratamiento de la IRA. Materiales y métodos: Establecimos aquí un modelo de ratones con IRA inducido por lipopolisacáridos (LPS) y un modelo de células epiteliales del túbulo renal en ratones. La severidad de IRA fue determinada por los niveles de NUS (nitrógeno ureico en sangre) y SCr (creatinina sérica), la observación de la sección patológica, así como la puntuación del daño renal tubular. La apoptosis fue determinada mediante la medición de las actividades de Caspasa-3 y Caspasa-9, y los ensayos de apoptosis celular. Las pruebas qRT-PCR (PCR cuantitativa en tiempo real) y Western blot revelaron que miR-322-5p (microRNA-322-5p) se incrementaba en los modelos de IRA inducidos por LPS, mientras que Tbx21 (factor 21 de transcripción de T-box) disminuía en los modelos de IRA inducidos por LPS. Los ensayos del reportador de luciferasa dual y de precipitación pulldown de ARN detectaron la interacción entre Tbx21 y miR-322-5p. Resultados: Encontramos que miR-322-5p se hallaba manifiestamente incrementado en el modelo in vitro de IRA inducido por LPS, y promovió la apoptosis de células epiteliales del túbulo renal de IRA en ratones mediante la inhibición de Tbx21, lo cual suprimió la fisión mitocondrial y la apoptosis a través de la vía MAPK/ERK (proteína quinasa activada por mitógeno/quinasa relacionada con la señal extracelular). Conclusiones: Demostramos que miR-322-5p promueve la IRA inducida por LPS en ratones mediante la regulación del eje Tbx21/MAPK/ERK, lo cual podría aportar una percepción nueva para la investigación sobre la IRA.

Impatiens is rich in germplasm resources, with more than 260 species in China. A study on the pollen micromorphology of Impatiens by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the pollen characteristics were richly diverse, and there was some correlation among the characteristics. In addition, the micromorphological index can be used for an effective cluster analysis of Impatiens. However, there was high interspecific similarity in some Impatiens, and the classification of Impatiens cannot be accurate to the species using pollen characteristics. Based on the classification conditions of Impatiens, the characteristics of the pollen structure were found to be useful to classify Impatiens into subgenera or smaller groups. The macroscopic characteristics and the number of sepals (NS) were used as references, which enabled the conclusion that there were 11 indices in the pollen micromorphological index, and the taxonomic effect was greater than the NS. In summary, the pollen micromorphology of Impatiens plays an important role in the classification of Impatiens. The purpose of this study was to explore this characteristic of Impatiens, which has some reference significance to supplement the pollen characteristics and palynological classification of Impatiens. The goal for this research was to aid in the interspecific identification and genetic breeding of Impatiens.

Abstract Adventitious root (AR) formation is critical for cutting survival and nutrient absorption re-establishment. This complex genetic trait involves the interplay of nitrogen, endogenous hormones, and several key genes. In this study, we treated GL-3 apple (Malus domestica) in vitro shoots with nitrate and ammonium to determine their impact on AR formation, hormonal content, and gene expression patterns. Nitrate treatment significantly promotes adventitious rooting by increasing cell division, differentiation, and AR primordia formation compared to ammonium treatment. Elevated indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), reduced abscisic acid, and zeatin riboside concentrations were consistently observed with nitrate, likely crucial for promoting ARs over ammonium. Furthermore, Malus domestica auxin resistance1 (MdAUX1) expression was induced, increasing IAA levels. MdIAA23 was upregulated. Further results indicate that the higher expression levels of Malus domestica WUSCHEL-related Homeobox gene 11 (MdWOX11), Malus domestica lateral organ boundaries domain gene 16 (MdLBD16), and MdLBD29, and increased cell cycle-related gene expressions, contribute to auxin-stimulated adventitious rooting under nitrate conditions. In conclusion, this study establishes that auxin content and associated genes related to root development and cell cycle contribute to superior ARs in response to nitrate.

Abstract Investigating the influencing factors of new‐onset hypertension in the elderly with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). 450 Chinese older patients with OSA who were non‐hypertensive at baseline were enrolled. All patients had undergone polysomnography monitoring in the multicenter study. The primary endpoint was incident hypertension. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was performed, and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were generated to determine the factors influencing new‐onset hypertension. A total of 176 (39.1%) patients developed hypertension. The hypertension group had older age, higher hemoglobin (Hb) level and apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI) values than the non‐hypertension group (all p

Abstract Objective To evaluate subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in obese patients by global myocardial work (MW). Methods A total of 589 obese patients and 100 normal controls were enrolled in the study. The global longitudinal strain (GLS), global work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), global wasted work (GWW) and global work efficiency (GWE) were generated by a noninvasive pressure-strain loop (PSL) in apical 3-, 4- and 2-chamber views acquired by two-dimensional echocardiography. All obese patients were divided into three groups: class I obesity (mild) 30–35 kg/m2, class II obesity (moderate) 35–40 kg/m2 and class III obesity (severe) > 40 kg/m2. These values were compared among the three groups. The independent influencing factors of subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in obese patients were explored by constructing a multiple regression model. ROC analysis was performed to determine the performance of MW to detect subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in obese patients. Results The absolute value of GLS in obese patients was significantly lower than that in normal controls (P

PURPOSETo investigate the value of clinical characteristics and radiological features for predicting spread through air spaces (STAS) in patients with clinical stage IA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).METHODSA total of 336 patients with NSCLC from our hospital were randomly divided into two groups, i.e., the training cohort (n = 236) and the internal validation cohort (n = 100) (7:3 ratio). Furthermore, 69 patients from two other hospitals were collected as the external validation cohort. Eight clinical patient characteristics were recorded, and 20 tumor radiological features were quantitatively measured and qualitatively analyzed. In the training cohort, the differences in clinical characteristics and radiological features were compared using univariate and multivariate analysis. A nomogram was created, and the predictive efficacy of the model was evaluated in the validation cohorts. The receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUC) value were used to evaluate the discriminative ability of the model. In addition, the Hosmer–Lemeshow test and calibration curve were used to evaluate the goodness-of-fit of the model, and the decision curve was used to analyze the model’s clinical application value.RESULTSThe best predictors included gender, the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), consolidation-to-tumor ratio (CTR), density type, and distal ribbon sign. Among these, the tumor density type [odds ratio (OR): 6.738] and distal ribbon sign (OR: 5.141) were independent risk factors for predicting the STAS status. Moreover, three different STAS prediction models were constructed, i.e., a clinical, radiological, and combined model. The clinical model comprised gender and the CEA, the radiological model included the CTR, density type, and distal ribbon sign, and the combined model comprised the above two models. A DeLong test results revealed that the combined model was superior to the clinical model in all three cohorts and superior to the radiological model in the external validation cohort; the cohort AUC values were 0.874, 0.822, and 0.810, respectively. The results also showed that the combined model had the highest diagnostic efficacy among the models. The Hosmer–Lemeshow test showed that the combined model showed a good fit in all three cohorts, and the calibration curve showed that the predicted probability value of the combined model was in good agreement with the actual STAS status. Finally, the decision curve showed that the combined model had a better clinical application value than the clinical and radiological models.CONCLUSIONThe nomogram created in this study, based on clinical characteristics and radiological features, has a high diagnostic efficiency for predicting the STAS status in patients with clinical stage IA NSCLC and may support the creation of personalized treatment strategies before surgery.

Several studies have been devoted to seeking some beneficial plant-related microorganisms for a long time, and on this basis, it has been found that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have a considerable positive impact on plant health as a biological fungal agent. In this study, we focused on the effects of different AMF on the growth dynamics and root configuration of licorice under saline and alkali conditions. The metabolites of licorice under different AMF were assessed using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Funneliformis mosseae (Fm) and Rhizophagus intraradices (Ri) were added as different AMF treatments, while the sterilized saline–alkali soil was treated as a control. Samples were taken in the R1 period (15 d after AMF treatment) and the R2 period (45 d after AMF treatment). The results showed that the application of AMF significantly increased the root growth of licorice and significantly increased the biomass of both shoot and root. A total of 978 metabolites were detected and divided into 12 groups including lipids, which accounted for 15.44%; organic acids and their derivatives, at 5.83%; benzene compounds and organic heterocyclic compounds, at 5.42%; organic oxides, at 3.78%; and ketones, accounting for 3.17%. Compared with the control, there were significant changes in the differential metabolites with treatment inoculated with AMF; the metabolic pathways and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites were the main differential metabolite enrichment pathways in the R1 period, and those in the R2 period were microbial metabolism in diverse environments and the degradation of aromatic compounds. In conclusion, the use of AMF as biofertilizer can effectively improve the growth of licorice, especially in terms of the root development and metabolites, in saline–alkali soil conditions.

To investigate effective techniques for estimating rice production in hilly and mountainous areas, in this study, we collected yield data at the field level, agro-meteorological data, and Sentinel-2/MSI remote sensing data in Chongqing, China, between 2020 and 2023. The integral values of vegetation indicators from the rice greening up to heading–filling stages were determined using the Newton–trapezoidal integration method. Using correlation analysis and importance analysis of permutation features, the effects of agro-meteorological variables and vegetation index integrals on rice yield were assessed. The chosen characteristics were then combined with three machine learning techniques—random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and partial least squares regression (PLSR)—to create six rice yield estimate models. The results showed that combined vegetation indices were more effective than indices used in separate development phases. Specifically, the correlation coefficients between the integral values of eight vegetation indices from rice greening up to heading–filling stages and rice yield were all above 0.65. By introducing agro-meteorological factors as new independent variables and combining them with vegetation indices as input parameters, the predictive capability of the model was evaluated. The results showed that the performance of PLSR remained stable, while the prediction accuracies of SVM and RF improved by 13% to 21.5%. After feature selection, the inversion performance of all three machine learning models improved, with the RF model coupled with variables selected during permutation feature importance analysis achieving the optimal inversion effect, which was characterized by a coefficient of determination of 0.85, a root mean square error of 529.1 kg/hm2, and a mean relative error of 5.63%. This study provides technical support for improving the accuracy of remote sensing-based crop yield estimation in hilly and mountainous regions, facilitating precise agricultural management and informing agrarian decision making.

In the rapidly evolving online marketplace, accurately predicting the demand for pre-owned items presents a significant challenge for sellers, impacting pricing strategies, product presentation, and marketing investments. Traditional demand prediction methods, while foundational, often fall short in addressing the dynamic and heterogeneous nature of e-commerce data, which encompasses textual descriptions, visual elements, geographic contexts, and temporal dynamics. This paper introduces a novel approach utilizing the Graph Neural Network (GNN) to enhance demand prediction accuracy by leveraging the spatial relationships inherent in online sales data, named SGNN. Drawing from the rich dataset provided in the fourth Kaggle competition, we construct a spatially aware graph representation of the marketplace, integrating advanced attention mechanisms to refine predictive accuracy. Our methodology defines the product demand prediction problem as a regression task on an attributed graph, capturing both local and global spatial dependencies that are fundamental to accurate predicting. Through attention-aware message propagation and node-level demand prediction, our model effectively addresses the multifaceted challenges of e-commerce demand prediction, demonstrating superior performance over traditional statistical methods, machine learning techniques, and even deep learning models. The experimental findings validate the effectiveness of our GNN-based approach, offering actionable insights for sellers navigating the complexities of the online marketplace. This research not only contributes to the academic discourse on e-commerce demand prediction but also provides a scalable and adaptable framework for future applications, paving the way for more informed and effective online sales strategies.

By concurrently manipulating the degrees of freedom associated with polarization and orbital angular momentum (OAM), a variety of vector fields can be generated, which exhibit unique characteristics and have found extensive application in both classical and quantum optics. However, the OAM dimensions in these fields have been predominantly confined to two. Different from high-order OAM with a large topological charge, broadening the OAM dimensions beyond this limit and generating OAM spectra with multiple OAM modes can significantly enhance the scope of research. In this study, we explore vector fields with OAM dimensions exceeding ten, achieving polarization-controlled spectra in higher-dimensional OAM. Our findings not only offer a method for controlling high-dimensional OAM through polarization but also pave the way for potential applications in both classical and quantum realms utilizing high-dimensional vector states.

IntroductionOver the past decade, Corynebacterium striatum (C. striatum), an emerging multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogen, has significantly challenged healthcare settings, especially those involving individuals with weakened immune systems. The rise of these superbugs necessitates innovative solutions.MethodsThis study aimed to isolate and characterize bacteriophages targeting MDR-C. striatum. Utilizing 54 MDR-C. striatum isolates from a local hospital as target strains, samples were collected from restroom puddles for phage screening. Dot Plaque and Double-layer plate Assays were employed for screening.ResultsA novel temperate bacteriophage, named CSP1, was identified through a series of procedures, including purification, genome extraction, sequencing, and one-step growth curves. CSP1 possesses a 39,752 base pair circular double-stranded DNA genome with HK97-like structural proteins and potential for site-specific recombination. It represents a new species within the unclassified Caudoviricetes class, as supported by transmission electron microscopy, genomic evolutionary analysis, and collinearity studies. Notably, CSP1 infected and lysed 21 clinical MDR-C. striatum isolates, demonstrating a wide host range. The phage remained stable in conditions ranging from -40 to 55°C, pH 4 to 12, and in 0.9% NaCl buffer, showing no cytotoxicity.DiscussionThe identification of CSP1 as the first phage targeting clinical C. striatum strains opens new possibilities in bacteriophage therapy research, and the development of diagnostic and therapeutic tools against pathogenic bacteria.

Background: Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma (ATC) is a rare and deadly malignant tumor in humans. It is prone to developing resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Molecular targeted therapy offers a novel way to treat ATC. The BRAF mutation is closely associated with many cancers, including thyroid carcinoma. Vemurafenib, a small-molecule inhibitor, is specifically designed to target the mutant serine/threonine kinase BRAF. The objective of this study is to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms underlying the effects of vemurafenib on human anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cell line FRO and to assess its potential therapeutic role. Methods: The effects of vemurafenib on the proliferation of FRO cells were assessed by the CCK-8 method and Colony-forming assay. Transwell chambers and scratch tests were employed to examine the impact of vemurafenib on the invasion and migration of FRO cells. Apoptosis and cycle distribution of FRO cells were analyzed by tunel assay and flow cytometry. The effects of vemurafenib on the expression of BRAF-activated non-protein coding RNA (BANCR), Bax, Bcl2, and E-cadherin were evaluated by qRT-PCR. Furthermore, the effects of vemurafenib on the expression of phosphoinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/phosphoinositol-3-kinase (AKT) pathway-related proteins, BRAF, CyclinD1, Bcl-2, Bax, and E-cadherin proteins in FRO cells were investigated through the western-blot method. All experiments were conducted in three replicates. Results: Vemurafenib was observed to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner (P

Abstract Objective The research was aimed to evaluate the subclinical left ventricular (LV) myocardial systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients with or without hypertension (HT) by global and segmental myocardial work (MW). Methods A total of 120 T2DM patients (including 60 T2DM patients with HT) and 70 sex- and age- matched normal controls were included. The global and segmental variables of work index (WI), constrictive work (CW), waste work (WW), work efficiency (WE), and CW/WW were analysed by non-invasive pressure-strain loop. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed for detection the subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in T2DM patients with and without HT. Results The global work index (GWI), global CW (GCW), global WE (GWE), and GCW/global WW (GWW) of T2DM and T2DM patients with HT were significantly lower than normal controls (p

Single Side Band (SSB) direct detection system is considered as an attractive solution for 80 km Data Center Interconnects (DCI), due to its characteristics of low-cost, simple system architecture, and high robustness to chromatic dispersion. However, Signal to Signal Beating Interference (SSBI) is the major problem in SSB direct detection system. In order to address the SSBI in the SSB direct detection systems, the SSB modulation realized by IQ modulator and Dual Drive Mach Zehnder Modulator (DDMZM) is investigated. A SSB signal reconstruction algorithm based on time domain iteration and an SSBI-free direct detection scheme based on DDMZM are proposed respectively for these two SSB direct detection systems. The implementation principle and simulation or experimental setup are introduced in detail. According to the simulation and experimental results, the effectiveness and feasibility of the two schemes in SSBI elimination are discussed.

Abstract Background The evidence of breast-conserving therapy (BCT) applied in centrally located breast cancer (CLBC) is absent. This study aims to investigate the long-term survival of breast-conserving therapy (BCT) in centrally located breast cancer (CLBC) compared with mastectomy in CLBC and BCT in non-CLBC. Methods Two hundred ten thousand four hundred nine women with unilateral T1-2 breast cancer undergoing BCT or mastectomy were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were assessed via log-rank test. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance baseline features, and the multivariable Cox model was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio [HR] and its 95% confidence interval [CI] for breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS). Results With a median follow-up of 91 months, the BCSS and OS rates in patients who received BCT were greater than those patients treated with mastectomy in the entire CLBC set. Multivariable Cox analyses showed that CLBC patients who received BCT had better BCSS (HR = 0.67, 95%CI: 0.55–0.80, p

PURPOSETo assess the quantification accuracy of pulmonary nodules using virtual monoenergetic images (VMIs) derived from spectral-detector computed tomography (CT) under an ultra-low-dose scan protocol.METHODSA chest phantom consisting of 12 pulmonary nodules was scanned using spectral-detector CT at 100 kVp/10 mAs, 100 kVp/20 mAs, 120 kVp/10 mAs, and 120 kVp/30 mAs. Each scanning protocol was repeated three times. Each CT scan was reconstructed utilizing filtered back projection, hybrid iterative reconstruction, iterative model reconstruction (IMR), and VMIs of 40–100 keV. The signal-to-noise ratio and air noise of images, absolute differences, and absolute percentage measurement errors (APEs) of the diameter, density, and volume of the four scan protocols and ten reconstruction images were compared.RESULTSWith each fixed reconstruction image, the four scanning protocols exhibited no significant differences in APEs for diameter and density (all P > 0.05). Of the four scan protocols and ten reconstruction images, APEs for nodule volume had no significant differences (all P > 0.05). At 100 kVp/10 mAs, APEs for density using IMR were the lowest (APE-mean: 6.69), but no significant difference was detected between VMIs at 50 keV (APE-mean: 11.69) and IMR (P = 0.666). In the subgroup analysis, at 100 kVp/10 mAs, there were no significant differences between VMIs at 50 keV and IMR in diameter and density (all P > 0.05). The radiation dose at 100 kVp/10 mAs was reduced by 77.8% compared with that at 120 kVp/30 mAs.CONCLUSIONCompared with IMR, reconstruction at 100 kVp/10 mAs and 50 keV provides a more accurate quantification of pulmonary nodules, and the radiation dose is reduced by 77.8% compared with that at 120 kVp/30 mAs, demonstrating great potential for ultra-low-dose spectral-detector CT.

The main goals of rice breeding nowadays include increasing yield, improving grain quality, and promoting complete mechanized production to save labor costs. Rice grain shape, specified by three dimensions, including grain length, width and thickness, has a more precise meaning than grain size, contributing to grain appearance quality as well as grain weight and thus yield. Furthermore, the divergence of grain shape characters could be utilized in mechanical seed sorting in hybrid rice breeding systems, which has been succeeded in utilizing heterosis to achieve substantial increase in rice yield in the past decades. Several signaling pathways that regulate rice grain shape have been elucidated, including G protein signaling, ubiquitination-related pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, phytohormone biosynthesis and signaling, microRNA process, and some other transcriptional regulatory pathways and regulators. This review summarized the recent progress on molecular mechanisms underlying rice grain shape determination and the potential of major genes in future breeding applications.

Abstract Mortality from non cancer causes in patients with gallbladder cancer (GBC) still unclear. This study evaluated the causes and risk factors of non cancer death during different follow-up periods after GBC diagnosis. Non cancer causes of death for GBC patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2017 in Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database were analyzed and standardized mortality rates (SMR) for each non cancer death were calculated. Predictors for non cancer death were identified through multivariate competing risk analysis. A total 11,927 GBC patients were identified for further analysis, 9393 died during follow up. The largest proportion of non cancer deaths occurred > 3 years after diagnosis (39.4%). Most common non cancer cause were cardiovascular disease (43.3%), followed by other cause of death (34.4%) and infectious diseases (8.6%). Compared with US general population, GBC patients has higher risk of death from disease of heart (SMR, 1.58; 95%CI, 1.41–1.75), septicemia (SMR,3.21; 95%CI, 2.27–4.40), diabetes mellitus (SMR,1.97; 95%CI, 1.43–2.63), alone with other causes. Non cancer causes accounted for a significant proportion of deaths during the follow-up period after GBC diagnosis. The risk of non cancer death is higher in GBC patients than in the general population. Our study provides comprehensive assessment of death from non cancer cause in GBC patients, which has important implications for health management in GBC patients.

Abstract Background Although radiotherapy has improved local control in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), a considerable number of patients still experience relapse due to resistance. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of cetuximab on radiosensitivity in two ESCC cell lines (ECA109 and TE‐13) and to investigate their underlying mechanisms. Methods Cells were pretreated with or without cetuximab before irradiation. The MTT assay and clonogenic survival assay were performed to evaluate cell viability and radiosensitivity. Flow cytometry was performed to analyze cell cycle distribution and apoptosis. The γH2AX foci were counted to determine cellular DNA‐repairing capacity via immunofluorescence assay. The phosphorylation of key molecules involved in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway and DNA double‐strand break (DSB) repair were measured by western blot. Results Cetuximab alone was not sufficient to suppress cell viability, but significantly enhanced radiation‐induced inhibition of clonogenic survival in ECA109 and TE‐13. The radiation sensitivity enhancement ratio (SER) was 1.341 and 1.237 for ECA109 and TE‐13, respectively. ESCC cells treated with cetuximab were arrested at the G2/M phase in response to radiation. No significant increase in apoptotic rate was observed in irradiated cells that were treated with cetuximab. The average number of γH2AX foci increased in the combination group (cetuximab and radiation). Cetuximab suppressed phosphorylation of EGFR and downstream ERK, but had no significant effect on AKT. Conclusions These results indicate the potential for use of cetuximab as an effective radiosensitizer in ESCC. Cetuximab promotes G2/M cycle arrest and reduces DSB repair, as well as inhibiting EGFR and downstream ERK pathways in ESCC.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of applying arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on maize root growth and yield formation under different soil conditions. This study was conducted under sandy soil (S) and saline–alkali soil (Y), with treatments of AMF application (AM) and no AMF application (CK). The root characteristics, yield, and quality of maize were measured. High-throughput sequencing technology was employed to assess the impact of AMF on the soil microbial community structure, and the correlation between soil microbes and soil physicochemical properties was elucidated. The results show that under both sandy and saline–alkali soil conditions, AMF application significantly enhanced maize root growth, yield, grain quality, and soil available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) contents compared to the CK treatment. Soil microbial Alpha diversity analysis indicated that AMF application effectively increased soil microbial diversity and richness. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and microbial community structure analysis revealed significant differences in bacterial communities between AM treatment in sandy soil (SAM) and CK in sandy soil (SCK), and significant differences in both bacterial and fungal communities between AM treatment in saline–alkali soil (YAM) and CK in saline–alkali soil (YCK). Furthermore, significant correlations between microbial communities and soil physicochemical properties were found, such as AN, AP, AK, soil salinity (SS), and organic matter (OM) content. AMF application had a greater impact on bacterial communities than on fungal communities. This study demonstrated that the use of AMF as a bio-fungal fertilizer was effective in improving spring maize yields, especially in terms of yield increase and quality stability in sandy and saline soils, thereby contributing to safe and sustainable cropping practices.