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Background: There is a significant association between work values and burnout. However, most studies have tended to focus on a single influencing factor or rely only on total scale scores to assess nurses' work values, lacking a comprehensive consideration of differences within groups of nurses. As a result, the specific relationship between different work value patterns and burnout has not been clarified. Objective: This study aimed to identify Chinese nurses' patterns of work values, analyze the sociodemographic differences between these patterns, and explore the associations between these patterns and burnout. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A total of 550 nurses were recruited for this study via convenience sampling, 505 of whom completed the survey. A pattern of nurses' work values was identified through a latent profile analysis of 30 items on the nurses' work values scale. The relationships between nurses' work value patterns and sociodemographic variables were subsequently explored via bivariate analysis and multiple logistic regression analyses. Moreover, ANOVA was used to assess the associations between different latent profile work value patterns and nurse burnout. Results: A total of three nurse work value patterns were identified: demand support (16.6%, n = 84), intrinsically driven (42.2%, n = 213), and overall identification (41.2%, n = 208). Age and marital status, such as being married, were the main predictors of demand support patterns. In contrast, years of working experience, a higher education level (a bachelor's or master's degree), and having a career establishment were predictors of intrinsically driven and overall identification patterns. In addition, the analyses revealed significant differences in burnout among nurses with different work value patterns. Conclusion: This study provides new perspectives for understanding the work motivation and stressors of the nurse population, revealing significant differences in coping with burnout among nurses with different work value patterns. This finding not only provides an important reference for subsequent research but also provides a strong basis for developing interventions for nurse burnout. Clinical trial number: Not applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Small gastric subepithelial tumors (SETs) in the stomach can be managed through surveillance or resection. However, it is still controversial how often the lesion would progress if left untreated. This study aimed to evaluate the progression rate of small SETs and identify risk factors influencing tumor growth. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched for relevant studies until March 2023. Patient information, endoscopic features of SETs, and surveillance information were extracted from each included study. A random-effects model was applied along with subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Results: Based on 14 studies with 5405 SETs smaller than 3.5 cm, the annual incidence of size increase was 4.0 (95%CI 2.2–5.8) per 100 person-years, and the overall incidence was 12.8% (95%CI 8.3%–17.3%) across a surveillance duration of 51.3 ± 16.9 months. The predicted risk factors for tumor growth included ≥ 1 cm lesion size (1–2 cm vs. < 1 cm, OR 2.61, 95%CI 1.80–3.79; and > 2 cm vs. 1–2 cm, OR 1.25, 95%CI 0.87–1.81), origin in the muscularis propria (OR 2.09, 95%CI 1.41–3.10), mucosal change (OR 3.27, 95%CI 1.95–5.50), irregular margin (OR 3.16, 95%CI 1.15–8.69), and hypoechoic pattern (OR 3.06, 95%CI 1.34–7.00). Conclusions: Most small gastric SETs, particularly those smaller than 1 cm, did not increase in size during surveillance. Special attention should be given to lesions larger than 1 cm, originating from the muscularis propria, or exhibiting mucosal change, irregular margin, and hypoechoic pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are highly promising due to their exceptional electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, and thermal properties. Currently, the floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD) method is a common approach for large-scale production of SWCNTs. However, the purity and quality of SWCNTs obtained by this method are insufficient, and the electrical properties of the samples are poorly controllable. The coexistence of metallic single-walled carbon nanotubes (m-SWCNTs) and semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) limits further applications. To achieve continuous growth of high-quality, high-purity SWCNTs with a controllable electrical property, this paper proposes a method that involves placing a plug to retain SWCNTs in the high-temperature zone for sustained growth and applying an electric field to selectively grow SWCNTs with a single electrical property, ultimately resulting in high-purity semiconducting-enriched SWCNTs. We systematically analyze the purity of SWCNTs and the proportion of s-SWCNTs using optical images, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. This work provides a solution for the large-scale production of high-quality, high-purity SWCNTs and is expected to accelerate the industrial application of SWCNTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical control is currently the main strategy for managing brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål). However, chemical pesticides can harm nontarget species, including natural enemies of H. halys. Pesticides with high toxicity to H. halys and low toxicity to its parasitoids need to be identified to support H. halys management.This is not only for natural biological control but also for preemptive classical biological control of H. halys by parasitoids. Here, we assessed the contact toxicity of residues of eight insecticides against H. halys and three of its main parasitoid species (Anastatus japonicus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), Trissolcus japonicus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), Trissolcus cultratus Mayr (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae)). This study aims to provide valuable insights for preemptive classical biological control of H. halys using these parasitoids. Our results showed that A. japonicus exhibited higher tolerance to the tested pesticides, while T. japonicus was the most sensitive species. Among the pesticides, chlorantraniliprole had the lowest overall impact on all three parasitoid species. Additionally, acetamiprid, azadirachtin, and rotenone were found to be harmless to A. japonicus. Acetamiprid, however, was slightly harmful to T. cultratus. The remaining pesticides showed moderate to significant harmful effects on the parasitoids. For H. halys adults and fifth instars, the pesticides tested caused no mortality within the 24 h exposure. However, young nymphs were susceptible to the tested pesticides. Fenpropathrin had the highest toxicity to H. halys, killing 83.3%, 52.8%, and 19.4% of second, third, and fourth instars in a 24 h exposure. Fenpropathrin, acetamiprid, cyfluthrin, azadirachtin, and dinotefuran were all slightly harmful to the first instar nymphs. The other pesticides were harmless to H. halys in a 24 h exposure. Halyomorpha halys mortality increased with the contact time with the residue. Mortality of fourth and fifth instars of H. halys was >70% for fenpropathrin, cyfluthrin, dinotefuran, abamectin-aminomethyl, and acetamiprid if exposure continued for 7 d. Acetamiprid was effective in controlling H. halys nymphs but exhibited varying levels of toxicity towards the three tested parasitoid species, depending on the residue age and exposure time. Azadirachtin showed lower overall toxicity to beneficial insects, suggesting that these materials could be used to manage H. halys while minimizing harm to key beneficial species. Graphical Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that the communication cost of quantum broadcast channel simulation under free entanglement assistance between the sender and the receivers is asymptotically characterized by an efficiently computable single-letter formula in terms of the channel’s multipartite mutual information. Our core contribution is a new one-shot achievability result for multipartite quantum state splitting via multipartite convex splitting. As part of this, we face a general instance of the quantum joint typicality problem with arbitrarily overlapping marginals. The crucial technical ingredient to sidestep this difficulty is a conceptually novel multipartite mean-zero decomposition lemma, together with employing recently introduced complex interpolation techniques for sandwiched Rényi divergences. Moreover, we establish an exponential convergence of the simulation error when the communication costs are within the interior of the capacity region. As the costs approach the boundary of the capacity region moderately quickly, we show that the error still vanishes asymptotically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ningxia region in Northwest China, a significant grain-producing area, heavily relies on the Yellow River for agricultural irrigation. Maintaining the ecological health of the Yellow River is crucial due to its role as the primary water source. This research comprehensively assessed heavy metal (HM) levels in surface water and sediments within the Ningxia section of the Yellow River basin. It specifically examined the concentrations of Sr, Zn, Mn, Cu, As, Cd, Cr, Co, Sb, Pb, Tl, Ni, and Hg, detailing their spatial distribution and associated risks. Sources of pollution were identified, and their relationships were explored using statistical analysis and positive matrix factorization (PMF). The risk assessment results indicated elevated pollution levels of Tl and slight pollution of Hg in surface water. Integrated Nemerow Pollution Index (PN) calculations revealed that 18% and 20% of surface water samples exhibited pollution during the wet and dry seasons, respectively. In sediments, mean concentrations of Mn, As, Ni, Cr, Zn, Cu, Cd, Sr, Co, Sb, and Tl exceeded background levels, with Mn being the highest. Sediments exhibited low to moderate HM pollution, with higher concentrations found in northern Ningxia's irrigated areas. Major sources of HM pollution included agriculture, traffic emissions, and natural sources. Overall, this study provides essential data to improve water resource management and mitigate HM pollution in the Ningxia section of the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic hydrocracking of plastics is one of the appealing strategies for converting waste plastics into high-value chemicals and fuels, featuring environmental friendliness and economy. Zeolites are considered to be promising catalysts for plastic hydrocracking. But there is still a distance from practical applications due to obstacles, such as the unsatisfactory catalytic efficiency and unclear influences of the active sites of zeolites on the catalytic performance. Herein, we synthesized a series of Al-MCM-41 catalysts with regulable specific surface area, pore size, and acidity by a sol–gel method, which were used for catalytic hydrocracking of polypropylene (PP) to clarify the structure–performance relationship. The results showed that the specific surface area and pore size of the zeolite were positively correlated with the catalytic performance of PP hydrocracking. Additionally, it was found that the acidity of the zeolite exhibited a peak distribution. Al-MCM-41 has a high liquid fuel yield (70.23%) at a lower hydrocracking temperature (220 °C) and is an efficient catalyst for PP hydrocracking. Furthermore, it was observed that zeolites with larger pore size and specific surface area can prolong the life of zeolites. The research can give a better understanding of how to design higher-performance and long-life catalysts for chemical upcycling of waste plastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atherosclerosis serves as the fundamental pathology for a variety of cardiovascular disorders, with its pathogenesis being closely tied to the complex interplay among lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Wogonoside is a natural flavonoid extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis with a variety of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, and cardiac function improvement properties. Despite these known effects, the specific role of wogonoside in the context of atherosclerosis remains to be elucidated. Purpose: To validate the efficacy of wogonoside in the treatment of atherosclerosis and to investigate its possible therapeutic mechanisms. Methods: Network pharmacology was used to obtain the core targets and signaling pathways that may be efficacious in the treatment of atherosclerosis with wogonoside, which were validated using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. To further validate the core targets in the signaling pathway, we performed in vivo experiments using apolipoprotein E (ApoE)-/- mice. This included pathological morphology and lipid deposition analysis of mouse aorta, serum lipid level analysis, Elisa analysis, oxidative stress analysis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) fluorescence assay, immunohistochemical analysis and protein blot analysis. Results: Predictions were obtained that wogonoside treatment of atherosclerosis has 31 core targets, which are mainly focused on pathways such as Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway and NF-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations showed that wogonoside has good binding properties to the core targets. In vivo experimental results showed that wogonoside significantly inhibited aortic inflammatory response and lipid deposition, significantly reduced the release levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), oxidized low density (ox-LDL) and free fatty acid (FFA), and significantly inhibited the release of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and oxidative stress in ApoE-/- mice. Further molecular mechanism studies showed that wogonoside significantly inhibited the activation of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in ApoE-/- mice. Conclusion: Wogonoside may be an effective drug monomer for the treatment of atherosclerosis, and its mechanism of action is closely related to the inhibition of the activation of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to explore the clinical and pathological features of patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD), with and without non-diabetic kidney disease (NDKD), through a retrospective analysis. The objective was to provide clinical insights for accurate identification. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 235 patients admitted to the Department of Nephrology at Hangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine was conducted between July 2014 and December 2022. These patients underwent renal biopsy and received a pathology-based diagnosis of DKD. They were categorized into the DKD alone group (93 cases) and the DKD + NDKD group (142 cases). Results: In the DKD alone group, gender distribution was even, with ages mainly between 50 and 59 years, and a disease duration of less than 5 years, primarily presenting nodular diabetic glomerulosclerosis. In contrast, the DKD + NDKD group had a higher male incidence, a wider age range, longer disease duration, and prevalent diffuse diabetic glomerulosclerosis. Acute and chronic tubulointerstitial lesions and IgA nephropathy were the predominant types of combined NDKD, accounting for 40.14% and 35.21%, respectively. Clinical correlation analysis revealed associations between glomerular grading, tubulointerstitial lesions, renal arteriolar vitelliform lesions, renal vascular atherosclerosis, and clinical parameters such as 24-hour urine protein, hemoglobin, and urinary specific gravity. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis identified independent factors affecting DKD + NDKD, including body mass index, blood creatinine level, microscopic erythrocyte grade, urinary immunoglobulin G/creatinine ratio, and serum immunoglobulin A. Conclusion: The research underscores distinctions in age, gender distribution, disease duration, and renal pathology between DKD alone and DKD + NDKD groups. Additionally, significant discriminative factors including BMI, blood creatinine level, microscopic erythrocyte grade, UIgG/urine creatinine ratio, and serum IgA levels help differentiate DKD from NDKD, thereby enabling personalized treatment approaches. Furthermore, the study highlights the role of RASi as the most commonly used drug in the treatment of both DKD and NDKD, with emerging drugs such as SGLT2 inhibitors showing promising renal protective effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization poses a significant ecological and environmental challenge both in China and across the globe. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) enhance plants' resilience against biotic and abiotic stresses, thereby playing a vital role in soil improvement and vegetation restoration efforts. PGPR assist plants in thriving under salt stress by modifying plant physiology, enhancing nutrient absorption, and synthesizing plant hormones. However, the mechanisms through which PGPR regulate the contents of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), and biomass allocation of desert plant in response to salt stress is still unclear. This study explores the impact of PGPR on biomass allocation, C, and N contents of R. soongorica seedlings through a pot experiment. Strains P6, N20, and N21, identified as Enterobacter , were isolated from the rhizosphere of R. soongorica , and they exhibited various beneficial traits such as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, phosphate solubilization, nitrogen fixation, and tolerance to up to 8% NaCl stress. We found that under NaCl stress, R. soongorica seedlings exhibit significant reductions in plant height, basal diameter, and root surface area (P <0.05). However, inoculation with strains P6, N20, and N21 reverses these trends. Compared to NaCl treatment alone, co-treatment with these strains significantly increases the biomass of roots, stems, and leaves, particularly root biomass, which increases by 99.88%, 85.55%, and 141.76%, respectively (P <0.05). Moreover, N contents decrease significantly in the roots, stems and leaves, C contents increase significantly in the roots and leaves compared to NaCl treatment (P< 0.05). Specifically, N contents in roots decrease by 14.50%, 12.47%, and 8.60%, while C contents in leaves increase by 4.96%, 4.45%, and 4.94%, respectively (P <0.05). Additionally, stem and leaf biomasses exhibit a significant positive correlation with C contents and a significant negative correlation with N contents in these tissues. In conclusion, inoculation of Enterobacter strains enhanced the biomass of R. soongorica seedlings, regulated the biomass distribution, and modifies C and N contents to promote plant growth and improve salt stress tolerance. This study provides a novel adaptive strategy for the integrated use of PGPR and halophytes in saline-alkali soil improvement and vegetation restoration efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain-inspired neuromorphic computing systems fueled the emergence of memristor-based artificial synapses, however, conventional silicon-based devices restricted their usage in the wearable field because of their difficulty in bending. To tackle the above challenge, a vertically structured flexible memristor with aluminum-based hydroquinone organic–inorganic hybrid film and Al2O3 as the functional layer, ITO and Pt as the bottom and top electrodes, and PET as the substrate has been developed utilizing molecular/atomic layer deposition to achieve a tradeoff between the resistive transition properties and the flexibility of memristors. The obtained devices combine stable resistive switching behavior and flexibility, showing high switching ratio of 103, better retention (up to 105 s) and endurance properties (up to 104 cycles), and robustness at radius of curvature of 4.5 mm after 104 bending cycles. Furthermore, the presence of multilevel resistive states in these devices ensures that the memristor can emulate synaptic properties such as paired-pulse facilitation, transition from short-term plasticity to long-term plasticity, long-term potentiation and depression, and spike-time-dependent plasticity. The resistive switching mechanism and the role of the bending state on the electrical performance of the device are explored. The fully connected artificial neural network based on the memristor can achieve a recognition accuracy of 90.2% for handwritten digits after training and learning. Flexible memristor will bring feasible advances to the integration of neuromorphic computing and wearable functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor materials, such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), demonstrate considerable potential for optoelectronic applications, largely due to their atomic thickness, tunable bandgap, and capacity for heterostructure integration. Nevertheless, the development of 2D photodetectors that can achieve high responsivity, a fast response time, and long-term stability remains a significant challenge. The present study is a systematic investigation of the effects of top and bottom encapsulation with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) on the performance and stability of 2D photodetectors. By employing a dry transfer process to fabricate a high-quality h-BN/MoS2/h-BN structure, we provide effective protection against environmental degradation. The encapsulated devices exhibited a responsivity increase of one to two orders of magnitude under 532 nm laser illumination, in comparison to those without encapsulation. Additionally, the rise and decay times were markedly reduced, by approximately two orders of magnitude, from 0.538 and 3.43 ms to 23.1 and 99.6 μs, respectively. Moreover, the devices demonstrated sustained performance over a 60-day storage period, with response times remaining faster than pre-encapsulation levels. This study highlights the potential of h-BN encapsulation for enhancing both the performance and stability of 2D photodetectors, advancing the development of more reliable optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To analyze the in vitro yeast-phase drug susceptibility testing of 82 Talaromyces marneffei (TM) strains isolated at Yunnan Infectious Disease Hospital and their association with patient therapeutic outcomes. The study aims to investigate the antifungal resistance breakpoint for TM through in vitro susceptibility tests, evaluate the stability of the susceptibility testing methods, and assess the correlation between in vitro susceptibility test results and different clinical outcomes in HIV/AIDS patients with TM. This research provides a theoretical basis for the clinical selection of highly effective and low-toxicity antifungal drugs in treating HIV/AIDS with TM infection and aims to improve the clinical treatment quality. Methods Clinical data from 82 HIV/AIDS patients co-infected with TM from 2017 to 2021 were retrospectively collected. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of TM strains from these patients was tested using the microdilution method at Yunnan Provincial Infectious Disease Hospital. Patients were divided into two groups based on therapeutic outcomes: good and poor. Statistical analyses were performed on epidemiological data, clinical characteristics, laboratory data, and treatment regimens between the two groups. Correlations between different MIC results and therapeutic outcomes were analyzed, and independent risk factors affecting prognosis were identified using multivariate logistic regression. The predictive value of the diagnostic indicators was assessed using the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves. Results Clinical efficacy: Out of the 82 patients, 38 had good outcomes and 44 had poor outcomes. Univariate analysis showed statistically significant differences (P<0.05) in abnormal imaging features, CD4+T lymphocyte count, duration of antifungal therapy, white blood cell (WBC) count, total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), and use of itraconazole. Patients who received itraconazole had better outcomes, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). In vitro susceptibility testing: MICs for 82 TM strains were <4 to 4 mg/L for 5-fluorocytosine, <0.5 to 0.5 mg/L for amphotericin B, <1 to 8 mg/L for fluconazole, <0.125 mg/L for itraconazole, and <0.06 to 0.06 mg/L for voriconazole. There were no statistical differences in efficacy among patients with different susceptibility results for the same drug. Prognostic model: A significantly reduced CD4+T cell count was an independent risk factor for poor TM treatment outcomes, with a ROC curve area under the curve (AUC) of 0.983 (95%CI: 0.963-1.000), specificity of 0.955, and sensitivity of 0.919. Conclusion The tested TM strains showed good sensitivity to all five antifungal drugs. Sequential treatment with itraconazole can improve patient prognosis, and CD4+T cell count is an independent risk factor affecting the prognosis of patients with TM infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying climate change's impact on vegetation canopy growth and senescence is significant for understanding and predicting vegetation dynamics. However, there is a lack of adequate research on canopy changes across the lifecycles of different vegetation types. Using GLASS LAI (leaf area index) data (2001–2020), we investigated canopy development (April–June), maturity (July–August), and senescence (September–October) rates in Northeast China, focusing on their responses to preseason climatic factors. We identified that early stages saw canopy development acceleration, with over 71% of areas experiencing such acceleration in April and May. As the vegetation grew, the accelerating canopy development slowed down, and the canopy reached its maturation earlier. By analyzing the partial correlation between canopy growth and preseason climatic factors, it was identified that changes in canopy growth were most significantly affected by preseason air temperature. A positive correlation was observed in the early stages, which shifted to a negative correlation during canopy maturation and senescence. Notably, the transition timing varied among different vegetation types, with grasslands (June) occurring earlier than forests (July) and farmlands (August). Additionally, grassland canopy growth showed a stronger response to precipitation than forests and farmlands, with a lagged effect of 2.50 months. Our findings improve understanding of vegetation canopy growth across different stages, holding significant importance for ecological environmental monitoring, land-use planning, and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capacity of phosphorus (P) regeneration in water is a key factor influencing the outbreak of algal blooms. Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) are the essential mediators of P cycling and may contribute to algal blooms. To explore the influence of inorganic phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (IPB) on sediment P release and the outbreak of ‘green tide’ Chaetomorpha linum, we conducted a simulation experiment using two dominant IPB strains isolated from the sediments of a macro-algal blooms contaminated Swan Lagoon, China. We analyzed the changes in P level in the overlying water, algal biomass, and P fractions in sediments under different inoculations of IPB strains. The results indicated that the inoculation of Bacillus sp. promoted sediment P release in Swan Lagoon. Chaetomorpha linum, the IPB strains, and the bacterial amount all significantly affected the total phosphorus (TP) concentration in water. However, under the treatments without C. linum, the TP concentration was much higher in the IPB1 (Bacillus flexus) group compared to the IPB2 (Bacillus megaterium) group, due to the strong adaptability of B. flexus strain to the external environment. The soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentration in water in the treatments with algae was much lower than that of those without algae during the first 6 days. The biomass of C. linum was higher in both the inoculation groups than in the control group. However, the increase in algal biomass and P concentration in algal tissue were higher in the IPB1 than in the IPB2. These findings indicated that B. flexus had a greater effect on the sediment P release, promoting C. linum growth and accumulation of P in algae. Various P forms in sediments exhibited different releasing abilities, and the NH4Cl-P showed a high release potential during the inoculation. Meanwhile, the bacterial respiration resulted in a significant decline in dissolved oxygen level at the sediment–water interface that may have triggered redox-related P release. In most inoculation treatments without algae, the BD-P concentration in sediments declined under anoxic conditions. Our findings provide insight into the role of sediment P release through the action of PSB on the persistence of C. linum blooms in coastal waters. This information is important for developing effective nutrient management guidelines or controlling endogenous P pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northeast China (NEC) is a major spring maize (Zea mays L.) growing belt, and the outputs substantially influence national grain production. However, the maize grain yield per unit area has little changes in recent years, partially due to the lack of elite germplasm resources and innovation. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the performance of diverse populations in NEC to propose appropriate strategies for the utilization of elite germplasm to broaden the genetic base of Chinese germplasm. Fifteen diverse maize populations from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the U.S. were crossed to two local tester lines, representing Chinese heterotic groups Reid and Lancaster, for evaluating the combining ability and heterosis in three locations (Gongzhuling, Jilin Province, and Harbin and Suihua, Heilongjiang Province) in NEC over two years. The U.S. (BS13(S)C7 and BS31) and Chinese (Ji Syn A) populations exhibited more favorable alleles for high yield potential in all locations tested. Furthermore, the PH6WC × BS31 and PH6WC × Ji Syn A crosses had higher grain yields, and an appropriate number of days to silking, ear height, and resistance to lodging at Gongzhuling and Harbin in NEC. The best strategies for utilizing these diverse germplasms may be to develop new inbred lines from the existing elite populations or improve the grain yield and resistance to lodging of the elite line PH4CV for broadening the genetic base of the Chinese group Lancaster in NEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the lack of effective treatment options, the prognosis of patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (R/R AML) remains poor. Although chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy has shown promising effects in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and lymphoma, its application in R/R AML is limited by "off-target" effects, which lead to severe bone marrow suppression and limit its clinical application. CAR-natural killer (NK) cells not only exhibit antitumor effects but also demonstrate increased safety and universality. We have developed a new CAR construct that targets CD33 and modified NK cells, specifically eliminating AML cells while reducing severe side effects on stem cells. Methods: The CD33-targeting domain was selected by CAR-T cells, and this optimized CAR construct was subsequently transduced into umbilical cord-derived NK cells via a retroviral vector. Preclinical efficacy and safety studies were conducted both in vitro and in vivo. Ten eligible patients with R/R AML aged 18–65 years who received one or more infusions of anti-CD33 CAR-NK cells following the preconditioning regimen were enrolled. We assessed the response rates and treatment-related side effects post-infusion, while also documenting the long-term efficacy of the therapy. Results: The CD33 sequence was selected on the basis of its antitumor efficacy and safety in CAR-T-cell studies conducted both in vitro and in vivo. CD33 CAR-NK cells demonstrated efficacy comparable to that of CD33 CAR-T cells but showed limited toxicity to hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Ten patients, with a median of five prior lines of treatment, completed the efficacy evaluation (range, 3–8). No grade 3–4 adverse events were observed, except bone marrow suppression, which was relieved within one month. No cases of immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) or graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were reported following CAR-NK cell infusion. Only one patient experienced grade 2 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and presented with persistent fever. By day 28, six of ten patients had achieved minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative complete remission. Conclusions: Our preclinical and clinical data demonstrated the primary efficacy and safety of CD33 CAR-NK cells for patients with R/R AML. Expanded samples and longer follow-up periods are needed to provide further efficacy data. Trial registration: NCT05008575 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05008575). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing carbon sequestration capacity through effective forest management is a critical strategy for mitigating climate change. China has established public administrations, known as state-owned forest farms (SFFs), primarily to manage state-owned forests. This study examines the carbon sequestration effects of forestry investment made by 211 SFFs in Shaanxi Province from 2000 to 2018, using a panel fixed effects model and a panel threshold model. The findings reveal that SFF investment has a significant time-lag effect on carbon sequestration, with the marginal contribution peaking three years after the initial investment. Additionally, the impact of investment exhibits spatial heterogeneity, varying across regions due to differences in environmental and ecological conditions. Threshold effects are also identified, indicating that the effectiveness of carbon sequestration is constrained by the scale and structure of investment, with diminishing returns observed beyond optimal levels. Furthermore, we found that investment increases carbon sequestration mainly by expanding forest area and improving forest quality. These findings underscore the importance of cost-effectiveness analyses to optimize forestry investment decisions. SFFs are advised to prioritize appropriate investment timing, regions, scales, and structures to achieve optimal carbon sequestration benefits and maximize resource utilization, supporting sustainable forest management and climate change mitigation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two‐dimensional (2D) Eu‐Bi12O17Cl2 nanosheet binary composites modified by Bi2S3 nanocrystals were constructed at room temperature using a simple in situ anion‐exchange strategy with pure carbon disulfide as a direct sulfur source. The method is simple to prepare, energy efficient, and easy to handle compared to conventional treatments. These biphasic composites were thoroughly characterized by a batch of analytical techniques. XRD, FT‐IR, Raman, TEM, and XPS spectroscopies verified the coexistence of the two components in the composites, with Bi2S3 uniformly distributed in irregularly shaped nanocrystals of Eu‐Bi12O17Cl2 nanosheets to form intimate interfacial contacts in the heterojunction domain. In addition, oxygen vacancies can be created during the vulcanization process. The synthesized Bi2S3/Eu‐Bi12O17Cl2 composites exhibit high photocatalytic efficiency for CO2 as well as high selectivity for CO under visible‐light irradiation. A feasible photocatalytic mechanism was also proposed and tested for reusability. This study reveals the construction of robust Bi2S3‐containing composites with sufficient oxygen vacancies and enhanced photocatalytic capabilities under moderate conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas channeling treatment is a huge challenge for oil displacement and CO2 sequestration in the practical CO2 flooding process. The foaming agents can be used in the gas flooding process, which presents good application potential for gas channeling blockage. However, high temperature can affect surfactant foaming properties. This work takes a high-temperature heterogenous sandstone oil reservoir as an example; the foaming performance of different surfactants was evaluated via foamability, thermal stability, crude oil tolerance ability, and dynamic blocking capacity. The profile control performance of the optimized foaming agent was investigated via dual-core gas flooding experiments. (1) The results show that QPJ-c featured good foaming stability, which made it present the largest foam comprehensive index, although its foaming volume was slightly lower than that of QPJ-b. Its foaming volume retention rate was 83.2%, and its half-life retention rate remained 88.9% after 30 days aging at a temperature of 110 °C. (2) The foam resistance factor increased from 7 to 17 when the core permeability increased from 2 mD to 20 mD. This indicated that the high-permeability zone could be preferentially blocked by foam during the foam injection. (3) The dual-core flooding experiments verified that the fractional flow of the high-permeability core severely decreased due to the blockage of foam. The incremental oil recovery of the low-permeability core was 27.1% when the permeability ratio was 5. It increased to 40% when the permeability ratio was increased to 10. (4) Our work indicates that temperature-resistant CO2 foam could be a good candidate for profile control during CO2 flooding in the target reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the co-combustion characteristics of coal and Salix, thermogravimetric analysis is adopted to evaluate their co-combustion performance. The effect of blending ratios and synergistic are investigated in detail. Furthermore, kinetic analysis is performed. The results show that the incorporation of Salix into coal enhances combustion performance, with significant improvements observed at higher blending ratios. The ignition temperature decreases notably from 444 °C to 393 °C, highlighting an improvement in ignition properties. The primary weight loss peak shifts from 490 °C at a 15% biomass blend to approximately 320 °C at a 100% blend. Co-combustion demonstrates synergistic effects, with a 15% biomass blend optimizing combustion between 400 °C and 530 °C, while a 30% blend inhibits it. Additionally, temperatures above 600 °C exhibit an inhibitory effect. The activation energy is reduced to 25.38 kJ mol−1 at a 30% blend ratio and further to 23.06 kJ mol−1 at a 15% blend ratio at a heating rate of 30 K min−1. Increasing the biomass blend ratio and heating rate lowers the activation energy, which means facilitating the reaction process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features and outcomes of elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) from a real word research. The clinical data of 223 consecutive elderly patients (aged ≥ 60 years) who were newly diagnosed with AML at our medical center between July 2017 and June 2022, including their clinical characteristics, genetic mutations, and survival outcomes, were retrospectively analyzed. Among the 223 patients (median age 67 years), 180 (80.7%) were diagnosed with de novo AML. Genetic mutations were identified in 138 of 149 patients tested (92.6%). The most commonly mutated genes included TET2, DNMT3A, NPM1, FLT3-ITD, ASXL1, IDH2, RUNX1, TP53, and CEBPA. Among these genes, TET2, DNMT3A, FLT3-ITD, and TP53 were associated with a poor outcome. Multivariate Cox's regression analysis revealed that age over 70 years, platelet count less than 100 × 109/L, albumin level less than 35 g/L, presence of infection or bleeding at diagnosis, untreated or best supportive care (BSC) treatment status, and adverse or intermediate ELN 2022 risk classification were independent prognostic factors for overall survival in elderly AML patients. Patients who received at least one induction cycle had longer overall survival times (20 months vs. 6.6 months, P < 0.001) than those who received best supportive care. Patients with ≥ 6 cycles of chemotherapy had longer overall survival times (89.2% vs. 78.5%, P = 0.007) than those with ≤ 5 cycles of therapy. The results of this study indicated that elderly AML patients had multiple genetic abnormalities and poor outcomes. Regular effective treatment can improve patient outcomes and survival. In addition to genetic abnormalities, several other clinical features can influence survival in elderly AML patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The human oral cavity contains over 700 types of bacteria that may protect the body against colonization by exogenous pathogens and maintain relative homeostasis. However, alterations in the immune status can disrupt the balance between microorganisms and the host, inducing various diseases such as oral cancer and diabetes mellitus. The mechanism underlying this process is not clearly understood. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between subgingival bacteria, T-cell receptor β -chain complementarity-determining region 3 (TCR β CDR3), and the development oforal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). METHODS: We grouped patients as "healthy periodontal" (H), "moderate-to-severe chronic periodontitis" (C), and "moderate-to-severe chronic periodontitis with OSCC" (T). Bacterial groups were "subgingival plaque" (bp) and "gingival/tumor tissue" (g). We also recorded patients' age, gender, attachment level (AL), bleeding on probing (BOP), and probing depth (PD). We extracted and sequenced RNA from plaques, gingival tissues, tumors, and teeth. We performed high-throughput sequencing on TCR β CDR3 and plaque bacteria. RESULTS: Synergistetes and Veillonella parvula were more abundant in the H group than in the T group. Granulicatella, Peptostreptococcus, and Streptococcus infantis were enriched in the T-bp group. AL, BOP, and PD were positively correlated with Granulicatella, Peptostreptococcus, and Pseudomonas but negatively correlated with Prevotella nigrescens and V. parvula. TCR β CDR3 diversity was C > H > T. TCR β -chain Variable gene (TRBV)20-1 usage varied among the H, C, and T groups. TRBV2 and TRBV5-1 usage was greater in the T group than in the C group. TRBJ1-1, TRBJ1-2, TRBJ2-2, TRBJ2-7, and TRBJ2-5 were most frequently used. CONCLUSIONS: These trends and the reduction of gingival Synergistetes were correlated with OSCC. TCR β CDR3 diversity was the lowest in patients in the T group, and there were considerable changes in the expression of TRBV2 and TRBJ. Therefore, plaque bacterial composition can influence TCR β CDR3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is an extensive class of heterogeneous diseases with dismal outcomes. Brentuximab vedotin (BV) is an antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) comprising a CD30-directed antibody. This review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BV for treating PTCL. We searched the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases for studies evaluating the efficacy of BV alone or in combination with other drugs for treating PTCL. The primary outcome measures included objective response rate (ORR), complete remission (CR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). The secondary outcomes included 5-year OS, 5-year PFS, and adverse events. 22 studies involving 1137 patients were included. These studies reported the use patterns of BV, ORR, CR, PFS, OS, and adverse events. The pooled ORR and CR rates were 68% (95% CI: 59%–75%) and 43% (95% CI: 34%–53%). For survival outcomes, the longest median PFS was 8.3 months, and the longest median OS was 26.3 months. The most common adverse event was peripheral neuropathy and neutropenia. The analysis suggested that BV alone or in combination with other drugs improved the response and survival rates in PTCL patients and was associated with tolerable adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]