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Abstract Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide due to the lack of early diagnostic markers and specific drugs. Previous studies have shown the association of LUAD growth with aberrant alternative splicing (AS). Herein, clinical data of 535 tumor tissues and 59 normal tissues were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Each sample was analyzed using the ESTIMATE algorithm; a comparison between higher and lower score groups (stromal or immune) was made to determine the overall- and progression-free survival-related differentially expressed AS (DEAS) events. We then performed unsupervised clustering of these DEASs, followed by determining their relationship with survival rate, immune cells, and the tumor microenvironment (TME). Next, two prognostic signatures were developed using bioinformatics tools to explore the prognosis of cases with LUAD. Five OS- and six PFS-associated DEAS events were implemented to establish a prognostic risk score model. When compared to the high-risk group (HRG), the PFS and OS of the low-risk group (LRG) were found to be considerable. Additionally, a better prognosis was found considerably associated with the ESTIMATE score of the patients as well as immune cells infiltration. Our analysis of AS events in LUAD not only helps to clarify the tumorigenesis mechanism of AS but also provides ideas for revealing potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are being used more and more often as a result of the Internet of Things' quick growth. The largest constraint on the lifespan of WSNs is the issue with power supply. The thermal resistance model of thermoelectric devices and the thermoelectric conversion model are developed in this paper to solve this problem. The impact of environment on the thermal resistance of the system is examined based on this model, and the voltage and power that the system can produce in various conditions is determined using the thermoelectric conversion model. The system can generate a maximum voltage of 0.52 V and power of 2.24 mW, according to field trial results, which offers a workable solution to the energy constraint issue faced by wireless sensor nodes.

Abstract Gas‐mediated sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has the potential to become an effective strategy to improve the therapeutic outcome and survival rate of cancer patients. Herein, titanium sulfide nanosheets (TiSX NSs) are prepared as cascade bioreactors for sequential gas–sonodynamic cancer therapy. TiSX NSs themselves as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donors can burst release H2S gas. Following H2S generation, TiSX NSs are gradually degraded to become S‐defective and partly oxidized into TiOX on their surface, which endows TiSX NSs with high sonodynamic properties under ultrasound (US) irradiation. In vitro and in vivo experiments show the excellent therapeutic effects of TiSX NSs. In detail, large amounts of H2S gas and reactive oxygen species (ROS) can simultaneously inhibit mitochondrial respiration and ATP synthesis, leading to cancer cell apoptosis. Of note, H2S gas also plays important roles in modulating and activating the immune system to effectively inhibit pulmonary metastasis. Finally, the metabolizable TiSX NSs are excreted out of the body without inducing any significant long‐term toxicity. Collectively, this work establishes a cascade bioreactor of TiSX NSs with satisfactory H2S release ability and excellent ROS generation properties under US irradiation for programmed gas–sonodynamic cancer therapy.

Summary: A small-scale delivery medium for CO2 laser energy with stable performance, flexibility, and high-strength is crucial in extreme laser processing environments, especially for minimally invasive surgery in high-humidity, twisty and narrow channels. Here, flexible and robust multimaterial infrared fibers made of selenium-based chalcogenide glasses and thermoplastic polymer were developed with a low loss of 7.18 dB/m at 10.6 μm. The resulting fibers were capable of stably delivering single-mode CO2 laser with 0.42 W average power. Moreover, to achieve precise control over the fibers in the practical clinical environment, customized co-polymers of polyphenylene sulfone resin and polyvinylidene fluoride were used as the fiber built-in jackets. Consequently, the fibers exhibited hydrophobicity, thermostability, high tensile strength, and low bending stiffness. The results demonstrated that the fibers can be used to deliver CO2 laser energy for fabric cutting and bio-tissues ablation, making them attractive for CO2 laser material processing and minimally invasive laser surgery.

BackgroundLiver hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent cancer that lacks a sufficiently efficient approach to guide immunotherapy. Additionally, cuproptosis is a recently identified regulated cell death program that is triggered by copper ionophores. However, its possible significance in tumor immune cell infiltration is still unclear.MethodsCuproptosis subtypes in HCC were identified using unsupervised consensus cluster analysis based on 10 cuproptosis regulators expressions, and a cuproptosis-related risk signature was generated using univariate and LASSO Cox regression and validated using the ICGC data. Moreover, the relationship between signature and tumor immune microenvironment (TME) was studied through tumor immunotherapy responsiveness, immune cell infiltration, and tumor stem cell analysis. Finally, clinical specimens were analyzed using immunohistochemistry to verify the expression of the three genes in the signature.ResultsTwo subtypes of cuproptosis regulation were observed in HCC, with different immune cell infiltration features. Genes expressed differentially between the two cuproptosis clusters in the TCGA were determined and used to construct a risk signature that was validated using the ICGC cohort. Greater immune and stromal cell infiltration were observed in the high-risk group and were associated with unfavorable prognosis. Elevated risk scores were linked with higher RNA stemness scores (RNAss) and tumor mutational burden (TMB), together with a greater likelihood of benefitting from immunotherapy.ConclusionIt was found that cuproptosis regulatory patterns may play important roles in the heterogeneity of immune cell infiltration. The risk signature associated with cuproptosis can assess each patient’s risk score, leading to more individualized and effective immunotherapy.

BackgroundShort metaphyseal segments that remain following extensive distal femoral tumor resection can be challenging to manage, as the residual short segments may not be sufficient to accept an intramedullary cemented stem of standard length. The present study was developed to detail preliminary findings and experiences associated with an intra-neck curved stem (INCS) reconstructive approach, with a particular focus on mechanical stability.MethodFrom March 2013 to August 2016, 11 total patients underwent reconstructive procedures using a customized cemented femoral endoprosthesis (CCFE) with an INCS. Measurements of femoral neck-shaft angle values were made before and after this procedure. Radiological outcomes associated with this treatment strategy over an average 63-month follow-up period were additionally assessed. Functionality was assessed based upon Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) scores, while a visual analog scale (VAS) was used to rate pre- and postoperative pain, and any complications were noted.ResultsRelative to the preoperative design, no significant differences in femoral neck–shaft angle were observed after this reconstructive procedure (p = 0.410). Postoperatively, the tip of the stem was primarily positioned within the middle third of the femoral head in both lateral and posterior-anterior radiographic, supporting the accuracy of INCS positioning. The average MSTS score for these patients was 25 (range: 21–28), and VAS scores were significantly reduced after surgery (p

IntroductionReconstruction of proximal humeral tumours after resection is still controversial. And there are few articles describing oncology patients' postoperative function after reversed tumour shoulder prosthesis reconstruction. We investigated the functional results of patients who underwent reversed tumour shoulder prosthesis, including those who did not preserve the deltoid ending point.Patients and methodsWe retrospectively evaluated 16 patients with proximal humerus tumours who had undergone reversed tumour shoulder prosthesis. All patients underwent type Malawer I proximal humeral resection surgery and standard reverse tumour shoulder arthroplasty with a modular reverse shoulder prosthesis. We sutured the severed end of the deltoid to the brachialis muscle using the artificial patch for patients who had their deltoid ending point resected. Patients are rehabilitated and followed up according to our instructions.ResultAll patients were followed up for a mean of 27.4 months (13–59), and their mean age was 45.9 years (15–74). The mean length of the humeral resection was 11.6 cm (5–15). The mean shoulder mobility was 122° (82°–180°) in forward flexion; 39° (31°–45°) in posterior extension; 102° (65°–172°) in abduction; 43° (30°–60°) in external rotation; 83° (61°–90°) in internal rotation, and a mean MSTS score of 77.9% (63.3%–93.3%). The mean DASH score was 20.8 (2.5–35.8). The mean VAS score was 0.9. For patients who had their deltoid ending point resected, the mean length of the humeral resection was 14.0 cm; the mean shoulder mobility was 109° in forward flexion; 37.8° in posterior extension; 102.0° in abduction; 38.3° in external rotation; 86.3° in internal rotation, and the mean MSTS score was 78.8%; the mean DASH score was 21.6; the mean VAS score was 1.0.ConclusionPatients who underwent reverse tumour shoulder arthroplasty can achieve good early postoperative function, survival rate and low complication rate. In addition, patients who had their deltoid ending point removed also obtained good function after particular reconstruction.

BackgroundPatients who undergo massive femoral malignant tumor (MFMT) resection often exhibit shortened femoral metaphyseal juxta-articular segments. The use of a customized femoral endoprosthesis (CFE) with an intra-neck curved stem (INCS) has emerged as a viable reconstructive surgical strategy for these individuals. Relative to a cemented INCS, it remains unclear as to whether cementless INCS use is associated with improvements in functionality or reconstructive longevity. As such, the present study was conducted to compare functional outcomes, endoprosthetic survival, and endoprosthesis-related complication rates in patients undergoing cemented and cementless INCS implantation.MethodsA total of 24 patients undergoing lower limb salvage and reconstructive surgical procedures utilizing cemented or cementless INCS endoprostheses were retrospectively included. Patient-functional outcomes, endoprosthetic survival, and complication rates were compared as a function of age; diagnosis; the length of femoral resection; residual proximal femur length; Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) scores; visual analog scale (VAS) scores; and the rates of implant breakage, periprosthetic infections, periprosthetic fractures, and aseptic loosening.ResultsThe mean follow-up was 56 months. Significant differences in the length of femoral resection (p

Abstract Well dispersible and stable single atom catalysts (SACs) with hydrophilic features are highly desirable for selective hydrogenation reactions in hydrophilic solvents towards important chemicals and pharmaceutical intermediates. A general strategy is reported for the fabrication of hydrophilic SACs by cation‐exchange approach. The cation‐exchange between metal ions (M = Ni, Fe, Co, Cu) and Na+ ions introduced in the skeleton of metal oxide (TiO2 or ZrO2) nanoshells plays the key role in forming M1/TiO2 and M1/ZrO2 SACs, which efficiently prevents the aggregation of the exchanged metal ions. The as‐obtained SACs are highly dispersible and stable in hydrophilic solvents including alcohol and water, which greatly facilitates the catalysis reaction in alcohol. The Ni1/TiO2 SACs have been successfully utilized as catalysts for the selective C=C hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde to produce phenylpropanal with 98% conversion, over 90% selectivity, good recyclability, and a turnover frequency (TOF) of 102 h−1, overwhelming most reported catalysts including noble metal catalysts.

Physical cues have emerged as critical influencers of cell function during physiological processes, like development and organogenesis, and throughout pathological abnormalities, including cancer progression and fibrosis. While ion channels have been implicated in maintaining cellular homeostasis, their cell surface localization often places them among the first few molecules to sense external cues. Mechanosensitive ion channels (MICs) are especially important transducers of physical stimuli into biochemical signals. In this review, we describe how physical cues in the tumor microenvironment are sensed by MICs and contribute to cancer metastasis. First, we highlight mechanical perturbations, by both solid and fluid surroundings typically found in the tumor microenvironment and during critical stages of cancer cell dissemination from the primary tumor. Next, we describe how Piezo1/2 and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels respond to these physical cues to regulate cancer cell behavior during different stages of metastasis. We conclude by proposing alternative mechanisms of MIC activation that work in tandem with cytoskeletal components and other ion channels to bestow cells with the capacity to sense, respond and navigate through the surrounding microenvironment. Collectively, this review provides a perspective for devising treatment strategies against cancer by targeting MICs that sense aberrant physical characteristics during metastasis, the most lethal aspect of cancer.

Carbon dots (CDs), a new zero-dimensional material, have ignited a revolution in the fields of sensing, bioimaging, and biomedicine. However, the difficulty of preparing CDs with Fenton-like catalytic properties has seriously hindered their application in the diagnosis of oxidation/reduction biomolecules or metal ions. Here, an innovative method was successfully established to synthesize Mn3+/Mn4+ ion-doped blue-green fluorescent CDs with Fenton-like catalytic properties using manganese acetate as the manganese source. Specifically, the CDs prepared here were equipped with functional groups of -COOH, NH2, C=O, and Mn-O, offering the possibility to function as a fluorescence sensor. More importantly, the introduction of manganese acetate resulted in the preparation of CDs with Fenton-like catalytic properties, and the dual-signal fluorescence detection of dopamine (DA) was realized with linear ranges of 100–275 nM and 325–525 nM, and the detection limits were 3 and 12 nM, respectively. In addition, due to the Fenton-like catalytic activity of Mn3+/Mn4+ ion-doped CDs, the material has broad application prospects in the detection of oxidation/reduction biomolecules or metal ions related to disease diagnosis and prevention.

Recent years have seen an increase in scientific interest in the El Nio/La Nia Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a quasiperiodic climate phenomenon that takes place throughout the tropical Pacific Ocean over five years and causes significant harm. It is associated with the warm oceanic stage known as El Nio and the cold oceanic stage known as La Nia. In this research, the ENSO model is considered under a fractional operator, which is defined via a nonsingular and nonlocal kernel. Some theoretical features, such as equilibrium points and their stability, bifurcation maps, the existence of a unique solution via the Picard–Lindelof approach, and the stability of the solution via the Ulam–Hyres stability approach, are deliberated for the proposed ENSO model. The Adams–Bashforth numerical method, associated with Lagrangian interpolation, is used to obtain a numerical solution for the considered ENSO model. The complex dynamics of the ENSO model are displayed for a few fractional orders via MATLAB-18.

The chain drive system, being one of the core subsystems of the scraper conveyor, greatly influences the coal-conveying efficiency due to its dynamic characteristics. Therefore, this paper employed an experimental method to compare the dynamic characteristics of the chain rings at various positions within the chain drive system. This article simulated the three most common working conditions. The results indicated that the chain speed, load, and surface undulation had a stimulating effect on chain vibration, with the most significant impact observed on the chain ring located in the middle of the adjacent scraper. The scraper exerted an inhibitory effect on the vibration of the chain ring. Among the factors studied, the load had the most significant influence on the transverse direction. When there was surface undulation, the vibration of the chain ring in the running direction formed an ‘N’ shape. This condition intensified the vibration during uphill and downhill stages while suppressing vibration at the slope peak. This research holds great significance in enhancing operation stability.

Abstract Background Long-lasting reconstruction after extensive resection involving peri-knee metaphysis is a challenging problem in orthopedic oncology. Various reconstruction methods have been proposed, but they are characterized by a high complication rate. The purposes of this study were to (1) assess osseointegration at the bone implant interface and correlated incidence of aseptic loosening; (2) identify complications including infection, endoprosthesis fracture, periprosthetic fracture, leg length discrepancy, and wound healing problem in this case series; and (3) evaluate the short-term function of the patient who received this personalized reconstruction system. Methods Between September 2016 and June 2018, our center treated 15 patients with malignancies arising in the femur or tibia shaft using endoprosthesis with a 3D-printed custom-made stem. Osseointegration and aseptic loosening were assessed with digital tomosynthesis. Complications were recorded by reviewing the patients’ records. The function was evaluated with the 1993 version of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS-93) score at a median of 42 (range, 34 to 54) months after reconstruction. Results One patient who experienced early aseptic loosening was managed with immobilization and bisphosphonates infusion. All implants were well osseointegrated at the final follow-up examination. There are two periprosthetic fractures intraoperatively. The wire was applied to assist fixation, and the fracture healed at the latest follow-up. Two patients experienced significant leg length discrepancies. The median MSTS-93 score was 26 (range, 23 to 30). Conclusions A 3D-printed custom-made ultra-short stem with a porous structure provides acceptable early outcomes in patients who received peri-knee metaphyseal reconstruction. With detailed preoperative design and precise intraoperative techniques, the reasonable initial stability benefits osseointegration to osteoconductive porous titanium, and therefore ensures short- and possibly long-term durability. Personalized adaptive endoprosthesis, careful intraoperative operation, and strict follow-up management enable effective prevention and treatment of complications. The functional results in our series were acceptable thanks to reliable fixation in the bone-endoprosthesis interface and an individualized rehabilitation program. These positive results indicate this device series can be a feasible alternative for critical bone defect reconstruction. Nevertheless, longer follow-up is required to determine whether this technique is superior to other forms of fixation.

Astrocytes are the most abundant glia in the central nervous system that play a significant role in disease. Recently, it roles of synaptic plasticity in neuropathological damages have been questioned whether the structural and functional plasticity of synapses contributes to the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease. The regulation of synaptic plasticity by astrocytes has also been widely researched based on astrocytes regulate synaptic plasticity by releasing Adenosine triphosphate, glutamate, and D-serine. We discuss the possible role of astrocytes in the regulation of synaptic plasticity, which may provide a new direction to Parkinson’s disease treatment.

Rituximab is used to eliminate B cells as a chimeric monoclonal antibody directed against CD20, a B-cell antigen expressed on B cells. To explore the impact of rituximab administered before transplantation, we implemented a retrospective, monocentric study and utilized real-world data collected at our center between January 2018 and December 2020, and then followed until December 2021. Based on whether a dose of 375mg/m2 rituximab was used at least once within two weeks before transplantation, patients undergoing allo-HSCT were classified into two groups: rituximab (N=176) and non-rituximab (N=344) group. Amongst all the patients, the application of rituximab decreased EBV reactivation (P

Pathological aggregation of essentially dissociative Transthyretin (TTR) monomers protein, driven by misfolded and self-interaction, is connected with Amyloid Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) disease. The TTR monomers protein contains several fragments that tend to self-aggregate, such as residue 105–115 sequence [TTR (105–115)]. However, the misfolding and aggregation mechanisms of TTR are still unknown. In this study, we explored the misfolding and self-assembly of TTR (105–115) peptides by all-atom molecular dynamics simulation. Our results indicated that the conformation of the two-peptides appears unstable. In the tetramerization and hexamerization simulations, the results are reversed. When the number of peptides increases, the probability and the length of β-Sheet contents increase. Our results show that that the four- and six-peptides both can form β-Barrel intermediates and then aggregate into fibers. The critical nucleation for the formation of fibril should be larger than four-peptides. The interactions between hydrophobic residues I107-L111 play an important role in the formation of stable fibrils at an early stage. Our results on the structural ensembles and early aggregation dynamics of TTR (105–115) will be useful to comprehend the nucleation and fibrillization of TTR (105–115).

The YL Tunnel of the Chongqing–Kunming high-speed railway project, a key project of the whole line, is a typical ultra-long deep tunnel facing geologic problems, such as rock bursts, large deformation, water inrush, and toxic or harmful gas leakage, among which high ground stress results in the most serious damage. This study incorporates existing studies and materials, as well as data on ground stress obtained through tests using the hydrofracturing technique. The areas with rock bursts and large deformations were divided accordingly, and preventive measures were expounded. The results showed that the areas predicted as high risk of severe rock burst were D1K338 + 945–D1K339 + 025 and D1K339 + 075–D1K339 + 220, which is of significance when constructing the whole Chongqing–Kunming high-speed railway and may even be instructive in railway construction in the southwest region of China.

BackgroundSerum uric acid (SUA) is associated with many cardiovascular risk factors, such as metabolic syndrome (MetS) and subclinical atherosclerosis. However, the relationship of SUA with carotid atherosclerosis remains controversial. We aimed to investigate whether elevated SUA levels are associated with a high risk of carotid atherosclerosis and MetS in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsThis cross-sectional study was performed with a sample of 1,947 hospitalized patients with T2DM. Carotid intima-media thickness and carotid artery plaques were measured via Doppler ultrasound.ResultsUric acid levels were negatively associated with HbA1C, eGFR, and HDL-C (all P < 0.001) and positively associated with WBC, BMI, ACR, creatinine, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure (all P < 0.001). After adjusting for multiple potential confounders, the risks were substantially higher for MetS in the highest quartile of SUA levels (odds ratio: 2.91, 95% confidence interval: 1.54–5.51, P = 0.003 for trend) than in the lowest quartile of SUA levels. Furthermore, a significant increase was observed in the prevalence of overweight/obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia across the SUA quartiles independent of confounders. However, no significant association was found between SUA quartile with the presence of carotid atherosclerosis.ConclusionsIn patients with T2DM, SUA levels were closely associated with MetS and its components but not with carotid atherosclerosis.

Abstract Background The aims of this pilot study were (1) to assess the efficacy of 3D-printed custom-made hemipelvic endoprosthesis in restoring the natural location of acetabulum for normal bodyweight transmission; (2) to evaluate the short-term function of the revision with this endoprosthesis and (3) to identify short-term complications associated with the use of this endoprosthesis. Methods Between February 2017 and December 2017, seven patients received revision with 3D-printed custom-made hemipelvic endoprosthesis. The body weight moment arm (BWMA) and cup height discrepancy (CHD) after primary and revisional surgery were analyzed to assess acetabulum location with plain radiography. After a median follow-up duration of 29 months (range 24–34), the function was evaluated with the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS-93) score and Harris hip score (HHS). Complications were recorded by chart review. Results The acetabulum locations were deemed reasonable, as evaluated by median BWMA (primary vs. revision, 10 cm vs. 10 cm) and median CHD (primary vs. revision, 10 mm vs. 8 mm). The median MSTS-93 score and HHS score were 21 (range 18–23) and 78 (range 75–82) after the revision. No short or mid-term complication was observed in the follow-up of this series. Conclusions Revision with 3D-printed custom-made hemipelvic endoprostheses benefited in reconstructing stable pelvic ring and natural bodyweight transmission for patients encountering the aseptic loosening and fracture of modular hemipelvic endoprosthesis. The revision surgery and appropriate rehabilitation program improved patients’ function to a median MSTS score of 22 and pain-free ambulation. The incidence of the complications was low via this individualized workflow.

Abstract Background Pubic defects resulting from type III hemipelvectomy are commonly not reconstructed due to the need to preserve the weight-bearing axis. However, the opening of the anterior pelvic ring will inevitably lead to increased pelvic instability. To improve long-term pelvic stability, three-dimensional (3D)-printed customized prostheses were designed to reconstruct pubic defects. This study presents and evaluates the short-term clinical outcomes and complications from the use of this construct. Methods Five patients who underwent type III hemipelvectomy and 3D-printed customized prosthesis reconstruction at our institution between 2017 and 2019 were retrospectively analysed. Operation time and blood loss during the operation were recorded. Local and functional recovery was assessed. Prosthetic position and osseointegration were evaluated. Oncology results and complications were recorded. Results The prostheses consisted of three with stems and two without. The mean follow-up time was 23.6 months. At the last follow-up, all five patients were alive with no evidence of disease. No deep infections or local recurrence had occurred. The mean blood loss and mean intraoperative time were 1680 ml and 294 min, respectively. The mean functional MSTS score at the final follow-up was 29.8. Fretting wear around the prosthetic stem was found in 3 patients, while bone wear on the normal-side pubis was found in 2 patients. Osseointegration was observed in all patients. Conclusions 3D-printed customized prostheses for reconstructing pubic bone defects after type III hemipelvectomy showed acceptable early outcomes. The good outcomes were inseparable from the precision prosthesis design, strict surgical procedures, and sensible postoperative management.

Abstract Background This study is to describe the design and surgical techniques of three- dimensional-printed porous implants for proximal giant cell tumors of bone and evaluate the short-term clinical outcomes. Methods From December 2016 to April 2020, 8 patients with giant cell tumor of bone in the proximal tibia underwent intralesional curettage of the tumor and reconstruction with bone grafting and three-dimensional-printed porous implant. Detailed anatomy data were measured, including the size of lesion and thickness of the subchondral bone. Prostheses were custom-made for each patient by our team. All patients were evaluated regularly and short-term clinical outcomes were recorded. Results The mean follow-up period was 26 months. According to the different defect sizes, the mean size of the plate and mean length of strut were 35 × 35 mm and 20 mm, respectively. The mean affected subchondral bone percentage was 31.5%. The average preoperative and postoperative thickness of the subchondral bone was 2.1 mm and 11.1 mm, respectively. There was no wound infection, skin necrosis, peroneal nerve injury, or other surgical related complications. No degeneration of the knee joint was found. Osseointegration was observed in all patients. The MSTS improved from an average of 12 preoperatively to 28 postoperatively. Conclusion The application of three-dimensional-printed printed porous prosthesis combined autograft could supply enough mechanical support and enhance bone ingrowth. The design and operation management lead to satisfactory subchondral bone reconstruction.

Early recognition of fruit body diseases in edible fungi can effectively improve the quality and yield of edible fungi. This study proposes a method based on improved ShuffleNetV2 for edible fungi fruit body disease recognition. First, the ShuffleNetV2+SE model is constructed by deeply integrating the SE module with the ShuffleNetV2 network to make the network pay more attention to the target area and improve the model’s disease classification performance. Second, the network model is optimized and improved. To simplify the convolution operation, the 1 × 1 convolution layer after the 3 × 3 depth convolution layer is removed, and the ShuffleNetV2-Lite+SE model is established. The experimental results indicate that the accuracy, precision, recall, and Macro-F1 value of the ShuffleNetV2-Lite+SE model on the test set are, respectively, 96.19%, 96.43%, 96.07%, and 96.25%, which are 4.85, 4.89, 3.86, and 5.37 percent higher than those before improvement. Meanwhile, the number of model parameters and the average iteration time are 1.6 MB and 41 s, which is 0.2 MB higher and 4 s lower than that before the improvement, respectively. Compared with the common lightweight convolutional neural networks MobileNetV2, MobileNetV3, DenseNet, and EfficientNet, the proposed model achieves higher recognition accuracy, and its number of model parameters is significantly reduced. In addition, the average iteration time is reduced by 37.88%, 31.67%, 33.87%, and 42.25%, respectively. The ShuffleNetV2-Lite+SE model proposed in this paper has a good balance among performance, number of parameters, and real-time performance. It is suitable for deploying on resource-limited devices such as mobile terminals and helps in realization of real-time and accurate recognition of fruit body diseases of edible fungi.

Polycarbonate (PC) with high transmittance, stable mechanical performance and environmental resistance is crucial for practical applications. In this work, we report a method for the preparation of a robust antireflective (AR) coating by a simple dip-coating process of a mixed ethanol suspension consisting of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) base-catalyzed silica nanoparticles (SNs) and acid-catalyzed silica sol (ACSS). ACSS greatly improved the adhesion and durability of the coating, and the AR coating exhibited high transmittance and mechanical stability. Water and hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) vapor treatment were further employed to improve the hydrophobicity of the AR coating. The as-prepared coating exhibited excellent antireflective properties, with an average transmittance of 96.06% in the wavelength range of 400 to 1000 nm, which is 7.55% higher than the bare PC substrate. After sand and water droplet impact tests, the AR coating still maintained enhanced transmittance and hydrophobicity. Our method shows a potential application for the preparation of hydrophobic AR coatings on a PC substrate.

An experimental study of two-phase flow pressure drop using R-134a is conducted on three types of different surface wettability microchannels with superhydrophilic (contact angle of 0°), hydrophilic (contact angle of 43°) and common (contact angle of 70°, unmodified) surfaces, all with a hydraulic diameter of 0.805 mm. Experiments were conducted using a mass flux of 713–1629 kg/m2s and a heat flux of 7.0–35.1 kW/m2. Firstly, the bubble behavior during the two-phase boiling process in the superhydrophilic and common surface microchannel is studied. Through a large number of flow pattern diagrams under different working conditions, it is found that the bubble behavior shows different degrees of order in microchannels with different surface wettability. The experimental results show that the hydrophilic surface modification of microchannel is an effective method to enhance heat transfer and reduce friction pressure drop. Through the data analysis of friction pressure drop and C parameter, it is found that the three most important parameters affecting the two-phase friction pressure drop are mass flux, vapor quality, and surface wettability. Based on flow patterns and pressure drop characteristics obtained from the experiments, a new parameter, named flow order degree, is proposed to account for the overall effects of mass flux, vapor quality, and surface wettability on two-phase frictional pressure drop in microchannels, and a newly developed correlation based on the separated flow model is presented. In the superhydrophilic microchannel, the mean absolute error of the new correlation is 19.8%, which is considerably less than the error of the previous models.

Considering the variation in temperature of the oil film in squeeze film dampers (SFDs) caused by squeezing, a more comprehensive analysis of SFD can be obtained. Aiming to investigate the viscosity thermal effect of the oil film in SFDs, this study established a 3D CFD solution model. Based on the total energy model, the viscosity thermal effect was performed. With the mixture multi–phase flow model, the Zwart–Gerber–Belamri (Z–G–B) cavitation model, and the use of the additional mass coefficient, the two–phase flow phenomenon in SFDs was discussed. The oil film at various temperatures and the temperature distribution of different oil types under different working conditions were analyzed. Furthermore, the influence of the SFD thermal effect on the two–phase flow phenomenon were particularly carried out. Meanwhile, the simulation results of the SFD thermal effect were experimentally verified. The results revealed that the maximum temperature of the SFD oil film was enhanced with the increase in the eccentricity ratio and precession frequency. The temperature of the oil film was closely related to the oil dynamic viscosity. The dynamic viscosity of the oil was reduced, which was caused by the SFD thermal effect, thus leading to decreased oil–film damping, enlarging the vaporization level and the range of vapor cavitation, as well as the ingested air amount. CFD simulation results of the thermal effect were in good agreement with the experimental data, which verified the accuracy of the proposed model.

Background: Liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) is a widespread and often deadly neoplasm. There is increasing evidence that necroptosis mediates numerous tumor-associated behaviors, as well as the regulation of the tumor microenvironment, suggesting its use as a biomarker for tumor prognosis.Methods: Data on mRNA expression and necroptosis regulators were acquired from the TCGA and KEGG databases, respectively. Clinical liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) patient data and information on the expression of necroptosis regulators were processed by unsupervised cluster analysis was performed on LIHC patients together with necroptotic regulator expression and, differentially expressed necroptosis-related genes (DENRGs) were identified by comparing the two clusters. A signature based on eight DENRGs was constructed and verified through independent data sets, and its relationship with the tumor microenvironment was investigated.Results: Unsupervised cluster analysis demonstrated inherent immune differences among LIHC patients. In all, 1,516 DENRGs were obtained by comparison between the two clusters. In the training set, the final eight genes obtained by univariate, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression were utilized for constructing the signature. The survival and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve achieved satisfactory results in both sets. The high-risk group was characterized by greater immune infiltration and poor prognosis. The results of survival analysis based on the expression of eight DENRGs further confirmed the signature.Conclusion: We established and validated a risk signature based on eight DERNGs related to the tumor microenvironment. This provides a possible explanation for the different clinical effects of immunotherapy and provides a novel perspective for predicting tumor prognosis in LIHC.

Secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) is one of the most common congenital heart diseases (CHDs). This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of automatic detection of ASD in children based on color Doppler echocardiographic images using convolutional neural networks. In this study, we propose a fully automatic detection system for ASD, which includes three stages. The first stage is used to identify four target echocardiographic views (that is, the subcostal view focusing on the atrium septum, the apical four-chamber view, the low parasternal four-chamber view, and the parasternal short-axis view). These four echocardiographic views are most useful for the diagnosis of ASD clinically. The second stage aims to segment the target cardiac structure and detect candidates for ASD. The third stage is to infer the final detection by utilizing the segmentation and detection results of the second stage. The proposed ASD detection system was developed and validated using a training set of 4,031 cases containing 370,057 echocardiographic images and an independent test set of 229 cases containing 203,619 images, of which 105 cases with ASD and 124 cases with intact atrial septum. Experimental results showed that the proposed ASD detection system achieved accuracy, recall, precision, specificity, and F1 score of 0.8833, 0.8545, 0.8577, 0.9136, and 0.8546, respectively on the image-level averages of the four most clinically useful echocardiographic views. The proposed system can automatically and accurately identify ASD, laying a good foundation for the subsequent artificial intelligence diagnosis of CHDs.

IntroductionFew patients presented with a distal tibial tumor that only invaded a small area of bone in the medial malleolus. There have been no previous cases in which only the medial or lateral malleolus was removed and reconstruction was complete. This article describes our attempt to reconstruct the medial malleolus (1/4 of the ankle joint) after resection of a distal tibial tumor with an uncemented three-dimensional (3D)-printed prosthesis.Case DescriptionA 39-year-old man presented with a lump in the right medial malleolus, and biopsy results suggested fibrosarcoma. To preserve the patient's normal bone and function, we only removed the medial malleolus and reconstructed the ankle joint using a personalized 3D-printed prosthesis. The patient had no complications other than necrosis of the skin flap that covered the wound. The patient recovered well after undergoing an additional skin flap transfer. Follow-up at 7 months and again at 3 years after surgery showed good ankle function and stability, with no pain or complications.ConclusionThe 3D-printed partial ankle prosthesis had a good matching degree, strength, and osseointegration ability, but also had a few complications. The patient achieved satisfactory ankle function and stability. However, a longer follow-up period is needed, and more research is required to confirm the efficacy of the prosthesis.

Abstract Background This study is to describe the detailed design and surgical techniques of three-dimensional (3D)-printed customized prosthesis for pubic bone defect. Patients and methods Five patients under type III resections were included in this study. Based on radiography data, 3D pelvic model was established and virtual surgery was simulated. Detailed anatomy data were measured including the size and arc of normal pubis, the size of residual bone in acetabular side. Different fixation ways were considered according to shape of defect. After features modification and porous structure design, prostheses were fabricated. The osteotomy guides and plastic models were used during surgery. Result Of 5 cases, the prostheses consist of the type with stem (3, 60%) and the type without stem (2, 40%). Mean follow-up period was 13.6 months (range, 8-24 months). For partial pubis removed cases, the mean length and width of narrowest part of normal superior pubis were 13.19 mm (range, 12.51-14.12 mm) and 7.80 mm (range, 7.18-8.26 mm) respectively. Mean arc of normal pubis was 2.71 rad (range, 2.66-2.73 rad). For the entire pubis resection cases, the mean diameter of narrowest parts and length of normal superior pubis were 11.52 mm (range, 11.13-11.91 mm) and 64.78 mm (range, 63.46-66.09 mm), while the diameter of narrowest part and length of normal inferior pubis were 7.37 mm (range, 7.20-7.54 mm) and 86.43 mm (range, 84.28-88.57 mm). Mean length and arc of intramedullary stem was 20 mm (range, 18-21 mm) and 2.7 rad. Mean screw holes number was 6.3 (range, 6-7) while ultimate screws number in surgeries was 4.3 (range, 4-5). Porous structure with 600-μm-pore size and 70% porosity was applied in parts of contact with residual bone. Conclusion 3D-printed customized prostheses could be a feasible option to reconstruct bone defect after type III resection. The design of 3D-printed customized prostheses is a multi-step process which is based on strict anatomic measurement.

Abstract Background En bloc excision has been increasingly used for the management of giant cell tumors (GCTs) in the distal radius. An osteoarticular allograft has been used extensively for decades, and custom-made prosthesis reconstruction has been more recently applied. We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of the two procedures. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 30 patients with Campanacci III or recurrent GCTs of the distal radius for follow-up at a mean of 33.2 months. In total, 15 underwent osteoarticular allograft reconstruction (allograft group) and 15 received cementless three-dimensional (3D)-printed prosthesis reconstruction (prosthesis group) between March 18, 2013, and May 20, 2018. All patients underwent by clinical and radiological examinations, including pre- and postoperative active range of motion (ROM) of the wrist, VAS score, grip strength, degenerative change of wrist, Mayo wrist score and Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score. Complications were evaluated using the Henderson classification. Results Both groups showed significantly increased ROM, grip strength, Mayo score and MSTS score postoperatively. Furthermore, the extension, flexion, MSTS, and Mayo score were significantly higher in the prosthesis group. There was no significant difference in grip strength and VAS between the groups. In allograft group, one patient had a late infection one had resorption of allograft without allograft bone fracture. and four had wrist subluxation. All patients had degenerative changes (mean 9 months). In the prosthesis group, three patients developed wrist subluxation, three had separation of the distal radioulnar joint, and none of the patients developed wrist degeneration. Conclusions Our study compared the objective functional outcomes and complications of two reconstructive methods for Campanacci III or recurrent GCT in the distal radius. 3D-printed prosthesis replacement can partially preserve wrist function better than allograft reconstruction in the short-term. During the design of 3D-printed prosthesis, preoperative morphological assessment of the affected proximal row carpal is helpful to control postoperative dislocation. After allograft reconstruction, wrist degeneration, which has been demonstrated in all patients, severely influence their wrist function. Therefore, compared to allograft reconstruction, 3D-printed prosthesis reconstruction has irreplaceable advantages at early-stage application, especially in wrist function, however, further studied with a larger number of cases and longer follow-up.

To improve the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of solar thermoelectric power, a concentration solar thermoelectric generator (CTEG) unit based on concentrating and storing energy is designed. A Fresnel lens is used to concentrate thermal energy, and a phase change material (PCM) is used to store thermal energy to increase the temperature difference between the hot and cold ends of thermoelectric (TE) sheets. The heat stored in the PCM container will help to generate continuous solar energy at night and improve the thermal power conversion efficiency of the TEGs. The energy conversion equilibrium equation is established for the CTEG unit. By numerical calculation, we conclude that the absorption rate of the coating surface is reduced by 0.1 and the maximum thermoelectric conversion efficiency is reduced by approximately 0.4%. By selecting different heights of the heat exchanger, the unit supplies 1.025 v, 0.4204 v and 0.299 v open circuit voltages on average for approximately 30, 44 and 53 minutes, respectively. Therefore, the height of the heat exchanger affects the rate of heat energy absorption and release. The reversible operation of the CTEG-PCM unit is conducive to the day and night operation of solar power generation and is more suitable to solving the self-supplying power problem for wireless temperature sensors in forests.

This article focuses on the problem that the voltage recovery time of relay protection circuits in converter stations is too long under lightning surges. A surge protective device (SPD) in a relay protection circuit in an ultrahigh-voltage (UHV) converter station is investigated. Based on the action characteristics of a gas discharge tube (GDT) and metal oxide varistor (MOV) under a 1.2/50 μs lightning surge, the equivalent circuit model of a series-combined SPD is established. In the equivalent circuit model, this study considers the breakdown voltage, nonlinear impedance, parasitic capacitance, stray inductance and other parameters of GDTs and MOVs. Simulation analysis shows that a series-combined SPD can significantly increase the residual voltage and shorten the voltage recovery time of the protected system. To verify the simulation results, a test platform based on a low-voltage DC voltage divider was built for the lightning surge test. The test results are consistent with the simulation results, verifying that a series-combined SPD can meet the dual surge protection requirements of peak suppression and fast voltage recovery.

Located in East Asia, the North China Plain (NCP) has a severe air pollution problem. In this study, variations in visibility, particulate matter (PM), gaseous pollutants, vertical meteorological parameters, and different types of aerosols and their optical properties were evaluated during an air pollution episode that occurred from 10 to 15 January 2019 in Tianjin over the NCP. The visibility was

Background: Hemiarthroplasty is widely used for proximal femoral reconstruction after tumor resection. However, complications of hemiarthroplasty include infection, hip dislocation, and acetabular wear. This study aimed to: (1) evaluate the reliability and validity of a customized cementless intercalary endoprosthesis (CCIE) with an intra-neck curved stem (INCS) to reconstruct femoral diaphyseal defects with an ultrashort proximal femur (UPF); (2) assess the lower extremity function after reconstruction with this endoprosthesis; and (3) identify the postoperative complications associated with the use of this endoprosthesis.Methods: Between October 2015 and May 2019, 13 patients underwent reconstruction with a CCIE with an INCS. The distance from the center of the femoral head to the midline of the body and the apex of the acetabulum was measured preoperatively. Additionally, the distance from the tip of the INCS to the midline of the body and the apex of the acetabulum was measured postoperatively. The femoral neck–shaft angle was also measured pre- and postoperatively. After an average follow-up duration of 46 months, the radiological outcomes of the CCIE with an INCS were analyzed. Function was evaluated with the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score. Pain was measured using a paper visual analog scale (VAS) pre- and postoperatively, and complications were recorded.Results: Compared with our preoperative design, we found no significant difference in the postoperative distance from the tip of the INCS to the body midline (p = 0.187) and the apex of the acetabulum (p = 0.159), or in the postoperative femoral neck–shaft angle (p = 0.793). Thus, the INCS positions were deemed accurate. The average MSTS score was 26 (range: 24–28), and the VAS score was significantly decreased postoperatively compared with preoperatively (p < 0.0001). No patients developed aseptic loosening, infection, periprosthetic fracture, or prosthetic fracture as of the last follow-up.Conclusion: The CCIE with an INCS was a valid and reliable method for reconstructing femoral diaphyseal defects with a UPF following malignant tumor resection. Postoperative lower extremity function was acceptable, with an appropriate individualized rehabilitation program, and the incidence of complications was low.

Standard echocardiographic view recognition is a prerequisite for automatic diagnosis of congenital heart defects (CHDs). This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of standard echocardiographic view recognition in the diagnosis of CHDs in children using convolutional neural networks (CNNs). A new deep learning-based neural network method was proposed to automatically and efficiently identify commonly used standard echocardiographic views. A total of 367,571 echocardiographic image slices from 3,772 subjects were used to train and validate the proposed echocardiographic view recognition model where 23 standard echocardiographic views commonly used to diagnose CHDs in children were identified. The F1 scores of a majority of views were all ≥0.90, including subcostal sagittal/coronal view of the atrium septum, apical four-chamber view, apical five-chamber view, low parasternal four-chamber view, sax-mid, sax-basal, parasternal long-axis view of the left ventricle (PSLV), suprasternal long-axis view of the entire aortic arch, M-mode echocardiographic recording of the aortic (M-AO) and the left ventricle at the level of the papillary muscle (M-LV), Doppler recording from the mitral valve (DP-MV), the tricuspid valve (DP-TV), the ascending aorta (DP-AAO), the pulmonary valve (DP-PV), and the descending aorta (DP-DAO). This study provides a solid foundation for the subsequent use of artificial intelligence (AI) to identify CHDs in children.

Forest fires have long been a significant global problem. How to reliably accomplish the early warning and real-time monitoring of forest fires has become a pressing issue in order to limit the damage caused by forest fires. A novel technological approach for forest fire monitoring has been made possible by the quick development of wireless sensor network (WSN) technology. Currently, batteries are the primary source of power for WSNs used in forests, but frequent battery replacement will compromise the network for monitoring. As a result, the power supply is the key limit to its application in forest areas. This paper puts forward the thermoelectric conversion based on the Seebeck effect. Its notable feature is to convert heat energy into electric energy through the temperature difference between shallow soil and air. In the process of testing the device, the maximum voltage was 803.36 mV. At the same time, a power management system (PMS) for a thermoelectric conversion device was designed. The main feature of this system is that there is no need for an external control module. In the laboratory test, the minimum input power of this system was 200 mV. When the load resistance was 8 KΩ, the output power was 0.55 mW, and the maximum efficiency could reach 65.38% when the input was 500 mV, which fulfills the requirements of low cost and high reliability, providing a feasible solution for solving the energy limitation problem of WSNs in a forest area.

Vortex beams with orthogonality can be widely used in atmospheric applications. We numerically analyzed the statistical regularities of vortex beams propagating through a lens or an axicon with different series of turbulent air phase screens. The simulative results revealed that the distortion of the transverse intensity was sensitive to the location and the structure constant of the turbulence screen. In addition, the axicon can be regarded as a very useful optical device, since it can not only suppress the turbulence but also maintain a stable beam pattern. We further confirmed that a vortex beam with a large topological charge can suppress the influence of air turbulence. Our outcomes are valuable for many applications in the atmospheric air, especially for optical communication and remote sensing.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG), as a recognized clean energy, has seen a rapid increase in global consumption in recent years. As the core equipment of the LNG receiving terminal, the large LNG storage tanks, its’ cryogenic insulation system design is particularly important. The insulation system is mainly used to maximize the control of the daily evaporation of cold storage tanks, so as to achieve long-term storage of LNG in the tank. Its design is particularly important. At present, the internal design of the industry often only considers the construction conditions, without comprehensive consideration of operation, maintenance and other full-life cycle conditions. This paper analyzes and optimizes the design of the insulation system of large LNG storage tanks from the aspects of the performance of the insulation material itself, the construction period, pre-cooling start-up, operation and maintenance and other comprehensive operating factors. And taking the 30,000 m3 LNG storage tanks as an example, through the analysis and comparison of some columns, obtained the optimal daily evaporation rate requirements of the insulation system, which can be used as a reference for the design of LNG projects during the construction period.

In the age of artificial intelligence, the best approach to handling huge amounts of data is a tremendously motivating and hard problem. Among machine learning models, stochastic gradient descent (SGD) is not only simple but also very effective. This study provides a detailed analysis of contemporary state-of-the-art deep learning applications, such as natural language processing (NLP), visual data processing, and voice and audio processing. Following that, this study introduces several versions of SGD and its variant, which are already in the PyTorch optimizer, including SGD, Adagrad, adadelta, RMSprop, Adam, AdamW, and so on. Finally, we propose theoretical conditions under which these methods are applicable and discover that there is still a gap between theoretical conditions under which the algorithms converge and practical applications, and how to bridge this gap is a question for the future.

Gender discrimination is a serious social issue that has been shown to increase negative consequences, especially in females when accompanied by acute or chronic pain. Experiencing social pain through discrimination can increase an individual's evaluation of evoked physical pain. However, few studies have explored the mechanism underlying how gender discrimination modulates brain responses when individuals experience physical pain evoked by noxious stimuli. In this study, we addressed this issue using a gender discrimination fMRI paradigm with thermal pain stimulation. We found that discrimination indeed affected participants’ own behavioral self-evaluation of noxious stimuli. Discrimination-encoded brain activations were identified in the temporopolar cortex, while brain activations to thermal stimuli after viewing pictures of discrimination were found in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). Brain activations in the temporopolar cortex and the dACC were correlated. Furthermore, pain perception-specific functional connectivity of the dACC-SII in the cue stage and the dACC-frontal in the pain stage were identified, suggesting a facilitative effect of gender discrimination on females’ experience of physical pain. Our results indicate that the dACC may play a central role in mediating the affective aspect of physical pain after experiencing discrimination. These findings provide novel insights into the underlying mechanism of how gender discrimination facilitates females’ experience of physical pain.

To explore the contamination of heavy metals in the Shi River Basin soil in China, a high density sampling of surface soil was conducted. In this study, an absolute principal component scores multiple linear regression model (APCS-MLR) was used to identify the sources of heavy metals in the soil and quantify their amounts. The methods to assess the heavy metals included a fuzzy synthetic evaluation, index and health risk assessment. The results show that heavy metals are relatively rich southwest of the study area. Their levels may be affected by natural sources, such as parent materials. The pollution caused by human factors cannot be ignored, and it is primarily influenced by traffic emissions and processing sources, which contribute 62.6%, followed by agricultural sources, such as pesticides and fertilizers, that contribute 21.1%. The risk assessment indicated that the study area was slightly to moderately polluted. All heavy metals pose higher carcinogenic and other health risks to children than adults, and ingestion is the main way that these pollutants enter the body. The carcinogenic risk of children owing to Cr from natural sources merits further study, while the carcinogenic risk to adults and the non-carcinogenic risk to both adults and children are at acceptable levels. Transportation and industrial processing sources are the main cause of the non-carcinogenic risk. The results could provide reference for reducing heavy metal pollution in the soil.

The nerve necrosis virus (NNV), a pathogen of viral nervous necrosis disease in several important mariculture economic fish species, causes economic loss. Its nonstructural protein B2 encoded by the sub-genomic RNA3 affects the amplification of the virus. In this study, the B2 protein was recombinantly expressed, the polyclonal antibodies were produced and the dynamics of the B2 protein and genomes were measured in vivo and in vitro after NNV infection. Then, the effects of the overexpressed B2 protein on virus proliferation were investigated. The results showed that the polyclonal antibodies can recognize the B2 protein in both SSN-1 cells and the brain/eye of the grouper. The RNA3 expression significantly increased at 12 h and kept rising till the end of the experiment; it was 106.9 copies/μL at 120 h. The B2 protein could be first detected at 3 h post-infection, which was earlier than the capsid protein was first detected (12 h post-infection). The B2 protein can be detected in the brain, eye and heart on day 3 and the copy number of genomes reached a maximum at 6 d post-infection. There was a low expression of NNV genomes in the liver, spleen and kidney, and no virus was detected in the gill, stomach and intestine. In the meantime, the B2 protein was successfully expressed in GF-1 cells and significantly enhanced virus proliferation, which produced an earlier cytopathic effect and higher cell death rates after 3 d post-infection than the control. In conclusion, the B2 protein acts as an early expressed protein during virus replication and proliferation and is involved in the early infection of NNV. The results may provide insight into the early stage of virus infection and prevention of the disease.

Lung cancer is the most common cancer with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Our previous studies showed that fucosyltransferase 2 (FUT2) is highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and plays a vital role in the tumorigenesis of LUAD. However, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Autophagy has recently attracted increasing attention due to its pro-survival role in cancer progression and metastasis. Here, we found that FUT2 was up-regulated and had an AUC (Area Under Curve) value of 0.964 in lung adenocarcinoma based on the TCGA dataset. Knockdown of FUT2 weakened the autophagy response, as evidenced by a degradation of LC3-II and Beclin1. The phosphorylation levels of AMPK, ULK1, and PI3K III were significantly reduced by FUT2 knockdown. FUT2 promoted the translocation of p53 from the cytoplasm into the nucleus, which triggered the DRAM1 pathway and enhanced autophagy. Meanwhile, the knockdown of FUT2 increased the phosphorylation of JNK and promoted mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, the knockdown of FUT2 inhibited the autophagy induced by Z-VAD-FMK and promoted the apoptosis suppressed by rapamycin. The autophagy and apoptosis regulated by FUT2 antagonized each other. Taken together, these findings provide a mechanistic understanding of how FUT2 mediated the crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis, which determine lung cancer cell death and survival, leading to the progression of lung adenocarcinoma.

Ti-6.5Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V (TA15), widely used in the aerospace industry, is a medium- to high-strength, near-α titanium alloy with high aluminium equivalent value. The TA15 fabricated via laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) normally presents a typical brittle appearance in as-built status, with high strength and low ductility. In this study, the microstructure and properties of L-PBF TA15 were engineered by various heat treatments below the β-transus temperature (1022 °C). After heat treatment, the original acicular martensite gradually transforms into a typical lamellar α + β dual-phase structure. Withannealing temperature increases, the lamellar α phase thickened with a decreased aspect ratio. Globularisation of the α grain can be noticed when annealing above 800 °C, which leads to a balance between strength and ductility. After heat treatment between 800–900 °C, the desired combination of strength and ductility can be achieved, with elongation of about 12.5% and ultimate tensile strength of about 1100 Mpa.

Raising young plants is important for modern greenhouse production. Upon transfer from the raising to the production environment, young plants should maximize light use efficiency while minimizing deleterious effects associated with exposure to high light (HL) intensity. The light spectrum may be used to establish desired traits, but how plants acclimated to a given spectrum respond to HL intensity exposure is less well explored. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seedlings were grown in a greenhouse in low-intensity sunlight (control; ∼2.7 mol photons m–2 day–1) and were treated with white, red, blue, or green supplemental light (4.3 mol photons m–2 day–1) for 10 days. Photosynthetic capacity was highest in leaves treated with blue light, followed by white, red, and green, and was positively correlated with leaf thickness, nitrogen, and chlorophyll concentration. Acclimation to different spectra did not affect the rate of photosynthetic induction, but leaves grown under blue light showed faster induction and relaxation of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) under alternating HL and LL intensity. Blue-light-acclimated leaves showed reduced photoinhibition after HL intensity exposure, as indicated by a high maximum quantum yield of photosystem II photochemistry (Fv/Fm). Although plants grown under different supplemental light spectra for 10 days had similar shoot biomass, blue-light-grown plants (B-grown plants) showed a more compact morphology with smaller leaf areas and shorter stems. However, after subsequent, week-long exposure to full sunlight (10.7 mol photons m–2 day–1), B-grown plants showed similar leaf area and 15% higher shoot biomass, compared to plants that had been acclimated to other spectra. The faster growth rate in blue-light-acclimated plants compared to other plants was mainly due to a higher photosynthetic capacity and highly regulated NPQ performance under intermittent high solar light. Acclimation to blue supplemental light can improve light use efficiency and diminish photoinhibition under high solar light exposure, which can benefit plant growth.

Accumulating evidence shows that Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) survivors may encounter prolonged mental issues, especially post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Despite manifesting a plethora of behavioral or mental issues in COVID-19 survivors, previous studies illustrated that static brain functional networks of these survivors remain intact. The insignificant results could be due to the conventional statistic network analysis was unable to reveal information that can vary considerably in different temporal scales. In contrast, time-varying characteristics of the dynamic functional networks may help reveal important brain abnormalities in COVID-19 survivors. To test this hypothesis, we assessed PTSS and collected functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with COVID-19 survivors discharged from hospitals and matched controls. Results showed that COVID-19 survivors self-reported a significantly higher PTSS than controls. Tapping into the moment-to-moment variations of the fMRI data, we captured the dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) states, and three discriminative reoccurring brain dFNC states were identified. First of all, COVID-19 survivors showed an increased occurrence of a dFNC state with heterogeneous patterns between sensorimotor and visual networks. More importantly, the occurrence rate of this state was significantly correlated with the severity of PTSS. Finally, COVID-19 survivors demonstrated decreased topological organizations in this dFNC state than controls, including the node strength, degree, and local efficiency of the supplementary motor area. To conclude, our findings revealed the altered temporal characteristics of functional networks and their associations with PTSS due to COVID- 19. The current results highlight the importance of evaluating dynamic functional network changes with COVID-19 survivors.

Background: Patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) may require intensive care unit (ICU) admission due to different reasons, and the in-ICU mortality is high among AAV patients. The aim of this study was to explore the clinical features and risk factors of mortality of patients with AAV in the ICU.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted based on 83 AAV patients admitted to the ICU in a tertiary medical institution in China. Data on clinical characteristics, laboratory tests, treatment in ICU and outcomes were collected. The data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis to explore the variables that were independently related to mortality. Kaplan–Meier method was used to assess the long-term survival.Results: Among the 83 patients, 41 (49.4%) were female. The mean age of patients was 66 ± 13 years. Forty-four patients deceased, with the in-ICU mortality of 53%. The most common cause for ICU admission was active vasculitis (40/83, 48.2%). The main cause of death was infection (27/44, 61.4%) followed by active vasculitis (15/44, 34.1%). A multivariate analysis revealed that the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) at ICU admission (OR = 1.333, 95% CI: 1.031–1.722) and respiratory failure (OR = 620.452, 95% CI: 11.495–33490.306) were independent risk factors of in-ICU death. However, hemoglobin (OR = 0.919, 95% CI: 0.849–0.995) was an independent protective factor. The nomogram established in this study was practical in predicting the risk of in-ICU mortality for AAV patients. Moreover, for 39 patients survived to the ICU stay, the cumulative survival rates at 0.5, 1, and 5 years were 58.3%, 54.2%, and 33.9%, respectively, and the median survival time was 14 months.Conclusion: In our study, active vasculitis was the most frequent reason for ICU admission, and the main cause of death was infection. APACHE II and respiratory failure were independent risk factors while hemoglobin was an independent protective factor of in-ICU mortality for AAV patients admitted to the ICU. The risk prediction model developed in this study may be a useful tool for clinicians in early recognition of high-risk patients and applying appropriate management.

Protein S-palmitoylation is a covalent and reversible lipid modification that specifically targets cysteine residues within many eukaryotic proteins. In mammalian cells, the ubiquitous palmitoyltransferases (PATs) and serine hydrolases, including acyl protein thioesterases (APTs), catalyze the addition and removal of palmitate, respectively. The attachment of palmitoyl groups alters the membrane affinity of the substrate protein changing its subcellular localization, stability, and protein-protein interactions. Forty years of research has led to the understanding of the role of protein palmitoylation in significantly regulating protein function in a variety of biological processes. Recent global profiling of immune cells has identified a large body of S-palmitoylated immunity-associated proteins. Localization of many immune molecules to the cellular membrane is required for the proper activation of innate and adaptive immune signaling. Emerging evidence has unveiled the crucial roles that palmitoylation plays to immune function, especially in partitioning immune signaling proteins to the membrane as well as to lipid rafts. More importantly, aberrant PAT activity and fluctuations in palmitoylation levels are strongly correlated with human immunologic diseases, such as sensory incompetence or over-response to pathogens. Therefore, targeting palmitoylation is a novel therapeutic approach for treating human immunologic diseases. In this review, we discuss the role that palmitoylation plays in both immunity and immunologic diseases as well as the significant potential of targeting palmitoylation in disease treatment.