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AbstractThe landslide morphology is quickly and accurately extracted from Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) images. It is of great significance for emergency rescue and quantitative evaluation of landslide disasters. However, due to the complexity of landslide morphology, choosing the reasonable extraction thresholds is a challenging issue. A threshold selection method of Topographic Profile along the Direction of Slope Movement (TP-DSM) was proposed. Firstly, a hierarchical extraction rule sets for landslide morphology was constructed by integrating multi-feature information such as spectral, texture, geometry, topography and space of UAV images. Second, TP-DSM was proposed to select the optimal elevation thresholds for classifying different landslide morphology. Finally, the thresholds were introduced into the rule sets to achieve effective extraction of landslide morphology. This study uses Digital Orthophoto Map (DOM) and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) generated by UAV images as data sources, and the landslide in Luquan County, Yunnan Province, China as the Study area, the results show that the overall accuracy (OA) of landslide morphology extraction was 89.58%, and the Kappa coefficient was 0.88, which is effective and more consistent with the reality. The proposed method can also be applied to other potential locations.

Changes in the flow environment can cause changes in fish morphology, but the specific mechanisms by which flows change fish morphology are not known. It would be a useful addition to the field if it could be explored from the point of view of resistance properties. To explore the effect of water flowing over the fish surface, we selected Schizothorax prenanti as a representative species in flowing water and Carassius auratus as a representative fish in slow-moving water and carried out hydrodynamic experiments and numerical simulations without any simplification of the fish body in order to obtain accurate resistance data. The results show that in the simulated flow rate scenarios, the overall resistance of C. auratus and the local resistance at the head, dorsal, lateral, and hypogastrium regions were all higher, with maximum differences of 3.49 times, 3.63 times, 6.47 times, 10.41 times, and 46.77 times those of S. prenanti, respectively. Combining the results of this study with the theory of biomechanical adaptation, we believe that resistance characteristics are important factors in the shaping of fish body shape by water flow. On this basis we believe that in addition to ensuring the integrity of fish life histories, the resistance characteristics of individuals in natural streams need to be measured and recorded. Habitat restoration should provide similar resistance environments for protected species to avoid loss of shape characteristics.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism through which rosemary essential oil treats atopic dermatitis. Methods: A dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis mouse model was established and treated with low (1%), medium (2%), and high (4%) doses of Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil (EORO). Serum levels of interleukin (IL)−6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in each group were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Skin tissues were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and toluidine blue. We used network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques to verify the biological activity of essential proteins and their corresponding compounds in the pathway. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for metabolomics analysis and multivariate statistical analysis of mouse serum to screen differential metabolites and metabolic pathway analysis. Protein expression of p-JAK1, CD4+ cells, and IL-4 in the skin tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry analysis. Protein levels of STAT3, p-STAT3, P65, and p-P65 in damaged skin tissues were detected using western blotting. Result: The skin of mice in the model group showed different degrees of erythema, dryness, scratches, epidermal erosion and shedding, and crusting. After treatment, the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in EORO group were significantly decreased, and the expression of p-JAK1,CD4 + cells, IL-4, p-P65 / P65 and p-STAT3 / STAT3 proteins in skin tissues were decreased. Conclusion: EORO can effectively improve DNCB-induced AD-like skin lesions in mice by regulating the JAK/STAT/NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby reducing the production of downstream arachidonic acid metabolites, inhibiting skin inflammation, and restoring epidermal barrier function.

YKL-40 is a secreted glycoprotein that can promote invasion, angiogenesis and inhibit apoptosis, and was highly expressed in a variety of tumours. In this paper, we investigated the impacts of YKL-40 on proliferation and invasion in HTR-8/SVneo cells during placenta accreta spectrum disorders (PAS) development. The levels of YKL-40 protein in late-pregnant placental tissue were detected using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting, and gene expression using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis abilities of HTR-8/SVneo cells were detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), Transwell, scratch assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. Our current results showed that YKL-40 was significantly increased in the PAS group compared to the normal control group (P

The first locally acquired case in the Chinese mainland was reported on May 31, 2023, lagging behind other countries. In this study, we aimed to examine the early clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the earliest cases of Mpox in Beijing, China. Additionally, we investigated the sequence and transmission patterns of the Mpox virus (MPXV). We analyzed 37 reported cases of Mpox in Beijing from May 31, 2023 to June 21, 2023. The age range of the subjects was 24–51 years. Thirty-six cases (97.3%) were identified in men who have sex with men (MSM), and 19 cases (51.4%) tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus. Thirty-three cases were symptomatic, while four were asymptomatic. Skin lesions were observed in 32 cases (97.0%), fever in 26 (78.8%), and swollen lymph nodes in 17 (51.5%). Rash typically appeared in the genital or perianal area 1–3 days before fever onset, with a minimum incubation period of 2 days. For individuals with skin rashes, the skin lesion samples showed 100% positivity and low Ct values. There were high oropharyngeal swab (75.8%) and blood (84.6%) positivity rates. All MPXV strains belonged to the B.1.3 branch of the West African lineage. These strains carried 76–86 nucleotide substitutions compared with the reference human MPXV genome, and genetic diversity was observed. Our findings provide the first insights into the landscape of early transmission of Mpox in Beijing and help inform policy formulation in the Chinese mainland.

Abstract Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is the key pathological event of wet age‐related macular degeneration (wAMD) leading to irreversible vision loss. Currently, anti‐angiogenic therapy with anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents has become the standard treatment for wAMD, while it is still subject to several limitations, including the safety concerns of monthly intravitreal administration and insufficient efficacy for neovascular occlusion. Combined therapy with photodynamic therapy (PDT) and anti‐angiogenic agents has emerged as a novel treatment paradigm. Herein, a novel and less‐invasive approach is reported to achieve anti‐angiogenic and photodynamic combination therapy of wAMD by intravenous administration of a photoactivatable nanosystem (Di‐DAS‐VER NPs). The nanosystem is self‐assembled by reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐sensitive dasatinib (DAS) prodrug and photosensitizer verteporfin (VER). After red‐light irradiation to the diseased eyes, intraocular release of anti‐angiogenic DAS is observed, together with selective neo‐vessels occlusion by VER‐generated ROS. Notably, Di‐DAS‐VER NPs demonstrates promising therapeutic efficacy against CNV with minimized systemic toxicity. The study enables an efficient intravenous wAMD therapy by integrating a photoactivation process with combinational therapeutics into one simple nanosystem.

Mosunetuzumab is a novel bispecific antibody targeting epitopes on CD3 on T cells and CD20 on B cells with the goal of inducing T-cell mediated elimination of malignant B cells. A recent pivotal phase I/II clinical trial (GO29781) demonstrated that mosunetuzumab induced an overall response rate of 80%, complete response rate of 60%, and a median progression-free survival of 17.9 months in patients with relapsed/refractory (r/r) follicular lymphoma (FL) following at least two prior lines of systemic therapy, including alkylator and anti-CD20 antibody-based therapy. Historical data from cohorts receiving therapy for r/r FL can provide some context for interpretation of single-arm trials. We compared the results from the mosunetuzumab trial to outcomes from a cohort of patients with r/r FL from the LEO Consortium for Real World Evidence (LEO CReWE). We applied clinical trial eligibility criteria to the LEO CReWE cohort and utilized matching-adjusted indirect comparison weighting to balance the clinical characteristics of the LEO CReWE cohort with those from the mosunetuzumab trial. Overall response rates (73%, 95% CI:65-80%) and complete response rates (53%, 95% CI:45-61%) observed in the weighted LEO CReWE cohort were lower than those reported on the mosunetuzumab trial (ORR=80%, 95% CI:70-88%; CR=60%, 95% CI:49-70% respectively). Progression-free survival at 12 months was similar in the weighted LEO CReWE (60%, 95% CI:51-69%) and the mosunetuzumab trial (PFS 58%, 95% CI:47-68%). Sensitivity analyses examining the impact of matching variables, selection of line of therapy, and application of eligibility criteria, provide context for best practices in this setting.

Summary: Transfer RNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are a class of small non-coding regulatory RNAs that are involved in the pathophysiology of many diseases. However, the role of tRFs in cancer progression remains largely elusive. Here, we demonstrate that a pan-cancer 3′-tRF, CAT1 (cancer associated tRF 1), is ubiquitously upregulated in tumors and associated with poor prognosis of a variety of cancers, including lung cancer. The upregulated CAT1 in cancer cells binds to RNA-binding protein with multiple splicing (RBPMS) and displaces NOTCH2 association from RBPMS, thereby inhibiting the subsequent CCR4-NOT deadenylation-complex-mediated NOTCH2 mRNA decay. The CAT1-enhanced NOTCH2 expression promotes lung cancer cell proliferation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. In addition, plasma CAT1 levels are substantially increased in patients with lung cancer compared to non-cancer control subjects. Our findings reveal an intrinsic connection between cancer-specific upregulation of CAT1 and cancer progression, show the regulation of NOTCH signaling in cancer by a 3′-tRF, and highlight its great clinical potential.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between cumulative remnant cholesterol (cumRC) and the risk of new-onset fragility fractures.MethodsThis study included individuals who participated in the 2006, 2008, and 2010 Kailuan health examinations. Baseline characteristics were compared between groups according to cumRC quartiles. The incidence density was calculated, and the log-rank test was used to compare the cumulative incidence. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), and restricted cubic spline was used to examine the possibly non-linear relation between cumRC and the risk of fragility fractures. Additional analyses were performed with stratification by age (≥ or

Background/aimHuman epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer is associated with a higher risk of metastasis and poorer overall survival (OS) due to HER2 gene overexpression/amplification. Although anti-HER2 targeted therapy has shown survival benefits in HER2-positive advanced breast cancer (ABC) patients, long-term treatment often leads to drug resistance, complicating further treatment options. RC48, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), combines the benefits of antibody targeting with the cytotoxic effects of a small molecule drug.Case reportWe present a case involving a female patient with HER2-positive ABC who developed drug resistance and disease progression following multi-line anti-HER2 targeted therapy. In this instance, RC48 exhibited anti-tumor activity in an ABC patient resistant to HER2-targeted therapy. After eight treatment cycles with 120 mg of RC48, the tumor size decreased and stabilized.ConclusionThis case report underscores the potential clinical value of RC48 as a promising treatment alternative for patients resistant to HER2 targeted therapies.

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) is a specific subtype of UC characterized by the loss of mismatch repair (MMR) proteins and its association with Lynch syndrome (LS). However, comprehensive real-world data on the incidence, clinicopathological characteristics, molecular landscape, and biomarker landscape for predicting the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in the Chinese patients with dMMR UC remains unknown. We analyzed 374 patients with bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC) and 232 patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) using tissue microarrays, immunohistochemistry, and targeted next-generation sequencing. Results showed the incidence of dMMR UC was higher in the upper urinary tract than in the bladder. Genomic analysis identified frequent mutations in KMT2D and KMT2C genes and LS was confirmed in 53.8% of dMMR UC cases. dMMR UC cases displayed microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) (PCR method) in 91.7% and tumor mutational burden-high (TMB-H) in 40% of cases. The density of intratumoral CD8+ T cells correlated with better overall survival in dMMR UC patients. Positive PD-L1 expression was found in 20% cases, but some patients positively responded to immunotherapy despite negative PD-L1 expression. Our findings provide valuable insights into the characteristics of dMMR UC in the Chinese population and highlights the relevance of genetic testing and immunotherapy biomarkers for treatment decisions.

Purpose: Salvage treatment of recurrent cervical cancer of patients with a history of radiotherapy is currently a major clinical challenge. The purpose of our study was to retrospectively analyze clinical outcomes of radiation in patients with recurrent cancer who have previously received radiotherapy at our hospital and further explore the efficacy and safety of this treatment modality. Methods: All consecutive patients who underwent re-irradiation were included in our department between January 2015 and December 2017. All the patients received Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) alone or VMAT followed by three dimensional–image-guided brachytherapy (3D-IGBT). The volume and dose for re-irradiation depended on previous radiation fields, dosimetry and recurrence sites. All patients received systemic chemotherapy before or after re-irradiation. Results: Fifty patients were included in our study. The median time from primary radiotherapy to re-irradiation was 12 months. Local recurrence, which was the most common failure following primary treatment, was present in 25 patients (50.0 %) while regional recurrence, loco-regional recurrence and distant recurrence combined in-filed recurrence was present in 8 (16.0 %), 9 (18.0 %) and 8 patients (16.0 %). Re-irradiation dose to lymph nodes was 45 Gy with or without a boost up to 55–60 Gy, and to the gross mass was 36–45 Gy with or without a boost up to 45–61 Gy. The median follow-up period was 22 (range,4–59) months. The 3-year local control (LC), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were 58.0, 38.7, and 44.4 %, respectively. The median time of PFS and OS was 14 and 26 months, respectively. The interval between two successive radiotherapies beyond 12 months was significantly associated with better LC and PFS (p ≤ 0.05), but without the benefit of OS (p > 0.05). Serum SCC antigen level less than 1.5 ng/ml had a significantly better impact on PFS (p ≤ 0.05). Overall, 14 patients (28 %) experienced ≥ grade 3 acute toxicities, while 9 (18 %) experienced ≥ grade 3 late toxicities. Conclusions: Re-irradiation with VMAT is an effective and safe salvage treatment option with a reasonably good clinical outcome and toxicity profile in selected patients. In our experience, recurrent cancer patients with an interval between two successive radiotherapy courses beyond 12 months and with a serum SCC-Ag level less than 1.5 ng/ml, had improved outcomes.

Abstract Background Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), including T and B cells, have been demonstrated to be associated with tumour progression. However, the different subpopulations of TILs and their roles in breast cancer remain poorly understood. Large-scale analysis using multiomics data could uncover potential mechanisms and provide promising biomarkers for predicting immunotherapy response. Methods Single-cell transcriptome data for breast cancer samples were analysed to identify unique TIL subsets. Based on the expression profiles of marker genes in these subsets, a TIL-related prognostic model was developed by univariate and multivariate Cox analyses and LASSO regression for the TCGA training cohort containing 1089 breast cancer patients. Multiplex immunohistochemistry was used to confirm the presence of TIL subsets in breast cancer samples. The model was validated with a large-scale transcriptomic dataset for 3619 breast cancer patients, including the METABRIC cohort, six chemotherapy transcriptomic cohorts, and two immunotherapy transcriptomic cohorts. Results We identified two TIL subsets with high expression of CD103 and LAG3 (CD103+LAG3+), including a CD8+ T-cell subset and a B-cell subset. Based on the expression profiles of marker genes in these two subpopulations, we further developed a CD103+LAG3+ TIL-related prognostic model (CLTRP) based on CXCL13 and BIRC3 genes for predicting the prognosis of breast cancer patients. CLTRP-low patients had a better prognosis than CLTRP-high patients. The comprehensive results showed that a low CLTRP score was associated with a high TP53 mutation rate, high infiltration of CD8 T cells, helper T cells, and CD4 T cells, high sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs, and a good response to immunotherapy. In contrast, a high CLTRP score was correlated with a low TP53 mutation rate, high infiltration of M0 and M2 macrophages, low sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs, and a poor response to immunotherapy. Conclusions Our present study showed that the CLTRP score is a promising biomarker for distinguishing prognosis, drug sensitivity, molecular and immune characteristics, and immunotherapy outcomes in breast cancer patients. The CLTRP could serve as a valuable tool for clinical decision making regarding immunotherapy.

Abstract Background Chronic infection with Clonorchis sinensis can cause hepatobiliary fibrosis and even lead to hepatobiliary carcinoma. Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 protein (EBI3) is a subunit of interleukin 35, which can regulate inflammatory response and the occurrence of fibrotic diseases. Previous studies have reported that the expression of EBI3 in the serum of patients with liver cirrhosis is reduced. The present study aims to investigate the biological effects of EBI3 on liver fibrosis caused by C. sinensis and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods We first established a mouse model of liver fibrosis induced by C. sinensis infection and then measured the serum expression of EBI3 during the inflammatory and fibrotic phase. GO (Gene Ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analyses were performed to investigate the potential role of EBI3 in liver fibrosis by regulating the extracellular matrix structural constituent and collagen catabolic process. Recombinant protein EBI3 (rEBI3) was added to hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in vitro with C. sinensis antigen to explore its function. Finally, the therapeutic effect of rEBI3 was verified by intravenous injection into C. sinensis-infected mice. Results The results showed that the serum expression of EBI3 increased in the inflammatory response phase but decreased in the fibrotic phase. The excretory-secretory products of C. sinensis (Cs.ESP) were able to stimulate HSC activation, while rEBI3 reduced the activation of HSCs induced by Cs.ESP. Also, the protein expression of gp130 and downstream protein expressions of JAK1, p-JAK1, STAT3 and p-STAT3 in HSCs were increased after rEBI3 incubation. Finally, intravenously injected rEBI3 inhibited hepatic epithelial-mesenchymal transition in C. sinensis-infected mice by inhibiting HSC activation and reducing liver injury. Conclusion This study confirms that rEBI3 can attenuate C. sinensis-induced liver fibrosis by inhibiting HSC activation and may be one of the potential treatments for liver fibrosis. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) and BNP are well-known markers for the diagnosis and prognostic of heart failure. Until now, it was not clear whether BNP levels are influenced by events occurring within Obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Methods A thorough search in PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases up to October 24, 2022, and a meta-analysis aimed to explore further accurate estimates of the effects of BNP on OSAHS after CPAP treatment to assess the strength of the evidence. Results The forest plot outcome indicated that CPAP therapy did not change the BNP level in patients with OSAHS, with a weighted mean difference (WMD) of -0.47 (95% CI: -1.67 to 2.62; P = 0.53] based on the random effect model because of high significant heterogeneity (I 2 = 80%) among the studies. Subgroup analysis also explored the changes in BNP levels in patients with OSAHS. Begg’s test (P = 0.835) and Egger’s test (P = 0.245) suggested significant negative publication bias. Conclusion Our meta-analysis suggests that CPAP therapy does not change the BNP level in patients with OSAHS; therefore, it is not accurate to use BNP level as an index to evaluate heart function in patients with OSAHS, but more related research should be conducted.

Abstract Background The impact of sarcopenia on the outcome of patients with left-sided colon and rectal cancer has not been exhaustively investigated. Thus, the present study was performed to evaluate the effect of sarcopenia on the outcome of patients with left-sided colon and rectal cancer. Methods Patients with pathologically diagnosed stage I, II and III left-sided colon or rectal cancer who had undergone curative surgery between January 2008 and December 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. The psoas muscle index (PMI) identified by 3D-image analysis of computed tomographic images was the criterion used to diagnose sarcopenia. The cut-off value recommended by Hamaguchi (PMI value

Abstract The utilization of supported amines as adsorbents in direct air capture (DAC) has been demonstrated to be a promising strategy for the reduction of CO2 emissions. To improve the performance of amine‐based adsorbents, the incorporation of additives has been widely adopted. In the present study, we conduct a comprehensive comparison of seven additives on tetraethylenepentamine‐impregnated mesoporous silica as a representative amine‐based adsorbent. The results indicate that minor molecular weight additives with hydroxyl groups show improved adsorption–desorption performance and increase oxidative stability. A proposed mechanism for these improvements is the combined physical and chemical promotion effects of hydroxyl groups. Through a comprehensive review of existing literature, it is found that the effects of additives on amine‐based adsorbents are dependent on factors, such as additive type, pristine adsorbent properties, incorporation method, and testing conditions. Based on these findings, it is recommended that future DAC systems prioritize the use of hydroxyl‐containing additives, whereas higher CO2 concentration and temperature capture may benefit from the incorporation of additives without hydroxyl groups. These conclusions are expected to contribute to the design of efficient adsorbents for CO2 capture.

Objective: Neurodevelopmental impairment has been realized as the most common complication in children with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery during the past 30 years. But little attention has been paid to this problem in China. The potential risk factors for adverse outcomes include demographic, perioperative, and socioeconomic factors, which are vastly different in China compared with the developed countries in previous reports. Methods: Four hundred twenty-six patients (aged 35.9 ± 18.6 months) at about 1- to 3-year follow-up after cardiac surgery were prospectively enrolled from March 2019 to February 2022. Griffiths Mental Development Scales-Chinese was used to evaluate the quotients of overall development and 5 subscales of the child's locomotor, language, personal-social, eye-hand coordination, and performance skills. Demographic, perioperative, socioeconomic, and feeding type during the first year of life (breastfeeding, mixed, or never breastfeeding) were examined to identify the risk factors for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Results: Mean scores were 90.0 ± 15.5 for development quotient, 92.3 ± 19.4 for locomotor, 89.6 ± 19.2 for personal-social, 85.5 ± 21.7 for language, 90.3 ± 17.2 for eye-hand coordination, and 92 ± 17.1 for performance subscales. For the entire cohort, the impairment in at least 1 subscale was found in 76.1% of the cohort (>1 SD below population mean) with 50.1% being severe (>2 SDs below the mean). The significant risk factors included prolonged hospital stay, peak level of postoperative C-reactive protein, socioeconomic status, and never breastfeeding or mixed feeding. Conclusions: Neurodevelopmental impairment is substantial in terms of incidence and severity in children with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery in China. Risk factors contributing to the adverse outcomes included prolonged hospital stay, early postoperative inflammatory response, socioeconomic status, and never breastfeeding or mixed feeding. There is an urgent need for standardized follow-up and neurodevelopmental assessment in this special group of children in China.

Abstract Background Breast cancer brain metastases (BCBM) are the most fatal, with limited survival in all breast cancer distant metastases. These patients are deemed to be incurable. Thus, survival time is their foremost concern. However, there is a lack of accurate prediction models in the clinic. What’s more, primary surgery for BCBM patients is still controversial. Methods The data used for analysis in this study was obtained from the SEER database (2010–2019). We made a COX regression analysis to identify prognostic factors of BCBM patients. Through cross-validation, we constructed XGBoost models to predict survival in patients with BCBM. Meanwhile, a BCBM cohort from our hospital was used to validate our models. We also investigated the prognosis of patients treated with surgery or not, using propensity score matching and K–M survival analysis. Our results were further validated by subgroup COX analysis in patients with different molecular subtypes. Results The XGBoost models we created had high precision and correctness, and they were the most accurate models to predict the survival of BCBM patients (6-month AUC = 0.824, 1-year AUC = 0.813, 2-year AUC = 0.800 and 3-year survival AUC = 0.803). Moreover, the models still exhibited good performance in an externally independent dataset (6-month: AUC = 0.820; 1-year: AUC = 0.732; 2-year: AUC = 0.795; 3-year: AUC = 0.936). Then we used Shiny-Web tool to make our models be easily used from website. Interestingly, we found that the BCBM patients with an annual income of over USD$70,000 had better BCSS (HR = 0.523, 95%CI 0.273–0.999, P

Abstract Semen Ziziphi Spinosae protein (SZSP) is a new plant protein resource with good food functional properties and health care function. However, the biological activity of SZSP has not been further studied, which greatly limits the development and utilization of SZSP in the food industry. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of SZSP on immunosuppressed mice and its inhibitory effect on immune-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The results demonstrated that SZSP remarkably improved the immunomodulatory secretion in serum (interleukin-2, tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], interferon-γ, immunoglobulin-A, immunoglobulin-G, immunoglobulin-M) and primary macrophages (nitric oxide, interleukin-1β, TNF-α) and promoted the NK-cell killing activity of primary splenocytes in CTX-induced immunosuppression mice. Immunohistochemical analysis results indicated that the secretion of CD4 + and CD8 + in the spleen and thymus can be regulated by SZSP, leading to inhibition of the damage induced by cyclophosphamide in mice. Meanwhile, in order to clarify the immunomodulatory mechanism of SZSP, we showed that SZSP significantly inhibited the secretion of NO, interleukin-6, and TNF-α and reduced the phosphorylation expression of p-ERK, p-JNK, and p-IκBα in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Therefore, the immunomodulatory effect of SZSP may be related to the activation of MAPKs and NF-κB signaling pathways. Based on the above studies, the preliminary purification of SZSP was continued, and S1F2G1 with immunomodulatory activity was obtained. Taken together, SZSP has an immunoregulatory effect in vivo and in vitro and may be a favorable candidate of functional food raw material for regulating immune responses.

The polymer solution flow in porous media is a central research topic related to hydraulic fracturing measures, formation damage and fracture propagation. Influenced by molecular weights and concentrations, various flow patterns of polymer in pores are presented, resulting in different filtration loss. In this work, the effectiveness of various polymer solutions for filtration loss was assessed by utilizing the core flooding experiment firstly. The result shows that lesser filtration loss normally is inextricably linked to solutions with high molecular weight and concentration. Subsequently, the flow behaviors of polymer solutions investigated by designed micro pore-throat structure and micro-particle image velocimetry (μ-PIV) further confirmed the above result. It was found that the central convergent flow pattern benefiting from higher viscous force loss and less filtration loss was observed at high flow rates (0.5 mL/h), and higher molecular weight and concentration were more prone to convergent flow patterns. The viscosity force loss increases by about 4 times varying the molecular weight of polymer from 5 × 106 to 18 × 106 g/mol or the concentration from 0.05 to 0.3%. It interprets higher molecular weight and concentration in core studies and field observations with decreased filtration loss of HPAM. This work provides a theoretical foundation for the application of fracturing fluids as well as fresh perspectives on how to access the filtration loss of fracturing fluids.

Abstract Objective Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) has significant effects in gastrointestinal surgery, urology, and orthopedic department, but the application of ERAS in liver cancer patients undergoing hepatectomy is less reported. This study aims to identify the effectiveness and safety of ERAS in liver cancer patients undergoing hepatectomy. Methods Patients who performed ERAS and no-ERAS after hepatectomy due to liver cancer from 2019 to 2022 were prospectively and retrospectively collected, respectively. Preoperative baseline data, surgical characteristics, and postoperative outcomes of patients in ERAS and non-ERAS groups were compared and analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the risk factors of complications occurrence and prolonged hospital stay. Results In total, 318 patients were included in the study, 150 and 168 individuals in the ERAS group and non-ERAS group, respectively. The preoperative baseline and surgical characteristics between the ERAS and non-ERAS groups were comparable and not statistically different. Postoperative visual analogue scale pain score, the median day of gastrointestinal function recovery postoperative, complications rate, and postoperative hospitalization days were lower in the ERAS group than in the non-ERAS group. In addition, multivariate logistic regression analysis found that the implementation of the ERAS was an independent protective factor for prolonged hospitalization stay and complications occurrence. The rate of rehospitalization after discharge (

Abstract Background Since hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss is rarely achieved with nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) treatment, most patients require life-long NA treatment. Previous studies have shown that some patients remain virologically responsive even after NA cessation. However, there is still controversy surrounding whether NA discontinuation increases the HBsAg loss rate. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the cumulative rate of HBsAg loss and identify the predictors of HBsAg loss after NA discontinuation. Methods This multicenter prospective study included HBV e antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients without cirrhosis from 12 hospitals in China who met the inclusion criteria. The enrolled patients stopped NA and were followed up with clinical and laboratory assessments every 3 months for 24 months after NA cessation or until clinical relapse (CR) occurred. Results Overall, 158 patients were classified into two groups. Group A included patients with HBsAg positivity at NA cessation (n = 139), and Group B included patients with HBsAg negativity at NA cessation (n = 19). In Group A, the 12-month and 24-month cumulative rates of HBsAg loss were4.3%and 9.4%, respectively. End of treatment (EOT) HBsAg (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.152, P

Abstract Introduction Admission hyperglycemia and high admission blood glucose levels have been associated with poor outcomes in acute ischemic stroke. However, the relationship between admission hyperglycemia and outcomes after endovascular treatment (EVT) in acute basilar artery occlusion (ABAO) still remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between admission hyperglycemia and clinical outcomes in ABAO following EVT. Methods Patients from the BASILAR registry with admission blood glucose levels treated with EVT were included. We defined admission hyperglycemia as blood glucose levels ≥ 7.8 mmol/L. The primary outcome was favorable outcome [defined as a modified Rankin Scale score (mRS) of 0–3] at 90 days, Secondary outcomes included other functional outcomes (mRS 0–2, mRS 0–1) at 90 days, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) within 48 h, and mortality at 90 days. Results Of 545 eligible patients included, the median age was 65 (IQR, 56–73) years, and median blood glucose level was 7.36 (IQR, 6.10–9.66) mmol/L. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that admission hyperglycemia was associated with decreased favorable outcome (mRS 0–3) (adjusted odds ratio = 0.52; 95% CI 0.35–0.79; P = 0.001), and increased mortality (adjusted odds ratio = 2.67; 95% CI 1.82–3.91; P

Abstract Background Immunosuppressive medication reduces the immunogenicity of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) vaccines in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The primary aim of our study was to dissect the impact of immunosuppressive medication on cellular and humoral immune responses in RMD patients receiving the inactivated COVID‐19 vaccine. Methods A total of 28 RMD patients and five healthy controls (HCs) receiving two doses of the inactivated COVID‐19 vaccine (Sinovac‐CoronaVac) were prospectively enrolled. Blood samples were collected before the primary vaccination (Week 0) and one week after the second vaccination (Week 5). Neutralizing antibody (nAb) titers and autoantibody titers were measured by a pseudovirus‐based neutralization assay and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. CD4+ T‐cell and CD19+ B‐cell subsets and serum cytokines were analyzed by flow cytometry. Results The inactivated COVID‐19 vaccine was immunogenic in RMD patients and HCs after the second vaccination, but the nAb titers were lower in RMD patients than those in HCs. Only patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) had notably increased nAb titers. Remarkably, IgG+CD27+, IgG+IgG1+, and IgG+IgG1− B cells were reduced, whereas IgG−IgG1+ B cells, and total IgA and IgG titers were markedly increased. However, Tfh cell and Tfr cell subsets and cytokines produced by Tfh cells were not increased. The flare rate was low in RMD patients with comparable autoantibody titers, unchanged CD4+ T cell subsets and serum pro‐inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]‐6, IL‐17, interferon‐γ, and tumor necrosis factor‐α) after the second vaccination. Conclusions Immunosuppressive therapy decreased the immunogenicity of the vaccine and maintained a low flare rate by selectively modulating B cell but not CD4+ T cell responses in RMD patients receiving the inactivated COVID‐19 vaccine. Optimization of the treatment regimen might ensure a durable and robust COVID‐19 vaccination response.

Abstract Clinical hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is regarded as a potential treatment that can prolong survival of patients with peritoneal metastases after cytoreductive surgery. However, treated tumor cells are prone to becoming heat resistant to HIPEC therapy through high expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs). Here, a carrier-free bifunctional nanoinhibitor was developed for HIPEC therapy in the management of peritoneal metastases. Self-assembly of the nanoinhibitor was formed by mixing Mn ion and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in a controllable manner. Such nanoinhibitor directly inhibited HSP90 and impaired the HSP90 chaperone cycle by reduced intracellular ATP level. Additionally, heat and Mn ion synergistically induced oxidative stress and expression of caspase 1, which activated GSDMD by proteolysis and caused pyroptosis in tumor cells, triggering immunogenic inflammatory cell death and induced maturation of dendritic cells through the release of tumor antigens. This strategy to inhibit heat resistance in HIPEC presented an unprecedented paradigm for converting “cold” tumors into “hot” ones, thus significantly eradicating disseminated tumors located deep in the abdominal cavity and stimulating immune response in peritoneal metastases of a mouse model. Collectively, the nanoinhibitor effectively induced pyroptosis of colon tumor cells under heat conditions by inhibiting heat stress resistance and increasing oxidative stress, which may provide a new strategy for treatment of colorectal peritoneal metastases.

Abstract Repurposing existing drugs to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection in airway epithelial cells (AECs) is a quick way to find novel treatments for COVID-19. Computational screening has found dicoumarol (DCM), a natural anticoagulant, to be a potential SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor, but its inhibitory effects and possible working mechanisms remain unknown. Using air-liquid interface culture of primary human AECs, we demonstrated that DCM has potent antiviral activity against the infection of multiple Omicron variants (including BA.1, BQ.1 and XBB.1). Time-of-addition and drug withdrawal assays revealed that early treatment (continuously incubated after viral absorption) of DCM could markedly inhibit Omicron replication in AECs, but DCM did not affect the absorption, exocytosis and spread of viruses or directly eliminate viruses. Mechanistically, we performed single-cell sequencing analysis (a database of 77,969 cells from different airway locations from 10 healthy volunteers) and immunofluorescence staining, and showed that the expression of NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), one of the known DCM targets, was predominantly localised in ciliated AECs. We further found that the NQO1 expression level was positively correlated with both the disease severity of COVID-19 patients and virus copy levels in cultured AECs. In addition, DCM treatment downregulated NQO1 expression and disrupted signalling pathways associated with SARS-CoV-2 disease outcomes (e.g., Endocytosis and COVID-19 signalling pathways) in cultured AECs. Collectively, we demonstrated that DCM is an effective post-exposure prophylactic for SARS-CoV-2 infection in the human AECs, and these findings could help physicians formulate novel treatment strategies for COVID-19.

Background: Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) phenotype will sensitize tumors to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases inhibitors and platinum. However, previous studies did not focus on the prevalence of HRD among Chinese breast cancer (BC) patients. Methods: One hundred and forty-seven BC patients were included in this study. Their HRD status was assessed by Genomic Scar Score (GSS), which was determined according to the length, site, and type of copy number. HRD was defined as positive when a harmful BRCA1/2 mutation was detected or GSS ≥50. Results: Our data revealed that 9.5% of the 147 patients tested positive for BRCA1/2 mutation, while approximately 34.7% were HRD-positive. For triple negative BC (TNBC), HRD positivity rate (60.5%) was higher than Luminal A (5.3%), Luminal B (HER2-) (28.8%), and Luminal B (HER2+) (31.6%) subgroups. HRD-positive tumors were more likely to be ER/PR-negative and exhibited higher Ki-67 expression. 50.0% of the HRD-positive patients achieved pathologic complete remission (pCR) after neoadjuvant therapy. HRD-positive patients tended to have a higher risk for cancer recurrence or metastasis compared to HRD-negative patients (29.4% vs. 13.5%). Conclusion: We investigated the HRD status among Chinese BC patients using an HRD detection tool developed based on the Chinese population. The clinical characteristics, pathological profile, family history pattern, neoadjuvant efficacy, and disease progression events of HRD-positive and negative patients were described and compared. Thus, our data provided an evidence-based basis for applying the original HRD assay in Chinese BC.

In order to explore the anti-aging effect and mechanism of recombinant recombinant human-derived collagen (RHC), the aging mouse model was constructed through 300 mg/kg D-galactose intraperitoneal injection, and different doses of RHC were used to study the changes of hyaluronic acid, collagen, lipofuscin, hydroxyproline content, antioxidant enzyme activity, key genes and protein expression related to epidermal cell proliferation and differentiation and collagen synthesis. The results showed that compared with the aging model group (SLM), the intervention groups that was gavaged RHC had significantly less skin folds, higher collagen content (P

This paper focuses on a class of variation-inequality problems involving non-divergence polytropic parabolic operators. The penalty method is employed, along with the Leray Schauder fixed point theory and limit progress, to determine the existence of solutions. The study also delves into the blow-up phenomena of the solution, revealing that under certain conditions, the solution will blow up in finite time.

Abstract Background Fatty acids are involved in a wide range of immunological responses in humans. Supplementation of polyunsaturated fatty acids has been reported to help alleviate symptoms and airway inflammation in asthma patients, whereas the effects of fatty acids on the actual risk of asthma remain controversial. This study comprehensively investigated the causal effects of serum fatty acids on asthma risk using two-sample bidirectional Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis. Methods Genetic variants strongly associated with 123 circulating fatty acid metabolites were extracted as instrumental variables, and a large GWAS data of asthma was used to test effects of the metabolites on this outcome. The inverse-variance weighted method was used for primary MR analysis. The weighted median, MR-Egger regression, MR-PRESSO, and leave-one-out analyses were utilized to evaluate heterogeneity and pleiotropy. Potential confounders were adjusted by performing multivariable MR analyses. Reverse MR analysis was also conducted to estimate the causal effect of asthma on candidate fatty acid metabolites. Further, we performed colocalization analysis to examine the pleiotropy of variants within the fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1) locus between the significant metabolite traits and the risk of asthma. Cis-eQTL-MR and colocalization analysis were also performed to determine the association between RNA expression of FADS1 and asthma. Results Genetically instrumented higher average number of methylene groups was causally associated with a lower risk of asthma in primary MR analysis, while inversely, the higher ratio of bis-allylic groups to double bonds and the higher ratio of bis-allylic groups to total fatty acids, were associated with higher probabilities of asthma. Consistent results were obtained in multivariable MR when adjusted for potential confounders. However, these effects were completely eliminated after SNPs correlated with the FADS1 gene were excluded. The reverse MR also found no causal association. The colocalization analysis suggested that the three candidate metabolite traits and asthma likely share causal variants within the FADS1 locus. In addition, the cis-eQTL-MR and colocalization analyses demonstrated a causal association and shared causal variants between FADS1 expression and asthma. Conclusions Our study supports a negative association between several PUFA traits and the risk of asthma. However, this association is largely attributed to the influence of FADS1 polymorphisms. The results of this MR study should be carefully interpreted given the pleiotropy of SNPs associated with FADS1.

Abstract Purpose Bloodstream infection (BSI) caused by Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are associated with poor outcomes in hematological patients. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for mortality and evaluate the value of epidemiological feature of carbapenemases in guiding antimicrobial treatment options. Methods Hematological patients with monomicrobial CRE BSI between January 2012 and April 2021 were included. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality 30 days after BSI onset. Results A total of 94 patients were documented in the study period. Escherichia coli was the most common Enterobacteriaceae, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae. 66 CRE strains were tested for carbapenemase genes, and 81.8% (54/66) were positive, including NDM (36/54), KPC (16/54), IMP (1/54). Besides, one E. coli isolate was found to express both NDM and OXA-48-like genes. Overall, 28 patients received an antimicrobial treatment containing ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI), of which 21 cases were combined with aztreonam. The remaining 66 patients were treated with other active antibiotics (OAAs). The 30-day mortality rate was 28.7% (27/94) for all patients, and was only 7.1% ((2/28) for patients treated with CAZ-AVI. In multivariate analysis, the presence of septic shock at BSI onset (OR 10.526, 95% CI 1.376–76.923) and pulmonary infection (OR 6.289, 95% CI 1.351–29.412) were independently risk factors for 30-day mortality. Comparing different antimicrobial regimens, CAZ-AVI showed a significant survive benefit than OAAs (OR 0.068, 95% CI 0.007–0.651). Conclusion CAZ-AVI-containing regimen is superior to OAAs for CRE BSI. As the predominance of blaNDM in our center, we recommend the combination with aztreonam when choose CAZ-AVI.

Abstract miRNA and other forms of small RNAs are known to regulate many biological processes. Single-cell small RNA sequencing can be used to profile small RNAs of individual cells; however, limitations of efficiency and scale prevent its widespread application. Here, we developed parallel single-cell small RNA sequencing (PSCSR-seq), which can overcome the limitations of existing methods and enable high-throughput small RNA expression profiling of individual cells. Analysis of PSCSR-seq data indicated that diverse cell types could be identified based on patterns of miRNA expression, and showed that miRNA content in nuclei is informative (for example, cell type marker miRNAs can be detected in isolated nuclei). PSCSR-seq is very sensitive: analysis of only 732 peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) detected 774 miRNAs, whereas bulk small RNA analysis would require input RNA from approximately 106 cells to detect as many miRNAs. We identified 42 miRNAs as markers for PBMC subpopulations. Moreover, we analyzed the miRNA profiles of 9,533 cells from lung cancer biopsies, and by dissecting cell subpopulations, we identified potentially diagnostic and therapeutic miRNAs for lung cancers. Our study demonstrates that PSCSR-seq is highly sensitive and reproducible, thus making it an advanced tool for miRNA analysis in cancer and life science research.

Abstract Developing efficient noble-metal-free surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates and unveiling the underlying mechanism is crucial for ultrasensitive molecular sensing. Herein, we report a facile synthesis of mixed-dimensional heterostructures via oxygen plasma treatments of two-dimensional (2D) materials. As a proof-of-concept, 1D/2D WO3-x /WSe2 heterostructures with good controllability and reproducibility are synthesized, in which 1D WO3-x nanowire patterns are laterally arranged along the three-fold symmetric directions of 2D WSe2. The WO3-x/WSe2 heterostructures exhibited high molecular sensitivity, with a limit of detection of 5 × 10−18 M and an enhancement factor of 5.0 × 1011 for methylene blue molecules, even in mixed solutions. We associate the ultrasensitive performance to the efficient charge transfer induced by the unique structures of 1D WO3-x nanowires and the effective interlayer coupling of the heterostructures. We observed a charge transfer timescale of around 1.0 picosecond via ultrafast transient spectroscopy. Our work provides an alternative strategy for the synthesis of 1D nanostructures from 2D materials and offers insights on the role of ultrafast charge transfer mechanisms in plasmon-free SERS-based molecular sensing.

Abstract Background The biomaterial integration depends on its interaction with the host immune system. Monocyte-macrophage lineage cells are immediately recruited to the implant site, polarized into different phenotypes, and fused into multinucleated cells, thus playing roles in tissue regeneration. IL-1R-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) inhibition was reported to antagonize inflammatory osteolysis and regulate osteoclasts and foreign body giant cells (FBGCs), which may be a potential target in implant osseointegration. Methods In in-vitro experiments, we established simulated physiological and inflammatory circumstances in which bone-marrow-derived macrophages were cultured on sand-blasted and acid-etched (SLA) titanium surfaces to evaluate the induced macrophage polarization, multinucleated cells formation, and biological behaviors in the presence or absence of IRAK4i. Then, bone marrow stromal stem cells (BMSCs) were cultured in the conditioned media collected from the aforementioned induced osteoclasts or FBGCs cultures to clarify the indirect coupling effect of multinucleated cells on BMSCs. We further established a rat implantation model, which integrates IRAK4i treatment with implant placement, to verify the positive effect of IRAK4 inhibition on the macrophage polarization, osteoclast differentiation, and ultimately the early peri-implant osseointegration in vivo. Results Under inflammatory conditions, by transforming the monocyte-macrophage lineage cells from M1 to M2, IRAK4i treatment could down-regulate the formation and activity of osteoclast and relieve the inhibition of FBGC generation, thus promoting osteogenic differentiation in BMSCs and improve the osseointegration. Conclusion This study may improve our understanding of the function of multinucleated cells and offer IRAK4i as a therapeutic strategy to improve early implant osseointegration and help to eliminate the initial implant failure.

Abstract To investigate the clinical features, survival, and prognostic factors of patients with double primary malignant neoplasms (DPMNs) comprising non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and malignant solid tumors. Of the 2352 patients diagnosed with NHL, 105 (4.46%) patients were diagnosed with DPMNs, 42 (40.0%) had NHL first (the NHL-first group) and 63 (60.0%) had solid tumor first (the ST-first group). Females were more frequent in the ST-first group, and the interval time between the two tumors was longer. More NHLs in early stages and originating from extranodal sites were observed in the NHL-first group. Male, age ≥ 55 years at diagnosis of the first tumor, interval time

This study focuses on arc-shaped 40CrNiMo steel; the microstructure characteristics and formation mechanism of the hardened layer at different positions were investigated after laser hardening. Moreover, sliding friction experiments were conducted against GCr15 steel after the conventional heat treatment under dry friction conditions, and the wear characteristics of 40CrNiMo steel hardened after different laser process parameters was analyzed, the wear mechanism in different wear stages was studied. The results show that the martensite reliefs within different austenite grains have no effect on each other. The martensite relief within each individual austenite grain is closely related to the martensite growth in that grain. The laser hardening process parameters for obtaining the effective wear resistance performance of arc-shaped 40CrNiMo steel are as follows: the power was 2010 W, the spot size was 1 × 14 mm2 and the scanning speed was 800 mm/min. At the beginning of the friction wear tests, the wear type of arc-shaped 40CrNiMo steel is mainly abrasive wear. Abrasive wear causes spalling, and oxidation wear can easily occur at the peeling sites. As the dry friction wear tests continued, both oxidation wear and adhesive wear increased, and fatigue wear gradually occurred. The wear mechanism of the grinding plate with a similar hardness at different stages is similar to that of the circular-arc specimen.

Background: The overall incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in neonates undergoing emergency gastrointestinal surgery is yet to be determined. The study aims are to analyze our experience in emergency gastrointestinal surgery for neonates and to evaluate the incidence of AKI. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of neonates undergoing emergency gastrointestinal surgery between June 31, 2018 and May 10, 2022 (N = 329). The primary outcome was the overall incidence of AKI. The diagnostic AKI was based on the Modified Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) definition of neonatal AKI. The secondary outcomes, including the postoperative length of hospital stay (PLOS), 24-h mortality, in-hospital mortality, and total in-hospital cost, were analyzed. The risk factors associated with the development of postoperative AKI were also analyzed. Results: The incidence of postoperative AKI was 9.1% (30/329). No significant differences were detected in the 24-h mortality and in-hospital mortality between the two cohorts. In the final model, patients undergoing mechanical ventilation before surgery, vasopressor support, surgical duration, intraoperative oliguria and preoperative lowest serum creatinine (SCr), were independently associated with AKI. Conclusion: Our study found that patients undergoing mechanical ventilation before surgery, vasopressor support, surgical duration, intraoperative oliguria and preoperative lowest SCr were independently associated with postoperative AKI in neonates who accepted emergency gastrointestinal surgeries.

Simple sequence repeats (SSRs), also known as microsatellites, stand out as the most crucial molecular markers in both animals and plants owing to their high polymorphism, extensive information content, ease of detection through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, and widespread distribution across the genome. In this study, a total of 125,443 SSR loci were identified from the whole-genome sequence of B. oleracea, and 82,948 primer pairs for SSR have been designed. Furthermore, each primer pair is designated with a unique identifier (ranging from BolSSR00001 to BolSSR82984). Our findings indicated that certain markers within them could be transferred to other cruciferous crops. In addition, a total of 336 pairs of SSR primers have been used to screen the polymorphism between the bolting-resistant and bolting-easy gene pools. After the test of verification with F2 generation individual plants, we obtained an SSR dominant marker, BolSSR040196, linked with bolting-resistant locus in cabbage, and the genetic distance between this SSR marker and the bolting-resistant locus was 10.69 cM. Moreover, BolSSR040196 is located on the C05 chromosome with a CT motif, characterized by a repeat of 9 in bolting-easy plants and 11 in bolting-resistant plants. Haplotype analysis showed that the correct prediction rate reached 82.35%. The BolSSR040196 marker can be used in marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding, offering a straightforward and efficient approach for bolting-resistant cabbage breeding in the future.

Cysticercus pisiformis is a kind of tapeworm larvae of Taenia pisiformis, which parasitizes the liver envelope, omentum, mesentery, and rectum of rodents such as rabbits. Cysteine protease inhibitors derived from helminth were immunoregulatory molecules of intermediate hosts and had an immunomodulatory function that regulates the production of inflammatory factors. Thus, in the present research, the recombinant Stefin of C. pisiformis was confirmed to have the potential to fight inflammation in LPS-Mediated RAW264.7 murine macrophages. CCK8 test showed that rCpStefin below 50 μg/mL concentration did not affect cellular viability. Moreover, the NO production level determined by the Griess test was decreased. In addition, the secretion levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α as measured by ELISA were decreased. Furthermore, it exerted anti-inflammatory activity by decreasing the production of proinflammatory cytokines and proinflammatory mediators, including IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, iNOS, and COX-2 at the gene transcription level, as measured by qRT-PCR. Therefore, Type I cystatin derived from C. pisiformis suppresses the LPS-Mediated inflammatory response of the intermediate host and is a potential candidate for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

This study evaluated the biocontrol effect of isolated epiphytic yeasts (Papiliotrema terrestris, Hanseniaspora uvarum, and Rhodosporidium glutinis) against Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria alternata in blueberry fruits and its possible mechanisms. Our findings indicated that the three tested yeasts exerted a good biocontrol effect on postharvest diseases in blueberry, and that H. uvarum was the most effective. In addition, the three tested yeasts could improve the postharvest storage quality of blueberry fruits to some extent. H. uvarum demonstrated the strongest direct inhibitory effect on pathogens by suppressing spore germination, mycelial growth, and antifungal volatile organic compound (VOC) production. P. terrestris showed the highest extracellular lytic enzymes activities. It also had better adaptation to low temperature in fruit wounds at 4 °C. The biofilm formation capacity was suggested to be the main action mechanism of R. glutinis, which rapidly colonized fruit wounds at 20 °C. Several action mechanisms are employed by the superb biocontrol yeasts, while yeast strains possess distinctive characteristics and have substantially different action mechanisms.

The mechanical properties and crack propagation behavior of aluminum alloys, both with and without corroded surfaces, were thoroughly investigated through molecular dynamic (MD) simulations. The study delved into the effects of corrosion depth and width on the mechanical properties of corroded aluminum alloys. It was found that as the corrosion depth increases, the yield strength experiences an initial decrease followed by a subsequent increase. This can be attributed to the impact of increased corrosion depth on the healing of surface roughness, which ultimately leads to significant changes in yield strength. Furthermore, the presence of corrosion pits was identified as a key factor in regulating the local microstructure evolution within the material, leading to pronounced differences in stress distribution localization. This, in turn, influenced the path of crack propagation within the material. These findings not only contribute to a deeper understanding of the behavior of aluminum alloys under corrosion, but also provide valuable insights for the development of aluminum alloys with enhanced mechanical properties.

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of network characteristics on supply chain network resilience (SCNR) when risk propagation occurs in supply chain networks (SCNs). The network characteristics we study here (e.g., clustering coefficient, scalar index, node type, etc.) are exceptionally important for real-life SCNs, but are not sufficiently considered in the previous research on SCNR. To this end, we first construct an SCN model with adjustable parameters for multiple network characteristics. Second, this SCN model is combined with a susceptible–infectious–susceptible model to construct an SCN risk propagation model. Third, we propose using the average (i.e., a novel SCNR metric considering node type) of the sizes of the maximum connected subgraphs (which contain all node types) over a period of time after risk propagation reaches a steady state. Fourth, the parameters of the SCN model are adjusted to generate SCNs with different network characteristics, and then the resilience of these SCNs is addressed accordingly. The simulation results mainly show the following: the larger the scalar index of an SCN is, the higher its resilience; the larger the clustering coefficient of an SCN is, the smaller its resilience; and the more uniform the distribution of node types is in an SCN, the higher its resilience. Our research work will help optimize SCNs’ structure, which has important implications for society and practice.

The multifunctional development in the field of face masks and the growing demand for scalable manufacturing have become increasingly prominent. In this study, we utilized high-vacuum magnetron sputtering technology to deposit a 5 nm ultra-thin Ag–Cu film on non-woven fabric and fabricated ultra-thin Ag–Cu film face masks. The antibacterial rates against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were 99.996% and 99.978%, respectively, while the antiviral activity against influenza A virus H1N1 was 99.02%. Furthermore, the mask’s ability to monitor respiratory system diseases was achieved through color change (from brownish-yellow to grey-white). The low cost and scalability potential of ultra-thin silver–copper film masks offer new possibilities for practical applications of multifunctional masks.

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a clinical syndrome of ovarian dysfunction characterized by the abnormal alteration of hormone levels such as FSH and E2. POI causes infertility, severe daily life disturbances, and long-term health risks. However, the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that POI is associated with the cellular senescence of ovarian granulosa cells, and TRIM28 mediates oxidative stress (OS)-induced cellular senescence in granulosa cells. Mechanistically, OS causes a decrease in TRIM28 protein levels in KGN cells. Subsequently, it triggers an increase in the levels of autophagy marker proteins ATG5 and LC3B-II, and the downregulation of P62. Abnormal autophagy induces an increase in the levels of cellular senescence markers γ-H2A.X, P16, and P21, provoking cellular senescence in vitro. The overexpression of ovarian TRIM28 through a microinjection of lentivirus attenuated autophagy, cellular senescence, and follicular atresia in the ovaries of POI mice and improved mouse fertility in vivo. Our study highlights the triggers for POI, where the reduction of TRIM28, which is regulated by reactive oxygen species, causes follicular atresia and POI via triggering autophagy and inducing granulosa cell senescence. Shedding light on TRIM28 may represent a potential intervention strategy for POI.

Induction-heating graphitization furnaces are widely used to produce high-purity graphite products due to their high heating rate, high-limit temperatures, safety, cleanliness, and precise control. However, the existing induction-heating systems based on copper coils have limited energy efficiency. This paper proposes a new induction-heating graphitization furnace based on graphene coils. Due to the excellent high-temperature resistance of the macroscopic graphene material, the coil can be placed closer to the graphite heater, which improves the electromagnetic efficiency; the coil itself does not need to pass cooling water, which reduces the heat loss of the furnace and ultimately results in a higher energy efficiency of the induction furnace. In this paper, a numerical model of the induction-heating process is established and verified, the temperature-field and electromagnetic-field distributions of the heating process are analyzed by using the model, and the energy balance calculations are performed for the original furnace and the new furnace. Through a comparison, it was found that the new furnace possesses an electromagnetic efficiency of 84.87% and a thermal efficiency of 20.82%, and it can reduce the energy consumption by 33.34%, compared with the original furnace. In addition, the influence of the coil parameters on the performance of the induction furnace is discussed. By changing the coil conductivity, the induction furnace can achieve an energy efficiency of 17.76%–18.11%. This study provides new ideas for the application of macroscopic graphene materials in high-temperature induction heating.

Purple sweet potato (PSP) has abundant nutritional compounds, which are valuable constituents of the human diet, but its development and utilization are still in the primary processing phase. This study examined the differences in nutritional characteristics of 10 PSP varieties. A variety of nutritional components were evaluated and comprehensively compared using principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA). The PSP had 60.9–70.1% moisture. The dried PSP had abundant starch (43.9~67.2%) and dietary fiber (9.40~16.5%), moderate levels of protein (3.19~8.75%) and reducing sugar (1.44~4.01%), and low amounts of crude fat (0.51~1.01%). The anthocyanin profile varied significantly between the different varieties. A correlation analysis showed that a higher content of anthocyanins resulted in a darker color. The PCA and CA suggested that varieties XS, ZL, and JS18 are desirable for developing the diabetic patient’s diet. JS1 had the highest anthocyanin, protein, and dietary fiber contents and the lowest starch, implying that it could be used as a source of natural colorants or functional foods. Varieties FX, GS, ES13, and EN are suitable for producing various starch-based food products, such as noodles, cookies, and pastries. This study provides a reference for the practical use and rational processing of PSP resources.

The Three-River Headstreams Region (TRHR) serves as the cradle of China’s three major rivers—the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang—rendering its water conservation (WC) capacity quintessentially significant for Asian water resource security. This study integrated the InVEST model and random forest model to holistically elucidate the spatiotemporal characteristics and factors influencing WC in the TRHR from 1980 to 2018. The results revealed that the WC growth rate was 5.65 mm/10a in the TRHR during the study period, yet pronounced regional disparities were observed among different basins, especially with the Lancang River Basin (LRB), which exhibited a decrease at a rate of 5.08 mm per decade despite having the highest WC. Through Theil–Sen trend analysis, the Mann–Kendall abrupt change test, and the cumulative deviation method, meteorological, vegetative, and land use abrupt changes in approximately 2000 were identified as the primary drivers for the abrupt surge in WC within the TRHR. Furthermore, precipitation and the aridity index were the core feature variables affecting WC. However, a positive transition in land use patterns post-2000 was also revealed, and its favorable effect on WC was not as significant as the abrupt climatic changes. This study offers new perspectives on managing multidimensional spatiotemporal data and contributes to laying the groundwork for machine learning applications in water conservation. Additionally, it potentially provides useful references for decision-making processes related to ecosystem security.