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Promoting the transformation of water, land, energy and carbon management to "multi-resource" synergy contributes to thoroughly assess the carbon reduction potential of regional human behavior in response to climate change from the angle of the source of production and the coupling development of resources, which is significant in promoting resource conservation and improving production efficiency. This study conducts a conceptual framework to evaluate the impact of water utilization changes on the water-land-energy-carbon (WLEC) nexus in the Yellow River Basin (YRB), and quantitatively discusses the complex interactions between water utilization changes and the total WLEC system and subsystems by applying the coupling coordination degree. Results present that: (1) the overall difference in the water utilization quantity of the YRB is expanding, and the water utilization types and efficiency show significant heterogeneity of flow segments. (2) Incorporating water into the land-energy-carbon system leads to an increase in the overall coupling and coupling coordination values in the YRB, and different reaches show different growth heterogeneity. (3) The coordination levels of the two-factor system consisting of the water and land-energy-carbon subsystems will be superimposed or canceled out, thus impacting the coupling coordination of the WLEC nexus. This study helps to further clarify the impact of water utilization changes on the land-energy-carbon system and its internal subsystems, and the combination of the WLEC nexus can provide references for governments to establish regional synergistic development models of water-land-energy resources and reduce carbon emission with their resource advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the aerospace sector, the identification and extraction of surface defects on composite parts is particularly important as they can have a very serious impact. This paper proposes a new extraction method for surface defects of composite materials, where 3D point clouds on the surface of composite workpieces are directly manipulated to finally extract a point cloud of defects containing both morphological and spatial location information. The specific operation explores the influencing factors in the formation and extraction process of composite surface defects and summarizes them into five categories: material type, fiber direction, curvature algorithm, neighborhood size, and filtering threshold. The Multilayer Perceptron‐Moth Flame algorithm two‐stage network model was constructed, which can reveal the relationship between these five types of influencing factors and the formation and extraction of surface defects in composites in the forward direction with an accuracy of 93.07%. It can also achieve optimal parameter recommendation in the reverse direction. Highlights: Automatic identification and extraction of defects on the surface of composite workpieces is achieved based on 3D point cloud and curvature calculation.The forward direction reveals the relationship between the surface defect formation process and the material type and fabric direction.The reverse direction can automatically select the best curvature algorithm, neighborhood size, and filtering condition parameters.Build a Multilayer Perceptron‐Moth Flame Algorithm network structure based on multilayer perceptron and moth‐flame algorithm for model training of defect extraction, with an accuracy of 93.07%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The 70-gene signature (70-GS, MammaPrint) test has been recommended by the main guidelines to evaluate prognosis and chemotherapy benefit of hormonal receptor positive human epidermal receptor 2 negative (HR + /Her2−) early breast cancer (BC). However, this expensive assay is not always accessible and affordable worldwide. Based on our previous study, we established nomogram models to predict the binary and quartile categorized risk of 70-GS. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a consecutive cohort of 150 female patients with HR + /Her2− BC and eligible 70-GS test. Comparison of 40 parameters including the patients' medical history risk factors, imaging features and clinicopathological characteristics was performed between patients with high risk (N = 62) and low risk (N = 88) of 70-GS test, whereas risk calculations from established models including Clinical Treatment Score Post-5 years (CTS5), Immunohistochemistry 3 (IHC3) and Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI) were also compared between high vs low binary risk of 70-GS and among ultra-high (N = 12), high (N = 50), low (N = 65) and ultra-low (N = 23) quartile categorized risk of 70-GS. The data of 150 patients were randomly split by 4:1 ratio with training set of 120 patients and testing set 30 patients. Univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression were performed to establish the two nomogram models to predict the the binary and quartile categorized risk of 70-GS. Results: Compared to 70-GS low-risk patients, the high-risk patients had significantly less cardiovascular co-morbidity (p = 0.034), more grade 3 BC (p = 0.006), lower progesterone receptor (PR) positive percentage (p = 0.007), more Ki67 high BC (≥ 20%, p < 0.001) and no significant differences in all the imaging parameters of ultrasound and mammogram. The IHC3 risk and the NPI calculated score significantly correlated with both the binary and quartile categorized 70-GS risk classifications (both p < 0.001). The area under curve (AUC) of receiver-operating curve (ROC) of nomogram for binary risk prediction were 0.826 (C-index 0.903, 0.799–1.000) for training and 0.737 (C-index 0.785, 0.700–0.870) for validation dataset respectively. The AUC of ROC of nomogram for quartile risk prediction was 0.870 (C-index 0.854, 0.746–0.962) for training and 0.592 (C-index 0.769, 0.703–0.835) for testing set. The prediction accuracy of the nomogram for quartile categorized risk groups were 55.0% (likelihood ratio tests, p < 0.001) and 53.3% (p = 0.04) for training and validation, which more than double the baseline probability of 25%. Conclusions: To our knowledge, we are the first to establish easy-to-use nomograms to predict the individualized binary (high vs low) and the quartile categorized (ultra-high, high, low and ultra-low) risk classification of 70-GS test with fair performance, which might provide information for treatment choice for those who have no access to the 70-GS testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the major challenges remaining in the classification of thyroid tumor is the determination of whether a nodule is benign or malignant. We aimed to characterize the mutational profiles of follicular thyroid tumor and to identify markers with potential diagnostic and prognostic implications. Methods: Targeted sequencing with a panel of 18 thyroid cancer-related genes was performed on 48 tissue samples from follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA), 32 follicular tumors of uncertain malignant potential (FT-UMP), 17 well-differentiated tumors of uncertain malignant potential (WDT-UMP) and 53 samples from follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC). The correlation of mutation profiles and clinicopathological features and prognosis were also analyzed. Results: We identified 95 nonsilent mutations spanning 14 genes. Specifically, TERT promoter (TERTp) mutations were exclusively detected in FTC. A total of 80% EIF1AX exon 2 mutations (4/5) and 75% TSHR mutations (3/4) occurred in FTA, whereas the rest of them occurred in FT-UMP. KRAS mutations and TP53 mutations were only presented in borderline or malignant tumors. H/N-RAS mutations were detected in all four subtypes, but were most commonly found in WDT-UMP (p = 0.031). All N-RAS mutations were located at codon 61. BRAF V600E and RET fusion were absent in the entire cohort. In FTC cases, EIF1AX mutations were all located at intron 5/exon 6 and correlated with advanced disease (p = 0.032). Both EIF1AX and TERTp mutations predicted shorter disease-free survival (p = 0.007, p = 0.024, respectively). Further analysis revealed that TERTp mutations were correlated with shorter disease-free survival in patients with minimally invasive /encapsulated angioinvasive FTC (p = 0.017), but not in those with widely invasive FTC (p = 0.297). Conclusion: TERTp, EIF1AX, TSHR, H/N/K-RAS and TP53 mutations may have diagnostic or prognostic potential in follicular thyroid tumors. TERTp mutations may predict a poor outcome in patients with minimally invasive/encapsulated angioinvasive FTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-entropy alloy (HEA) films prepared by magnetron sputtering on 3D substrates have excellent ability to release bubbles, good electrical conductivity, and abundant active sites, which lead to excellent performance in oxygen evolution reaction. HEA films with various elements were prepared on different substrates. In general, oxygen evolution reaction abilities of HEA film electrodes are related to morphologies of catalyst and types of active sites. Notably, nanostructures with regular array could help to increase the surface area of electrocatalysts and expose active sites. Also, chloride salt solution of transition metals can promote the formation of high-entropy oxy/hydroxides due to oxygen absorption oxidation reaction and displacement reaction on the surface of HEA film electrodes. And electrochemical oxidation at suitable high potential can also produce high-entropy oxy/hydroxides. In this work, dense nanosheet array structures of high-entropy oxy/hydroxides were constructed on the surface of FeCoNiCrMo HEA film electrodes preprocessed in NiCl2 solution and reconstructed by electrochemical oxidation in KOH solution further. The FeCoNiCrMo HEA film electrode with dense nanosheet array structures has excellent OER performance with the overpotential of 250 mV, Tafel slope of 41.5 mV dec−1, and electric double layer capacitance of 4.3 mF cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper electrodeposition in through silicon via (TSV) with additives is a complicated process. Experimental methods are proposed to determine parameters (exchange current density on the cathode covered by additives, cathodic transfer coefficient and effective diffusion coefficient of additives) which are used in the mathematical model describing the copper electrodeposition process controlled by the additives. Linear scan voltammetry and Bulter-Volmer equation are used to determine the exchange current densities and cathodic transfer coefficients for different cathodic surfaces (free-occupied cathode, accelerator-covered cathode and suppressor-covered cathode). Effective diffusion coefficients of additives in plating bath used in TSV-filling model are calculated according to injection experiments and Wilke-Chang equation. The curvature effect, surface diffusion and surface convection are considered in the copper electrodeposition model. Both numerical simulation and experiment are performed on the copper electrodeposition of TSV with ∅20 μm × 65 μm, and comparisons are made to validate the model. The dynamic profile of TSV and the corresponding surface coverage of additives are analyzed to explain the mechanisms of additives in the process of TSV filling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since voids and seams are easily formed during the process of filling TSVs with high aspect ratio, good methods that can achieve the superfilling of TSVs are eagerly needed. This paper presents the numerical modeling of TSV filling concerning the influence of three additives (accelerator, suppressor and leveler). By changing the additives' doses and current density, the following three different simulation results were obtained: the pinch-off effect, seam-inside filling model and “V” shaped filling model. The corresponding distributions of the current density along the cathode surface were analyzed to investigate the filling mechanism. Moreover, TSV filling experiments in the presence of additives were also conducted to validate the proposed numerical model. The simulation results matched well with the experimental results. TSVs with a diameter of 20 μm and depth of 200 μm were fully filled in the appropriate conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors are the most studied forms of immunotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The Cancer Genome Map (TCGA) and METABRIC project provide large-scale cancer samples that can be used for comprehensive and reliable immunity-related gene research. Methods: We analyzed data from TCGA and METABRIC and established an immunity-related gene prognosis model for breast cancer. The SDC1 expression in tumor and cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) was then observed in 282 TNBC patients by immunohistochemistry. The effects of SDC1 on MDA-MB-231 proliferation, migration and invasion were evaluated. Qualitative real-time PCR and western blotting were performed to identify mRNA and protein expression, respectively. Results: SDC1, as a key immunity-related gene, was significantly correlated with survival in the TCGA and METABRIC databases, while SDC1 was found to be highly expressed in TNBC in the METABRIC database. In the TNBC cohort, patients with high SDC1 expression in tumor cells and low expression in CAFs had significantly lower disease-free survival (DFS) and fewer tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). The downregulation of SDC1 decreased the proliferation of MDA-MB-231, while promoting the migration of MDA-MB-231 cells by reducing the gene expression of E-cadherin and TGFb1 and activating p-Smad2 and p-Smad3 expression. Conclusion: SDC1 is a key immunity-related gene that is highly expressed TNBC patients. Patients with high SDC1 expression in tumors and low expression in CAFs had poor prognoses and low TILs. Our findings also suggest that SDC1 regulates the migration of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells through a TGFb1-Smad and E-cadherin-dependent mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the tribological behavior of surface texturing under water lubrication with particles of different sizes was analyzed through pin-on-disk tests. Results show that regardless of whether the particle size is greater than the texture depth, textured samples can effectively reduce the friction coefficient compared with untextured ones. Friction coefficient can be reduced up to 30 %. As the particle size increases, the efficiency of surface texturing in reducing friction decreases. When the particle size is smaller than the texture depth, surface texturing can store particles and thus reduce abrasive wear. On the contrary, when the particle size is larger than the texture depth, some particles will be embedded in the textures, resulting in impact wear. This study provides a reference for the design of the texture parameters in granular water. • Under water lubrication with particles of different sizes, surface texturing can reduce friction. • The efficiency of surface texturing in reducing friction decreases as particle size increases. • When the particle size is less than the texture depth, the texture can store the particles. • When the particle size is greater than the texture depth, particles will be embedded in the texture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The retention of hydrogen isotopes in tungsten has been a critical issue in future fusion facilities. Thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) is a common method for the studies of hydrogen isotope retention. To explore the effect of heating rate in TDS measurement, a series of deuterium (D) desorption experiments with different heating rates were conducted. The results were compared with TMAP7 (Tritium Migration and Analysis Program, version 7) simulations and Kissinger's theory. An empirical expression for the analysis of desorption spectra with different heating rates was derived. The expression was verified in another set of experiments on helium (He) desorption. Furthermore, the formation of molecules containing D atoms during TDS measurements was investigated. Specimens exposed to D plasma were stored in air and vacuum respectively for three months prior to desorption experiments. Signals of H, H 2 , HD, D 2 , HDO and D 2 O were detected. The reasons for the formation of these species were explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-microporous [Mg 3 (OOCH) 6 ] frameworks with different uniform shapes, were synthesized via a facile coordination modulation method, in which HF was used as a modulator to promote the growth of [Mg 3 (OOCH) 6 ] crystals. The as-prepared [Mg 3 (OOCH) 6 ] frameworks were scrutinized and evaluated the CH 4 adsorption capacity and selectivity over N 2 by pure gas adsorption and breakthrough experiments. The [Mg 3 (OOCH) 6 ] frameworks exhibit preferential adsorption of CH 4 over N 2 , and much higher CH 4 adsorption capacity (up to 0.74 mmol/g) by comparison with conventional zeolites. It has been confirmed that the equilibrium selectivities of [Mg 3 (OOCH) 6 ] frameworks are shape dependent, and the uniform prism-like framework with size of 100 μm has the highest selectivity up to 5.5 at 298 K. These results suggest that achieving the optimal coupling of polarizability and structure of [Mg 3 (OOCH) 6 ] framework is key factor to obtain a high selectivity for the separation of CH 4 /N 2 mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A refractory WTaCrVTi high-entropy alloy (HEA) film was prepared by magnetron sputtering, and a pure tungsten (W) film was also prepared in the same way used as a comparison sample. The electrical resistivity of the films in the temperature range of 4 K–300 K was measured by the standard four-probe method and the results showed that the resistivity of the HEA film is about 10 times higher than that of the W film. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity of the film sample is calculated by Wiedemann-Franz law. The results show that the thermal conductivity of the HEA film at 300 K is about 10 times lower than that of the W film. Deuterium and helium retention and desorption behavior induced by deuterium and helium plasma exposure of the two films were investigated. The total deuterium retention measured by thermal desorption spectra (TDS) in the HEA film was approximately 16 times larger than that in the W film, which was attributed to the existence of more grain boundary defects and vacancy-type defects in HEA film, leading to more deuterium trapped. The characteristics of helium bubbles in the two films were compared. The results showed that the helium bubbles in the HEA film had a shallower depth distribution and smaller size than those in the W film, which indicated that the bubbles growth evolution was suppressed in the HEA film compared to the W film. It is suggested that helium atoms in the HEA film experience larger lattice potential energy fluctuations due to the abundant hopping processes during diffusion and aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The nanosecond laser ablation behavior of the C/SiC composites in the air and water environments was investigated. • The mechanism of material removal in two processing environments was systematically analyzed and compared from the perspective of experiments and thermodynamic theory. • The energy balance equation of the laser processing material surface in two environments is established. • The existence of a water layer effectively avoids the redeposition of SiO 2 on the processing surface and alleviates heat accumulation, and the processing quality is better. Due to their excellent properties, C/SiC composites have gradually become a high-quality choice for structural parts in aerospace and other fields. However, the manner by which to achieve high-quality and efficient surface micromachining is still the focus of current research. In this study, we explored a new method of underwater nanosecond laser processing of C/SiC composites to obtain a machined surface with high cleanliness, less redeposition, and small heat affected area. The ablation behavior and material removal mechanism in the air and water environments were analyzed and compared by using a variety of characterization methods in combination with thermodynamic theory. The changes of the groove depth, width, surface morphology in different fiber directions, and material composition in the two environments were analyzed. The results showed that the removal of materials is realized by thermochemical corrosion in both environments. The water environment benefits from the cooling function of water layer, which alleviates heat accumulation in the processing area, and the heat affected area is small. Furthermore, the mechanical action of the water layer captured the vast majority of SiO 2 produced by oxidation reaction, effectively avoiding its redeposition on the machined surface and improving the surface cleanliness. For C/SiC composites, this work provides a feasible method for high-quality processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tungsten (W) film was prepared by magnetron sputtering, and the coarse crystalline W bulk was used as reference samples. All the samples were exposed to deuterium plasma with the exposure fluence of 1.67 × 1024 D/m2. The films were annealed in-situ at 723 K during deposition and hillocks were found on all film surfaces. Focused ion beam analysis of the subsurface structure of hillocks provides data support for the growth mechanism of hillocks. The formation of hillocks suggested that the underlying force is released the intrinsic compressive stress caused by thermal cycling during the magnetron sputtering. After deuterium plasma exposure, the W bulk showed obvious stepped high-dome deuterium blisters. The micrographs revealed the microscopic morphology characteristics of deuterium blisters and hillocks, and analyzed the similarities and differences between hillocks and surface deuterium blisters. By comparing the growth mechanism of hillocks on the W film with the surface blistering on the W bulk, the stress growth model of deuterium blisters on the surface of coarse crystalline W bulk is proposed. This work provides a new perspective for the transverse stress model of deuterium-induced surface blistering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover image is based on the Research Article Identification and extraction of surface defects on composite workpieces based on Multilayer Perceptron‐Moth Flame algorithm two‐stage neural network by Yang Wang et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.27952. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intercellular communication is crucial for breast cancer progression and metastasis. However, the role of cancer-derived exosomes and their crucial microRNA (miRNA) cargoes mediating intercellular communication requires further investigation. Methods: Cancer-derived exosomes were isolated using differential centrifugation and differentially expressed miRNAs were determined by microarrays and qRT-PCR analysis. Cell proliferation, wound-healing, Transwell invasion, and tumor xenograft assays were used for functional research. Plasma exosomal RNA was isolated to verify its role as a prognostic biomarker. Results: We found that the tumor-promoting capacity of the exosomes was positively related to their cells of origin. MiR-7641 was identified to be the most differentially expressed miRNA, both at endogenous and secretory levels in high-metastatic cancer cells. MiR-7641 could promote tumor cell progression and metastasis, and that these functions of miR-7641 could alter recipient cells via transportation of exosomes. Additionally, exosomal miR-7641 could promote tumor growth in vivo; and its levels were significantly elevated in the plasma of patients with distant metastasis. Bioinformatics analysis has suggested that miR-7641 is correlated with breast cancer survival, and several important cellular and biological processes are closely targeted by miR-7641. Conclusion: The findings indicate miR-7641 to be an important component of the cancer exosomes in promoting tumor progression and metastasis via intercellular communication. Additionally, exosomal miR-7641 may serve as a promising non-invasive diagnostic biomarker and potential targetable candidate in breast cancer treatment. BWySRQX9DMANyj4v-XQwBN Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have shown that branched-chain amino acid transferase 1 (BCAT1) is associated with tumour progression in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Furthermore, CD133 has emerged as a novel cancer stem cell marker for indicating tumour progression. However, the prognostic significance of these two markers remains to be verified. This study was conducted to investigate the correlation between BCAT1 and CD133 expression and clinicopathological features, as well as the prognosis of patients with TNBC.Methods: The study cohort included 291 patients with TNBC. Tissue microarrays were constructed for both cancer and normal tissues. The expression of BCAT1 and CD133 was detected by immunohistochemical staining, and the levels were evaluated using an H-scoring system. Cut-off points for BCAT1 and CD133 expression were determined using receiver operating characteristic curves.Results: The median follow-up time for the study participants was 68.73 months (range: 1.37-103.6 months). The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates of the 291 patients with TNBC were 72.51 and 82.47%, respectively. Higher levels of BCAT1 and CD133 expression independently indicated shorter DFS and OS. High levels of both BCAT1 and CD133 expression were detected in 36 (12.37%) patients, who had significantly shorter DFS and OS (both P < 0.001) compared to other patients.Conclusion: BCAT1 and CD133 can be considered as biomarkers with prognostic significance for TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pace of urbanization in China has increased in recent decades. Accordingly, the urbanized area has expanded at a spectacular rate and the urban heat island (UHI) has intensified. Understanding the effects of the landscape pattern on the UHI is crucial for optimizing urban structure, which could mitigate the UHI. This study focused on green cover in an urban area. To investigate how the composition and configuration of urban green patches would affect their temperature in Beijing metropolitan region, China, especially the influence of the configuration of green patches on their cooling effect, the relationships between green surface temperature (GST), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and normalized compactness index (NCI) were investigated by regression analyses, and a method to quantify the cooling effect of greens derived from the urban cool island and green space cool island was proposed. The image from the Landsat Thermal Infrared Sensor was used to estimate GST, and three images from the GF-2 Panchromatic & Multispectral Camera were used to obtain NDVI and calculate NCI. Our results showed that both NDVI and NCI had negative relationships to GST in summer, but only NCI strongly influenced the spatial cooling effect of greens. The further exploration of the influence of NCI on the cooling effect showed the NCI was negatively correlated to the cooling effect, which indicated that, for a given area, more compact green patches reduce the extent of the cooling effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tribological behavior of tungsten carbide-textured samples with different particle types (silica, alumina and diamond) and sizes (5 and 25 µm) are investigated. Pin-on-disk experiments are conducted. Surface texture can effectively reduce the friction coefficient and wear rate of the sample with different particle types and sizes. When the lubricant has silica particles, the friction reduction efficiency of texture is the lowest. Softer particles are more likely to be crushed, making it easier to enter the friction interface and fill into the texture. The wear resistance increases with decreasing particle hardness. The particles will cause three-body and two-body abrasion. Small particles (5 µm) are more likely to enter the friction interface and roll more easily than larger particles (25 µm), causing more three-body abrasion. As the hardness of the particles increases, they are more likely to press against the surface of the specimen as they roll, leading to more three-body abrasion. Compared with untextured samples, textured samples can store particles and lubricant and thus have less three-body abrasion and two-body abrasion. This study provides new ideas for reducing the friction and wear of samples in water containing different particle types and sizes. [Display omitted] • Under water containing different types particles with different sizes, surface texturing can reduce wear. • Small particles cause more wear than large particles. • Particles with different types have different wear mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the large number of defects and high entropy properties, high entropy alloy thin film electrodes prepared by magnetron sputtering are beneficial for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, the electrocatalytic OER performance of high entropy alloy thin film electrodes without activation is limited. In this work, in-situ reconstruction (chloride corrosion) is applied to activate FeCoNiCrMn high entropy alloy thin film electrodes for promoting the electrocatalytic OER performance. The research reveals that high entropy hydroxides and high entropy (oxy)hydroxides, which are real active centers of OER electrocatalysts, are generated on the surface of FeCoNiCrMn high entropy film electrodes during in-situ reconstruction. Moreover, it is also proved that there is an obvious quantitative relationship among elements in the surface of the high entropy alloy thin film electrodes after complex chloride corrosion reaction: Ni>Mn>Fe>Co>Cr. In addition, the OER performance of FeCoNiCrMn high entropy film electrodes with in-situ reconstruction can achieve an overpotential of 263 mV and a Tafel slope of 50.9 mVdec−1. Moreover, sponge-like structures created by in situ reconstitution can help to increase surface active areas and the increased contents of high-valence elements after in situ reconstruction contribute to enhance electrocatalytic OER activity. [Display omitted] • In-situ method was proposed and applied to reconstruct the surface of high entropy alloy films. • Abundant high entropy hydroxides and oxyhydroxides were generated. • The behaviors of charge transfers among elements in electrodes were revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tungsten-based complex concentrated alloy (CCA) W-Ta-Cr-V films with bcc single-phase have been investigated for its exceptional radiation tolerance. This work aims to investigate the formation of helium (He) bubble and He retention behavior in the CCA film under 100 eV He plasma at a fluence of 2.02 × 1025 He/m2. The results show that the size of He bubbles in the CCA film is smaller than that in the pure W film, and the depth distribution is shallower, which indicates that the evolution of He bubbles is inhibited. As for the underlying mechanism of resistance to the formation of He bubbles in CCAs, it is believed that the characteristic of low He mobility reduces the diffusion depth of He, and the sluggish diffusion of He inhibits the aggregation of He atoms or He clusters to a certain extent. In other words, the unique energy and microstructure characteristics also inhibit the diffusion of He in the CCA film, which affects the nucleation and growth of He bubbles. Furthermore, the release of He is mainly from He adsorption of the near surface, and the desorption peaks shift to lower temperatures in the CCA film within the desorption temperature of 1273 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the influential factors of the silent and ultrasonic electroplating using 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate (MPS), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and Polyethylenimine alkyl salt (PN) on the TSV filling are investigated. The effects of different accelerator concentration, current density and ultrasonic agitation on TSV filling are studied. The accelerative effect of MPS on TSV filling by the copper electrodeposition is studied to find out the optimal condition of the accelerator concentration. Using the plating bath with same additive conditions, the effects of different current densities on the TSV filling under the silent and ultrasonic conditions are investigated. The results show that the quality of TSV filling under ultrasonic electroplating has improved by 23% compared with the silent condition at the same current density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristics of FeCoNiCrMn high entropy alloy lead to great significance in electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of water splitting. However, the preparation process of high entropy alloy for OER electrocatalyst still has limitations. And thin films of metals prepared by magnetron sputtering has a large amount of defects which facilitate the formation of active sites. In this work, FeCoNiCrMn high entropy alloy self-supporting electrodes based on nickel foam were fabricated by magnetron sputtering and applied for OER. It is confirmed that there is an optimum deposition time for the best OER performance. Furthermore, the OER performance of FeCoNiCrMn high entropy alloy electrodes can be boosted by surface reconstruction through cyclic voltammetry. As is revealed by morphology and surface chemical state characterization, there are a large amount of high entropy hydroxides and oxyhydroxides formed on the surface of FeCoNiCrMn high entropy alloy electrodes after CV reconstruction. The FeCoNiCrMn high entropy alloy electrodes reconstructed by cyclic voltammetric can reach an overpotential of 282 mV and a Tafel slope of 64.3 mVdec−1. [Display omitted] • The thin films of high entropy alloy were prepared by magnetron sputtering. • The thin films were applied as self-supporting electrodes for water splitting. • High entropy oxyhydroxide nanosheets were formed during reconstruction. • Electrons in Fe and Mn transfer to Ni and Co after reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel Ti 50 Zr 30 Co 11 Cu 6 M 3 (M = Sn, V, Al) amorphous/nanocrystalline alloys with low liquidus temperatures of 1145 K – 1171 K were developed as the brazing filler metals for enhancing the mechanical properties of titanium alloy brazed joints. The Ti–6Al–4V (TC4) joints brazed with these novel Ti-based alloy ribbons at 1233 K for 900 s exhibited typical Widmanstätten structure composed of α-Ti and β-Ti, as well as sporadic ultrafine intermetallic compounds. Among these joints, the TC4/Ti–Zr–Co–Cu–Sn/TC4 joint exhibited relatively low tensile shear strength and impact toughness of 461 MPa and 2.6 J/cm2, respectively, due to the concentrated segregation of element Sn in the center of the braze zone. By contrast, the joints brazed with the novel Ti–Zr–Co–Cu–V(Al) fillers showed much improved mechanical properties. The tensile shear strength and impact toughness of the TC4/Ti–Zr–Co–Cu–Al/TC4 joint were enhanced up to 546 MPa and 4.2 J/cm2, respectively, suggesting that the present Ti–Zr–Co–Cu–Al amorphous/nanocrystalline filler is a promising brazing material practically applied for joining titanium alloys. • Novel Ti–Zr–Co–Cu–(Sn, V, Al) amorphous/nanocrystalline brazing filler metals (BMFs) were developed. • The TC4 joints brazed with the novel BMFs consisted of α-Ti, β-Ti and sporadic intermetallics. • The TC4 joints exhibited high shear strength and toughness up to about 546 MPa and 4.2 J/cm2, respectively. • The good mechanical properties of the joints were mainly due to the reduction of intermetallics by using the novel BFMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modification of surface, distribution of helium bubbles and the behavior of helium release are reported through a careful investigation on tungsten samples which were exposed to helium plasma and subsequent hydrogen plasma. For the tungsten samples exposed to helium plasma with a fluence of 3.8×1024 He/m2, no obvious change can be seen on the tungsten surface. Then the samples were exposed to subsequent hydrogen plasma for 1 h. Hydrogen blistering was significantly suppressed on the tungsten surface compared to a reference sample which was only irradiated by hydrogen plasma. However, as the exposure time of hydrogen plasma increased to about 16 h, a large number of hydrogen blisters appeared on the surface of tungsten pre-irradiated by helium plasma. Moreover, there was no significant difference in hydrogen blistering between the helium pre-exposure samples and the reference sample. The results indicate that most of the hydrogen atoms can diffuse into tungsten through the nano-helium bubble layer after 16 h of hydrogen plasma exposure. The results of transmission electron microscope show that the size of bubbles was increased with the increase of hydrogen exposure time. In contrast, the helium release peaks obtained through thermal desorption spectra are reduced with the increase of hydrogen exposure time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tri-layered terahertz metamaterial based on the gratings-polarization converter-gratings (GPCG) structure is proposed, which is composed of a double L structure array sandwiched by two orthogonal metallic sub-wavelength gratings (SWGs). Simulation results show that two cascaded Fabry–Perot-like resonance cavities result in broadband polarization conversion with significant asymmetric transmission (AT) phenomenon. The improved polarization conversion rate (PCR) is over 0.99 from 0.20 THz to 1.97 THz with a relative bandwidth of 163.13%, almost 1.74 times that of other work, and the enhanced AT parameter is beyond 0.8 from 0.37 THz to 1.73 THz with a relative bandwidth of 129.52%. Moreover, in a wide range of incident angles, the proposed metamaterial maintains great AT performance, thus showing great potential applications in circulators, direction-dependent polarization converters and polarization-sensitive sensing and imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first synthesis of 3,4-diarylpyrimido[1,2- b ]indazole derivatives from 3-aminoindazoles has been realized. The FeCl 3 -catalyzed intermolecular epoxide ring-opening reaction altered the order of annulation, with the free primary NH 2 groups in 3-aminoindazoles preferentially reacting with styrene oxides instead of aromatic aldehydes. This protocol is further highlighted by its broad substrate compatibility, high chemo- and regioselectivities, and the late-stage modifications of bioactive molecules. Without aromatic aldehydes, the synthesis of 3-aryl-4-acylpyrimido[1,2- b ]indazole derivatives can also be accomplished using alternative reaction conditions.

The subcellular compartment-specific molecular interactions (SCSIs) are the building blocks for most molecular functions, biological processes and disease pathogeneses. Extensive experiments have therefore been conducted to accumulate the valuable information of SCSIs, but none of the available databases has been constructed to describe those data. In this study, a novel knowledge base SubCELL is thus introduced to depict the landscape of SCSIs among DNAs/RNAs/proteins. This database is UNIQUE in (a) providing, for the first time, the experimentally-identified SCSIs, (b) systematically illustrating a large number of SCSIs inferred based on well-established method and (c) collecting experimentally-determined subcellular locations for the DNAs/RNAs/proteins of diverse species. Given the essential physiological/pathological role of SCSIs, the SubCELL is highly expected to have great implications for modern molecular biological study, which can be freely accessed with no login requirement at: https://idrblab.org/subcell/., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is a prevalent autoimmune disease. We investigated the relationship of peripheral blood long noncoding RNA-plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (lncRNA-PVT1) and microRNA (miR)-146a levels with Th17/Treg-related cytokines in HT patients and their clinical significance. Correlations of PVT1 and miR-146a with Th17/Treg-related cytokines were analyzed, and its clinical value in diagnosing HT was assessed. Results showed reduced lncRNA-PVT1 and interleukin (IL)-10 levels and increased miR-146a and IL-17 levels in HT patients. lncRNA-PVT1 negatively interrelated with miR-146a, IL-17, IL-23 and IL-6, and positively interrelated with IL-10; miR-146a positively correlated with IL-17, IL-23 and IL-6, but negatively correlated with IL-10 in HT patients. The area under the curve (AUC) of lncRNA-PVT1 and miR-146a levels for diagnosing HT were 0.822 and 0.844, respectively (sensitivity 88.73% and 86.62%, specificity 67.02% and 69.15%, cut-off values 0.76 and 2.73), with their combined detections yielding a higher AUC. Patients with poorly expressed lncRNA-PVT1 and highly expressed miR-146a had elevated HT incidence. lncRNA-PVT1 and miR-146a levels were also found to be an independent influencing factor for HT occurrence. Our findings suggest that HT patients have low peripheral blood lncRNA-PVT1 expression and high miR-146a expression. lncRNA-PVT1 and miR-146a level changes were correlated with Th17/Treg cytokine imbalance and could be a potential diagnostic tool and independent influencing factor for HT.

Traffic intersections are important scenes that can be seen almost everywhere in the traffic system. Currently, most simulation methods perform well at highways and urban traffic networks. In intersection scenarios, the challenge lies in the lack of clearly defined lanes, where agents with various motion plannings converge in the central area from different directions. Traditional model-based methods are difficult to drive agents to move realistically at intersections without enough predefined lanes, while data-driven methods often require a large amount of high-quality input data. Simultaneously, tedious parameter tuning is inevitable involved to obtain the desired simulation results. In this paper, we present a novel adaptive and planning-aware hybrid-driven method (TraInterSim) to simulate traffic intersection scenarios. Our hybrid-driven method combines an optimization-based data-driven scheme with a velocity continuity model. It guides the agent's movements using real-world data and can generate those behaviors not present in the input data. Our optimization method fully considers velocity continuity, desired speed, direction guidance, and planning-aware collision avoidance. Agents can perceive others' motion plannings and relative distances to avoid possible collisions. To preserve the individual flexibility of different agents, the parameters in our method are automatically adjusted during the simulation. TraInterSim can generate realistic behaviors of heterogeneous agents in different traffic intersection scenarios in interactive rates. Through extensive experiments as well as user studies, we validate the effectiveness and rationality of the proposed simulation method.

Bacteria-derived hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) often contributes to the emergence of antibiotic-recalcitrant bacteria, especially persister (a sub-population of dormant bacteria), thus causing the treatment failure of Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI). Here, an H 2 S harvester nanosystem to prevent the generation of persister bacteria and disrupt the dense biofilm matrix by the self-adaptive ability of shape-morphing is prepared. The nanosystem possesses a core-shell structure that is composed of liquid metal nanoparticle (LM NP), AgNPs, and immobilized urease. The nanosystem decomposes urea contained in urine to generate ammonia for eliminating bacteria-derived H 2 S. Depending on the oxidative layer of liquid metal, the nanosystem also constitutes a long-lasting reservoir for temporarily storing bacteria-derived H 2 S, when urease transiently overloads or in the absence of urine in a catheter. Depriving H 2 S can prevent the emergence of persistent bacteria, enhancing the bacteria-killing efficiency of Ga 3+ and Ag + ions. Even when the biofilm has formed, the urine flow provides heat to trigger shape morphing of the LM NP, tearing the biofilm matrix. Collectively, this strategy can turn trash (urea) into treasure (H 2 S scavengers and biofilm rippers), and provides a new direction for the antibacterial materials application in the medical field., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

This study aimed to investigate the effects of ultrasonic treatment at different powers on the physicochemical properties, microstructure and quercetin delivery capacity of fermentation-induced soy protein isolate emulsion gel (FSEG). The FSEG was prepared by subjecting soy protein isolate (SPI) emulsion to ultrasonic treatment at various powers (0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 W), followed by lactic acid bacteria fermentation. Compared with the control group (0 W), the FSEG treated with ultrasound had higher hardness, water holding capacity (WHC) and rheological parameters. Particularly, at an ultrasonic power of 300 W, the FSEG had the highest hardness (101.69 ± 4.67 g) and WHC (75.20 ± 1.07%) (p < 0.05). Analysis of frequency sweep and strain scanning revealed that the storage modulus (G') and yield strains of FSEG increased after 300 W ultrasonic treatment. Additionally, the recovery rate after creep recovery test significantly increased from 18.70 ± 0.49% (0 W) to 58.05 ± 0.54% (300 W) (p < 0.05). Ultrasound treatment also resulted in an increased β-sheet content and the formation of a more compact micro-network structure. This led to a more uniform distribution of oil droplets and reduced mobility of water within the gel. Moreover, ultrasonic treatment significantly enhanced the encapsulation efficiency of quercetin in FSEG from 81.25 ± 0.62 % (0 W) to 90.04 ± 1.54% (300 W). The bioaccessibility of quercetin also increased significantly from 28.90 ± 0.40% (0 W) to 42.58 ± 1.60% (300 W) (p < 0.05). This study enriches the induction method of soy protein emulsion gels and provides some references for the preparation of fermented emulsion gels loaded with active substances., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9) plays a pivotal role in tumor immunity by recruiting and activating immune cells. However, the relationship between CXCL9 expression and prognosis in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is unclear. Methods: We investigated CXCL9 mRNA expression, clinicopathological features, and prognosis in TNBC patients. We also used computational image analysis to quantify and assess the distribution of CXCL9 protein in the tumor core (TC) and invasive margin (IM). Results: CXCL9 mRNA expression was significantly higher in TNBC tumors compared to normal tissue ( p < 0.001) and was associated with smaller tumors ( p = 0.022) and earlier stages ( p = 0.033). High CXCL9 mRNA expression was correlated with improved overall survival (OS) in three independent cohorts (all p < 0.05). In a separate analysis, low CXCL9 protein expression was associated with increased lymph node metastasis ( p = 0.018 and p = 0.036). High CXCL9 protein expression in the TC, IM, or both was associated with prolonged OS (all p < 0.001). Conclusion: High CXCL9 expression, at both the mRNA and protein levels, is associated with improved prognosis in TNBC patients. CXCL9 expression in the TC and/or IM may be an independent prognostic factor., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Cao, Song, Wu, Ren, Sun and Liang.)

Wound healing is a well-orchestrated progress associated with angiogenesis, epithelialization, inflammatory status, and infection control, whereas these processes are seriously disturbed in diabetic wounds. In this study, a biohybrid dressing integrating the inherent ability of Bromeliad leaf (photosynthesis and self-draining) with the therapeutic effect of artificial materials (glucose-degrading and ROS-scavenging) is presented. The dressing consists of double-layered structures as follows: 1) Outer layer, a Bromeliad leaf substrate full of alginate hydrogel-immobilized glucose oxidase (GOx@Alg@Bromeliad substrate, abbreviated as BGA), can generate oxygen to guarantee the GOx-catalyzed glucose oxidation by photosynthesis, reducing local hyperglycemia to stabilize hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) for angiogenesis and producing hydrogen peroxide for killing bacteria on the surface of wound tissue. The sophisticated structure of the leaf drains excessive exudate away via transpiration-mimicking, preventing skin maceration and impeding bacterial growth. 2) Inner layer, microneedles containing catalase (CAT-HA MNs, abbreviated as CHM), reduces excessive oxidative stress in the tissue to promote the proliferation of fibroblasts and inhibits proinflammatory polarization of macrophages, improving re-epithelialization of diabetic wounds. Together, the biohybrid dressing (BGA-CHM, abbreviated as BCHM) can enhance angiogenesis, strengthen re-epithelialization, alleviate chronic inflammation, and suppress bacterial infection, providing a promising strategy for diabetic wound therapy., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: The significance of neuroendocrine (NE) markers in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients has not been investigated. This study aims to clarify the incidence and prognostic significance of NE marker expression in TNBC, determine its association with other clinicopathological parameters, and further explore the pathological features and potential treatment options for TNBC patients expressing NE markers., Methods: Clinicopathological data were collected from 396 TNBC patients undergoing radical breast cancer surgery at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2002 to December 2014, with a final follow-up in July 2019. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining was performed for NE markers including chromogranin A (CgA) and synaptophysin (Syn). For TNBC patients with positive NE marker expression, IHC staining was then performed for alpha-thalassemia/mental retardation X-linked (ATRX), O(6)-methylguanine-methyltransferase (MGMT), somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2), and programmed death receptor-ligand 1 (PD-L1). The chi-square or Fisher exact test was used to evaluate the correlations between NE marker expression and other parameters. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier (K-M) method to assess the prognostic significance of NE markers in TNBC., Results: NE marker-positive staining was observed in 7.6% (30/396) of all TNBC cases. Only 0.5% (2/396) cases had ≥ 90% neoplastic cells expressing NE markers. Positive NE marker expression was associated with negative basal-like marker expression. K-M survival analysis showed that the NE marker-positive TNBC patients had higher disease-free survival (DFS) rates than the NE marker-negative patients at the same stage. Among the 30 NE marker-positive TNBC cases, 13.3% and 26.7% showed negative IHC staining for ATRX and MGMT, respectively, while 13.3% had a 3+ score for SSTR2 IHC staining. For PD-L1 IHC staining, 13.3% of the 30 TNBC cases were higher than 10 scores in Combined Positive Score (CPS), and 10.0% were higher than 10% in Tumor Cell Proportion Score (TPS)., Conclusion: There was a small proportion of TNBC patients expressing NE markers. TNBC patients with positive NE marker expression had a better prognosis than the negative group at the same stage. TNBC cases with positive NE marker expression may potentially benefit from immunotherapy or somatostatin analogue treatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Xia, Shen, Pang, Chen, Yan, Liang and Ren.)

C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9) plays an important role in antitumor immunity through the recruitment, proliferation, and activation of immune cells (IC). Here, we evaluated the expression patterns of CXCL9 and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in a cohort of 268 patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) by tissue microarray (TMA). The correlations between CXCL9 expression in ICs or tumor cells (TC) and clinicopathologic parameters, PD-L1 expression, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and survival were analyzed in this cohort (n = 268). In addition, we analyzed a TNBC dataset (n = 138) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to identify correlation between CXCL9 expression and other immune gene expression, immune infiltration, and prognosis. The results of the TMA cohort (n = 268) showed that CXCL9 was expressed in 80.6% cases, with elevated expression levels in ICs relative to in TCs (median: 1% vs. 0%). CXCL9 expressed in ≥1% of ICs was categorized as the CXCL9-IC-positive group. CXCL9-IC expression was strongly and positively correlated with the PD-L1 expression, CD3+ TILs, CD4+ TILs, CD8+ TILs, and CD19+ TILs (all P < 0.0001). Survival analyses showed that the CXCL9-IC-positive group demonstrated prolonged disease-free survival (P = 0.038) and overall survival (P = 0.023) compared with the negative group. The analyses from TCGA cohort (n = 138) showed that elevated CXCL9 expression correlated with increased infiltration of B cells, macrophages, natural killer cells, monocytes and increased expression of immune checkpoint molecules and other CXCL family members, including CXCL10 and CXCL11. These findings confirm the regulatory role of CXCL9 in antitumor immunity and suggest a potential role in treatments involving immune checkpoint blockade., (©2023 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Heavy metal pollution is one of the environmental problems that need to be solved urgently. The adsorption method is thought as the most effective and economical treatment technology. Nature biochar usually showed unsatisfactory adsorption capacity due to its relatively small adsorption capacity and slow adsorption rate. The metal of Mn has been widely applied in the modification of biochar, which could effectively improve the adsorption capacity of biochar. However, leaching of Mn 2+ on the adsorbent materials would appear during the adsorption process. And it would increase the risk of secondary pollution. The multifunctional binary modified biochar could improve the adsorption capacity of environmental pollutant removal. In addition, it could also act as a metal support carrier, reducing the risk of secondary pollution. A novel effective biochar loaded by Mg-Mn binary oxide nanoparticles (MgMn 2 O 4 @Biochar) was prepared and applied for the Cr(VI) and Pb(II) removal in aqueous solution. The characteristic of MgMn 2 O 4 @Biochar was analyzed by SEM, TEM, FTIR, and XRD. The irregular and somewhat flaky shaped particles of different shape and sizes clustered on the surface of MgMn 2 O 4 @Biochar appeared. Abundant functional groups of O-H, -C-OH, C-O, and C-OOH could be observed on the surface of MgMn 2 O 4 @Biochar. The elements of Mg and Mn elements besides of C, O, and Si elements were presented on the surface of MgMn 2 O 4 @Biochar. The wt% of C, O, Mg, Mn, and Si were 42.82%, 48.99%, 2.83%, 4.44%, and 0.93%, respectively. The operational parameters had an important influence on adsorption capacity of Cr(VI) and Pb(II) removal. The results showed that the adsorption capacity of MgMn 2 O 4 @Biochar for Cr(VI) and Pb(II) would reach 33.5 mg/g and 536 mg/g, respectively, within 360 min. Additionally, the adsorption processes of Cr(VI) and Pb(II) in solution could be described with pseudo-second-order. For Cr(VI), the Langmuir model was suitable to the adsorption process. However, the adsorption process of Pb(II) in solution could be described with Freundlich model. Furthermore, it could be concluded that the possible mechanism of Cr(VI) and Pb(II) removal by MgMn 2 O 4 @Biochar was physical adsorption, surface complexation reaction, and electrostatic adsorption., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: To evaluate the pathologic process of intraretinal glioses by investigating mass tissues resected from untreated eyes with intraretinal glioses., Methods: Five patients with intraretinal gliosis without previous conservative treatment were included. All patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy. The mass tissues were excised and processed for the pathologic study., Results: During surgery, it was observed that the intraretinal gliosis mainly affected the neuroretina and the retinal pigment epithelium was not affected. Pathologic examination revealed that all intraretinal glioses consisted of different proportions of hyaline vessels and hyperplastic spindle-shaped glial cells. In one case, the intraretinal gliosis was mainly composed of hyaline vascular components. In another case, the intraretinal gliosis showed a predominance of glial cells. The intraretinal glioses in the other three cases had vascular and glial components. The proliferated vessels showed different amounts of collagen deposits against different backgrounds. Vascularized epiretinal membrane was found in some intraretinal glioses., Conclusion: Intraretinal glioses affected the inner retinal layer. Hyaline vessels were the most characteristic pathologic changes; the proportion of proliferative glial cells varied in different intraretinal glioses. The natural course of intraretinal gliosis may involve the proliferation of abnormal vessels in the early stage, which then gradually become scarred and are replaced by glial cells.

Diabetic periodontitis is a major complication of diabetes, which has a deep involvement in teeth loss and more serious systematic diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis and cancers. Diabetic periodontitis is difficult to treat because of recalcitrant infection and hyperglycemia-induced tissue dysfunction. Current treatments fail to completely eliminate infection due to the diffusion-reaction inhibition of biofilm, and ignore the tissue dysfunction. Here, we design a glucose-driven transformable complex, composed of calcium alginate (CaAlg) hydrogel shell and Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) core encapsulating Glucose oxidase (GOx)/Catalase (CAT) and Minocycline (MINO), named as CaAlg@MINO/GOx/CAT/ZIF-8 (CMGCZ). The reaction product of glucose-scavenging, gluconic acid, could dissolve ZIF-8 core and transform CMGCZ from inflexible to flexible, facilitating the complex to overcome the diffusion-reaction inhibition of biofilm. Meanwhile, reduced glucose concentration could ameliorate the pyroptosis of macrophages to decrease the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors, thereby reducing inflamm-aging to alleviate periodontal dysfunction., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the expression status and prognostic role of various immunoregulatory cells and test in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)., Methods: The expression of five markers (CD3/CD4/CD8/CD19/CD163) of tumor immune cells was evaluated retrospectively in tumor sections from 68 consecutive cases of TNBC by immunohistochemistry. Computational image analysis was used to quantify the density and distribution of each immune marker within the tumor region, tumor invasive margin, and expression hotspots. Immunoscores were calculated using an automated approach. Other clinical characteristics were also analyzed., Results: For all patients, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that high CD3+ signals in the tumor region (disease-free survival (DFS), P =0.0014; overall survival (OS), P= 0.0031) and total region (DFS, P= 0.0014; OS, P= 0.0031) were significantly associated with better survival. High CD4+ levels in the tumor region and total regions were significantly associated with better survival ( P< 0.05). For Hotspot analysis, CD3+ was associated with significantly better survival for all Top1, Top2, and Top3 densities (DFS and OS, P< 0.05). High CD4+ levels were significantly associated with better prognosis for Top1 and Top3 densities (DFS and OS, P< 0.05). For stage IIB and IIIC patients, CD3+ in the tumor region and all Top hotspots was found to be significantly correlated with survival (DFS and OS, P< 0.05). CD4+ cells were significantly associated with survival in the tumor region, total region, and Top3 density (DFS, P= 0.0213; OS, P= 0.0728). CD8+ cells were significantly associated with survival in the invasive margin, Top2 density, and Top3 density. Spatial parameter analysis showed that high colocalization of tumor cells and immune cells (CD3+, CD4+, or CD8+) was significantly associated with patient survival., Conclusion: Computational image analysis is a reliable tool for evaluating the density and distribution of immune regulatory cells and for calculating the Immunoscore in TNBC. The Immunoscore retains its prognostic significance in TNBC later than IIB stage breast cancer. Future studies are required to confirm its potential to predict tumor responses to chemotherapy and immune therapy., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Ren, Song, Pang, Chen, Zhou, Liang and Wu.)

External auditory canal adenoid cystic carcinoma (EAC) is rare and is associated with nonspecific clinical manifestations such as early ear pain. We report a patient with advanced lung metastases from adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the EAC, which is difficult to diagnose. Under general anesthesia, lengthened right temporal bone resection, parotidectomy, facial nerve resection, cervical lymph node dissection (I-III), partial mandibular resection, tumor resection in the inferior temporal fossa and lateral femoral flap repair were performed, followed by regular radiotherapy and chemotherapy. During 2 years of postsurgical follow-up, there was no recurrence. The combination of early detection, resection, postoperative radiotherapy, and chemotherapy can result in a good therapeutic effect., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines against cervical cancer precursors and HPV persistent infection among Asian populations., Methods: Randomized controlled clinical trials conducted in Asian countries were identified from three electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library). Publication retrieval was performed on September 1, 2022 and only those written in English were included. The data were analyzed with Cochrane Review Manager (version 5.3) and Stata/SE (15.1). Effect sizes were presented as risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs)., Results: Ten articles were considered in the meta-analysis, without significant heterogeneity among them. The fixed-effect RRs and 95% CIs for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN1+) and CIN2+ were 0.10 (0.05-0.21) and 0.11 (0.04-0.27), respectively. Positive effect of HPV vaccination on 6- and 12-month persistent infection were observed, with the respective pooled RRs of 0.05 (95% CI: 0.03-0.09) and 0.09 (95% CI: 0.05-0.15). HPV vaccination has a positive effect on the incidence of cytological abnormalities associated with HPV 16/18 (RR, 0.13; 95% CI (0.09-0.20)). Positive effects of HPV vaccination were also observed for HPV 16- and 18-specific immunogenicity (RR, 235.02; 95% CI (82.77-667.31) and RR, 98.24; 95% CI (50.36-191.67), respectively). Females receiving an initial vaccination showed significant decreased incidences of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, HPV persistent infection and cytological abnormalities and a significantly higher antibody positive conversion rate compared with non-vaccination counterparts., Conclusion: Prophylactic HPV vaccines are highly efficacious in preventing cervical cancer in Asian females. The government should accelerate the processes of vaccine introduction and vaccination implementation by prioritizing them in public health policies, which should be helpful to enhance Asian females' awareness of receiving HPV vaccination volitionally., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Ren, Hao, Wu, Jia, Niu, Wang and Li.)

Purpose: Screen-detected unilateral non-palpable breast cancer (NPBC) shows favorable prognosis, whereas bilateral breast cancer (BBC), especially synchronous BBC (SBBC) manifests worse survival than unilateral breast cancer (BC). It remains unclear whether screen-detected bilateral NPBC has compromised survival and requires intensified treatment or favorable prognosis and needs de-escalating therapy., Methods: From 2003 to 2017, 1,075 consecutive NPBC patients were retrospectively reviewed. There were 988 patients with unilateral NPBC (UniNPBC), and 87 patients with ipsilateral NPBC + any contralateral BC [(N + AnyContra) PBC], including 32 patients with bilateral NPBC (BiNPBC) and 55 patients with ipsilateral NPBC + contralateral palpable cancer [(N + Contra) PBC]. Median follow-up time was 91 (48-227) months. Clinicopathological characteristics were compared between UniNPBC and BBC, whereas relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) among BBC subgroups. RFS and OS factors of BBC were identified., Results: Compared to UniNPBC, patients with screen-detected bilateral BC had more invasive (85.1%, 74.8%), ER negative (26.4%, 17.1%), PR negative (36.8%, 23.5%), triple-negative (21.6%, 8.5%) BC as well as less breast conserving surgery (17.2%, 32.4%), radiotherapy (13.8%, 32.0%) and endocrine therapy (71.3%, 83.9%). 10 year RFS and OS rates of (N + AnyContra) PBC (72.8%, 81.5%), (N + Contra) PBC (60.6%, 73.9%), and synchronous (N + Contra) PBC (58.1%, 70.1%) were significantly compromised compared to UniNPBC (91.0%, 97.2%). RFS factors of BBC included pN3 (p = 0.048), lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.008) and existence of contralateral palpable interval BC (p = 0.008), while the OS relevant factor was pN3 (p = 0.018)., Conclusion: Screen-detected bilateral NPBC including SynBiNPBC and MetaBiNPBC showed good prognosis as UniNPBC so that the therapy of BiNPBC could be de-escalated and optimized according to UniNPBC. Contrarily, screen-detected ipsilateral NPBC with contralateral palpable BC [(N + Contra) PBC] manifested unfavorable survival worse than UniNPBC and synchronous (N + Contra) PBC had the worst survival among all subgroups, implying that these were actually bilateral interval BC and required intensified treatment., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic significance of different molecular typing methods and immune status based on RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) in hormone receptor (HR)-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative (HR + /HER2-) early-stage breast cancer and develop a modified immunohistochemistry (IHC)-based surrogate for intrinsic subtype analysis., Methods: The gene expression profiles of samples from 87 HR + /HER2- early-stage breast cancer patients were evaluated using the RNA-seq of Oncotype Dx recurrence score (RS), PAM50 risk of recurrence (ROR), and immune score. Intrinsic tumor subtypes were determined using both PAM50- and IHC-based detection of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, Ki-67, epidermal growth factor receptor, and cytokeratins 14 and 5/6. Prognostic variables were analyzed through Cox regression analysis of disease-free survival (DFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS)., Results: Survival analysis showed that ROR better predicted recurrence and distant metastasis compared to RS (for DFS: ROR, P = 0.000; RS, P = 0.027; for DMFS, ROR, P = 0.047; RS, P = 0.621). Patients with HR + /HER2- early-stage breast cancer was classified into the luminal A, luminal B, HER2-enriched, and basal-like subtypes by PAM50. Basal-like subgroups showed the shortest DFS and DMFS. A modified IHC-based surrogate for intrinsic subtype analysis improved the concordance with PAM50 from 66.7% to 73.6%, particularly for basal-like subtype identification. High level of TILs and high expression of immune genes predicted poor prognosis. Multi-factor Cox analysis showed that IHC-based basal-like markers were the only independent factors affecting DMFS., Conclusions: Prognosis is better evaluated by PAM50 ROR in early-stage HR + /HER2- breast cancer and significantly differs among intrinsic subtypes. The modified IHC-based subtype can improve the basal-like subtype identification of PAM50. High immunity status and IHC-based basal-like markers are negative prognostic factors., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) primarily derived from the base of the tongue, is rare. Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are important aetiological risk factors for tumours of the head and neck. This study describes the clinicopathological features of NHL in the tongue base and the status of HPV and EBV in these cases., Methods: Seven cases were identified from the Pathological Registry Database at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH). The study utilized immunochemistry, in situ hybridization (ISH), and gene rearrangement to confirm the disease and and performed a clinical follow up for each case., Results: All 7 lymphomas were localized at the base of the tongue. Six of the cases exhibited tongue base masses with smooth surface membranes. One case presented as multiple deep ulcers. The most common histologic subtype was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), which occurred in five cases. The other two cases were mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and peripheral T cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL, NOS). One of the DLBCL cases was positive for HPV DNA and diffusely expressed P16 protein. During the follow up period, the MCL patient and an elderly DLBCL patient died. The remaining five patients were alive through the end of follow up., Conclusions: Most lymphomas of the tongue base manifest as an endogenous mass without membranous change. The most common subtype of NHLs of the tongue base is DLBCL, and the occurrence at this site may have a good prognosis. With proper therapy, even late stage tongue base lymphomas can be suppressed and remain in remission.

Introduction: Few studies have focused on PD-L1 expression in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Expressions of PD-1 and PD-L1 and their clinicopathologic and prognostic relevance were therefore further investigated on a relatively large population of MTC patients., Materials and Methods: Surgical specimens were obtained from 87 MTC patients during a median follow-up of 37.7 months. PD-1 and PD-L1 expressions on tumor and associated immune cells were studied immunohistochemically using >1% positive cells as a threshold for positivity. Their correlations with clinicopathologic and prognostic feature were analyzed., Results: PD-1 and PD-L1 were positively stained in 22 and 19 MTC patients. Most PD-L1-positive cases (18/19) showed weak to moderate staining intensity. PD-1 and PD-L1 were co-expressed in 11 patients. PD-L1 positivity was significantly correlated with distant metastases at surgery (21.1% vs 1.5%, P = 0.007). Coexpression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in MTC was correlated with advanced pathologic TNM stage III/IV (P = 0.040) and distant metastases at surgery (P = 0.013). However, there was no other clinicopathologic and prognostic relevance regarding to PD-1, PD-L1 or their coexpression in our MTC patients., Conclusion: PD-1/PD-L1 pathway was expressed in MTC patients and was significantly correlated with the distant metastases at surgery, which may shed light on PD-1/PD-L1 as a promising therapeutic target in MTC. Future better understanding of PD-1/PD-L1 expression and their relationship with immunotherapy response may provide direct evidence for management of refractory MTC., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Changes in forest ecosystem structure and functions are considered some of the research issues in landscape ecology. In this study, advancing Forman's theory, we considered five spatially explicit processes associated with fragmentation, including perforation, dissection, subdivision, shrinkage, and attrition, and two processes associated with restoration, i.e., increment and expansion processes. Following this theory, a forest fragmentation and restoration process model that can detect the spatially explicit processes and ecological consequences of forest landscape change was developed and tested in the current analysis. Using the National Land Cover Databases (2001, 2006 and 2011), the forest fragmentation and restoration process model was applied to US western natural forests and southeastern plantation forests to quantify and classify forest patch losses into one of the four fragmentation processes (the dissection process was merged into the subdivision process) and to classify the newly gained forest patches based on the two restoration processes. At the same time, the spatio-temporal differences in fragmentation and restoration patterns and trends between natural forests and plantations were further compared. Then, through overlaying the forest fragmentation/restoration processes maps with targeting year land cover data and land ownership vectors, the results from forest fragmentation and the contributors to forest restoration in federal and nonfederal lands were identified. Results showed that, in natural forests, the forest change patches concentrated around the urban/forest, cultivated/forest, and shrubland/forest interfaces, while the patterns of plantation change patches were scattered sparsely and irregularly. The shrinkage process was the most common type in forest fragmentation, and the average size was the smallest. Expansion, the most common restoration process, was observed in both natural forests and plantations and often occurred around the previous expansion or covered the previous subdivision or shrinkage processes. The overall temporal fragmentation pattern of natural forests had a "perforation-subdivision/shrinkage-attrition" pathway, which corresponded to Forman's landscape fragmentation rule, while the plantation forests did not follow the rule strictly. The main land cover types resulted from forest fragmentation in natural forests and plantation forests were shrubland and herbaceous, mainly through subdivision and shrinkages process. The processes and effects of restoration of plantation forests were more diverse and efficient, compared to the natural forest, which were simpler with a lower regrowth rate. The fragmentation mostly occurred in nonfederal lands. In natural forests, forest fragmentation pattern differed in different land tenures, yet plantations remained the same in federal and nonfederal lands., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The V600E mutation in the B-type Raf kinase (BRAF) gene is a common genetic change in cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) that appears to play a key role in the development and progression of this disease. We sought to assess the sensitivity and specificity of immunohistochemical detection of this mutation with a V600E mutated BRAF antibody in a Chinese PTC cohort. In this study, we used fully automated immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay with a BRAF V600E (VE1) mouse monoclonal primary antibody to screen for the BRAF V600E mutation in 556 cases of PTC. Moreover, to verify the IHC staining results, real-time PCR was applied to detect this mutation in the same patient cohort. Among the 556 cases in the examined primary PTC cohort, 414 (74.5%) cases and 419 (75.4%) cases were positive for the BRAF V600E mutation by IHC staining and by real-time PCR, respectively. The real-time PCR results indicated that the sensitivity and specificity of IHC staining for the BRAF V600E mutation were 98.8% and 100%, respectively. The BRAF V600E mutation was common among Chinese patients with primary PTC, and was strongly correlated with older patient age and the conventional subtype of PTC but was not associated with parameters of clinicopathological aggressiveness. The fully automated IHC is a reliable technique that can serve as an alternative to molecular biological approaches for the routine detection of the BRAF V600E mutation in PTC patients.

Pancreatic cancer exhibits the poorest prognosis among all tumors and is characterized by high resistance to the currently available chemotherapeutic agents. Our previous studies have suggested that stromal components could promote the chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer cells (PCCs). Here, we explored the roles of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) and the SDF-1α/CXCR4 axis in pancreatic cancer chemoresitance. Our results showed that primary PSCs typically expressed SDF-1α, whereas its receptor CXCR4 was highly expressed in PCCs. PSC-conditioned medium (PSC-CM) inhibited Gemcitabine (GEM)-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in the human PCC line Panc-1, which was antagonized by an SDF-1α neutralizing Ab. Recombinant human SDF-1α (rhSDF-1α) increased IL-6 expression and secretion in Panc-1 cells in a time and dose-dependent manner, and this effect was suppressed by the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100. rhSDF-1α protected Panc-1 cells from GEM-induced apoptosis, and the protective effect was significantly reduced by blocking IL-6 using a neutralizing antibody. Moreover, rhSDF-1α increased FAK, ERK1/2, AKT and P38 phosphorylation in Panc-1 cells, and either FAK or ERK1/2 inhibition suppressed SDF-1α-upregulated IL-6 expression. SDF-1α-induced AKT activation was almost completely blocked by FAK inhibition. In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time that PSCs promote the chemoresistance of PCCs to GEM, and this effect is mediated by paracrine SDF-1α/CXCR4 signaling-induced activation of the intracellular FAK-AKT and ERK1/2 signaling pathways and a subsequent IL-6 autocrine loop in PCCs. Our findings indicate that blocking the PSC-PCC interaction by inhibiting SDF-1α/CXCR4 signaling may be a promising therapeutic strategy for overcoming chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer.