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The ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer (EMA)/nitrile rubber (NBR) thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV) (EMA/NBR TPV) were prepared by dynamic vulcanization, the dynamic mechanical properties and thermal stability of EMA/NBRTPV were studied, the influence of mass ratio of EMA to NBR, deformation temperature and recovery tempe-rature on the shape memory properties of EMA/NBR TPV under compression mode were investigated syetematically.The microstructure of EMA/NBR TPV was observed and the mechanism of shape memory behavior was proposed.Experimental results showed that EMA/NBR TPV had a typical "sea-island" microstructure, and there was an obvious orientation microstructure on the fracture surface under compression mode; the result of dynamic mechanical analysis showed that EMA and NBR had well compatibility; the result of differential scanning calorimetry testing showed the melting temperature of EMA/NBR TPV was about 98 ℃; the shape fixity ratio of EMA/NBR TPV was increased and the shape recovery ratio was decreased with the increasingmass ratio of plastic phase, while the shape recovery ratio was increased and the shape fixity ratio of EMA/NBR TPV was decreased with the increasing mass ratio of rubber phase.When the deformation temperature was 95 ℃ and the recovery temperature was 100 ℃, EMA/NBR TPV had the best shape memory performance.

Ying-Tao Lin,1 Ying Chen,2 Tian-Xiu Liu,3 Fang Kuang,1 Ping Huang1 1Administration Office of Drug Clinical Trial, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Management Office of Science and Technology, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, 350014, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Thoracic Radiotherapy, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, 350014, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Ping HuangAdministration Office of Drug Clinical Trial, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 13960908650Fax +86 0591 62752517Email 1967217973@qq.comPurpose: The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of camrelizumab immunotherapy versus docetaxel or irinotecan chemotherapy as second-line therapy for advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), which was evaluated in the ESCORT trial.Materials and Methods: A partitioned survival model was developed to reflect the costs and effectiveness of the ESCORT trial. The clinical efficacy data, safety data, and health-related costs and utilities were derived from published data from clinical trials or health administration departments in China. Adverse event-related costs, drug administration, and other expenses were derived from a single center of Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital in 2021. All survival analyses were performed with SPSS software. Overall survival was estimated with the Kaplan–Meier method, and progression-free survival was estimated with the life table method. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the uncertainty of the model. Incremental cost, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) were calculated.Results: Camrelizumab therapy had 0.232 QALYs at an incremental cost of USD$9959.44 compared with the chemotherapy group with 0.158 QALYs at an incremental cost of USD$8601.67. The ICER was USD$18393.12/QALY. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses showed that when the willingness-to-pay threshold reached USD$31200/QALY, which is nearly three times the Chinese gross domestic product per capita, camrelizumab had an 80% possibility of being cost-effective versus docetaxel or irinotecan chemotherapy.Conclusion: Camrelizumab is a cost-effective option compared with docetaxel or irinotecan chemotherapy in patients with advanced ESCC as second-line therapy in China.Keywords: camrelizumab, chemotherapy, cost-effectiveness, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Microseismic monitoring technology has become an important technique to assess stability of rock mass in metal mines. Due to the special characteristics of underground metal mines in China, including the high tectonic stress, irregular shape and existence of ore body, and complex mining methods, the application of microseismic technology is more diverse in China compared to other countries, and is more challenging than in other underground structures such as tunnels, hydropower stations and coal mines. Apart from assessing rock mass stability and ground pressure hazards induced by mining process, blasting, water inrush and large scale goaf, microseismic technology is also used to monitor illegal mining, and track personnel location during rescue work. Moreover, microseismic data have been used to optimize mining parameters in some metal mines. The technology is increasingly used to investigate cracking mechanism in the design of rock mass supports. In this paper, the application, research development and related achievements of microseismic technology in underground metal mines in China are summarized. By considering underground mines from the perspective of informatization, automation and intelligentization, future studies should focus on intelligent microseismic data processing method, e.g., signal identification of microseismic and precise location algorithm, and on the research and development of microseismic equipment. In addition, integrated monitoring and collaborative analysis for rock mass response caused by mining disturbance will have good prospects for future development.

Zn-doped and Zn-Al co-doped La2O3 catalysts were prepared by citric acid sol-gel method and characterized by a series of in situ technologies, to investigate the structure-activity relationship of La2O3-based catalysts in the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM). The in situ XRD results reveal a thermal expansion of the La2O3 crystal along the c-axis at high temperature. The H2-TPR results show two types of oxygen species on the La2O3-based catalysts, viz., the strong-binding oxygen species and weak-binding oxygen species; in addition, the XPS results indicate that the strong-binding oxygen species is probably attributed to anion radical O−. The doping with Zn can significantly increase the number of oxygen vacancies in the Zn-doped La2O3 catalysts, which can promote the activation of oxygen and generate more strong-binding oxygen species; as a result, the Zn-doped La2O3 catalyst shows better performance in OCM in comparison with the unmodified La2O3 catalyst. Moreover, the co-doping with Al can promote the dispersion of Zn in La2O3 and further raise the number of strong-binding oxygen species in the Zn-Al co-doped La2O3 catalysts, which is beneficial to enhance the selectivity to C2+ hydrocarbons in the OCM reaction.

Aim This study investigated the effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on renal outcomes in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and methods We searched Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library to identify randomized controlled trials published up to April 2020 that compared SGLT2 inhibitors with placebo or active comparator and reported any renal outcomes in Asian patients with T2DM. Random effects models and inverse variance weighting were used to calculate relative risks with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results We included 14 studies, totaling 3792 patients, in the analysis. In the short term, SGLT2 inhibitors significantly slowed estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline (MD: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.66 to 0.94; p p p p = 0.11). However, dapagliflozin does appear to reduce albuminuria (p = 0.005). Lastly, SGLT2 inhibitors increased the incidence of adverse events (AEs) related to renal function (OR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.24 to 2.91; p = 0.003), but did not increase the incidence of renal impairment (OR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.40 to 1.81; p = 0.68). Conclusion The use of SGLT2 inhibitors in Asian patients with T2DM can help delay the decline of eGFR and reduce Scr and UA. Although SGLT2 inhibitors have no overall advantage in reducing albuminuria, dapagliflozin does appear to reduce albuminuria, and while they may increase the occurrence of AEs related to renal function, they do not increase the incidence of renal impairment.

ObjectivesThis study was aimed to establish a neural-related gene risk score (NRGRS) for the prediction of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) prognosis, and explore its prognostic value on the benefit of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy.Materials and MethodsBased on the transcriptome data of HNSCC patients (n = 546) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), 37 neural-related hub genes were identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis. Four genes (ITGA5, PYGM, GNG7 and ATP2A3) were identified to construct NRGRS using Lasso-Cox regression method based on the TCGA cohort and validated in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohort (n = 109). The survival analysis and Cox regression were performed to validate the prognostic value of NRGRS. Afterward, the molecular and immune characteristics in NRGRS-defined subgroups were analyzed and the prediction value of NRGRS on the benefit of ICI therapy was compared with other biomarkers.ResultsNRGRS-high patients had a worse overall survival than NRGRS-low patients. A low NRGRS was correlated with DNA repair-related and immune response-related pathways, while a high NRGRS was associated with Wnt-beta-catenin signaling, neurotrophic signaling and metabolism-related pathways. Tumors with high NRGRS were more likely to have high TP53, CDKN2A, FAT1 and NOTCH1 mutation rates and have high infiltration of naive CD4 + T cells, resting NK cells, M0, M2 macrophages and resting mast cells, which illustrated suppressive immunity and less benefit from ICI therapy.ConclusionIn conclusion, NRGRS is a promising prognostic biomarker to predict the survival, the molecular and immune characteristics, and also immunotherapy benefit for HNSCC patients.Clinical RelevanceThis study provides evidence for the potential correlation between neural-related transcriptome alteration and immune activity in HNSCC.

Negative affect is an important temperament in children, influencing their social skills. However, the evidence for this association in preschool children is limited. Moreover, the underlying mechanisms that explain the relationship between preschool children’s negative affect and social skills remain less understood. Thus, the primary goal of this study was to examine the moderating role of the teacher–child relationship in the associations between negative affect and social skills of Chinese preschoolers. A sample of 198 preschool children (Mage = 58.64 ± 3.83 months, 53% boys), recruited from 13 classes in two public kindergartens in Shanghai, China, participated in this 1-year longitudinal study. The mothers reported children’s negative affect, while the teachers reported children’s social skills and the teacher–child relationship. Results of a series of moderating effect analyses showed that (1) T1 negative affect could significantly negatively predict T2 social skills (cooperation, self-control, and assertion), and (2) the associations between negative affect and social skills were moderated by the teacher–child relationship (including teacher–child closeness and conflict). Specifically, a high level of teacher–child closeness buffered the prediction of negative affect on social skills, while a high level of teacher–child conflict aggravated the said prediction. The findings highlight the importance of the teacher–child relationship in the development of children’s social skills during preschool age when they have a high level of negative affect. This has important implications for the development of interventions to improve teacher–child relationships and children’s social skills.

Human mitochondrial transcription termination factor 1 (MTERF1) has been demonstrated to play an important role in mitochondrial gene expression regulation. However, the molecular mechanism of MTERF1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains largely unknown. Here, we found that MTERF1 expression was significantly increased in colon cancer tissues compared with normal colorectal tissue by Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and tissue microarrays (TMA). Overexpression of MTERF1 in the HT29 cell promoted cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and xenograft tumor formation, whereas knockdown of MTERF1 in HCT116 cells appeared to be the opposite phenotype to HT29 cells. Furthermore, MTERF1 can increase mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication, transcription, and protein synthesis in colorectal cancer cells; increase ATP levels, the mitochondrial crista density, mitochondrial membrane potential, and oxygen consumption rate (OCR); and reduce the ROS production in colorectal cancer cells, thereby enhancing mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) activity. Mechanistically, we revealed that MTERF1 regulates the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway in cancerous cell lines, and we also confirmed the involvement of the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway in both xenograft tumor tissues and colorectal cancer tissues. In summary, our data reveal an oncogenic role of MTERF1 in CRC progression, indicating that MTERF1 may represent a new therapeutic target in the future.

Insulin is a principal metabolic hormone. It regulates a plethora of metabolic pathways in peripheral tissues. The highly homologous insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), on the other hand, is important for development and growth. Recent studies have shown that insulin and IGF-1 signaling plays fundamental roles in the brain. Loss of insulin or IGF-1 receptors in astrocytes leads to altered glucose handling, mitochondrial metabolism, neurovascular coupling, and behavioral abnormalities in mice. Here, we aim to investigate molecular mechanisms by which insulin and IGF-1 signaling regulates astrocyte functions.IR-flox and IRKO primary astrocytes were treated with 100 nM insulin or IGF-1 for 6 h, and their transcriptomes were analyzed. Astrocytes with either IR deletion, IGF1R deletion or both were used to examine receptor-dependent transcriptional regulations using qPCR. Additional immunoblotting and confocal imaging studies were performed to functionally validate pathways involved in protein homeostasis.Using next-generation RNA sequencing, we show that insulin significantly regulates the expression of over 1,200 genes involved in multiple functional processes in primary astrocytes. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) triggers a similar robust transcriptional regulation in astrocytes. Thus, over 50% of the differentially expressed genes are regulated by both ligands. As expected, these commonly regulated genes are highly enriched in pathways involved in lipid and cholesterol biosynthesis. Additionally, insulin and IGF-1 induce the expression of genes involved in ribosomal biogenesis, while suppressing the expression of genes involved in autophagy, indicating a common role of insulin and IGF-1 on protein homeostasis in astrocytes. Insulin-dependent suppression of autophagy genes, including p62, Ulk1/2, and several Atg genes, is blunted only when both IR and IGF1R are deleted.In summary, insulin and IGF-1 potently suppress autophagy in astrocytes through transcriptional regulation. Both IR and IGF1R can elicit ligand-dependent transcriptional suppression of autophagy. These results demonstrate an important role of astrocytic insulin/IGF-1 signaling on proteostasis. Impairment of this regulation in insulin resistance and diabetes may contribute to neurological complications related to diabetes.

For crushable calcareous sand, the stress-dilatancy curve has a significant turning hook around the peak stress ratio, the hook contains the main features of the loading process, including the phase transformation point and the peak stress ratio point. However, more than half of this turning hook, i.e., the line after the peak stress ratio point, is usually ignored by known stress-dilatancy models. It is difficult to directly establish the stress-dilatancy model with such turning hook characteristics, since such turning hook demonstrates that the dilatancy is not a single-valued function of the stress ratio. Based on the first law of thermodynamic, we related dilatancy to breakage energy. Then, we mapped breakage energy from the stress-energy plane to the strain-energy plane to avoid the non-single-valued function problem. Then, the stress-dilatancy model was conveniently established. Compared with the other four existing stress-dilatancy models, the benefit of our modeling process is that it can easily capture the turning hook of the stress-dilatancy curve. Our model is also verified by simulating colloidal-silica-stabilized and MICP-stabilized calcareous sands, as well as three types of calcareous sands, respectively.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) activation of chloride ions (Cl

Exploring and quantifying the impacts of biological soil crusts on soil hydrological processes and soil water budget in semi-arid ecosystems can provide a theoretical basis for vegetation restoration and reconstruction in deserts. Based on continuous observation of soil water content in different types of areas covered by biological soil crusts (探究半干旱生态系统生物土壤结皮对土壤水文过程的影响,并量化生物结皮覆盖下土壤水分收支状况,可为荒漠地区植被恢复与重建提供理论依据。本研究基于2018—2020年生长季(5—10月)对毛乌素沙地不同类型生物结皮(如藻类和苔藓)覆盖区土壤水分的连续观测,以裸沙为对照,分析了生物结皮对0～40 cm土壤水分收支的影响。结果表明: 与裸沙相比,藻类结皮和苔藓结皮显著降低了降雨对40 cm以下土壤水分的补充,增加了土壤水分的蒸发损失。在相对湿润年份(2018年),裸沙和不同类型生物结皮覆盖土壤的水分支出量(渗漏量+蒸发量)均低于降雨量,土壤水分状况为收入;在相对干旱年份(2019和2020年),藻类结皮和苔藓结皮覆盖土壤的水分支出量高于降雨量,土壤水分产生亏缺,但是裸沙相反。可见,生物结皮导致其下覆0～40 cm土壤水分收支不平衡,在相对干旱年份出现了水分亏缺,这可能驱动该区域植被群落向浅根系植物演替。.

BackgroundIn recent years, the research interest in m6A has remained high, and the reason is that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common reversible methylation modification of eukaryotic mRNA and plays a significant role in tumorigenesis. However, abnormalities of the RNA m6A regulators (writers, erasers, and readers) have rarely been reported in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The expression of m6A regulators in nasopharyngeal carcinoma is highly diverse, and this diversity has important implications for the prognosis and progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. MethodsWe firstly performed differential analysis of FTO expression in NPC and adjacent tissues, survival analysis of NPC patients associated with FTO expression, and immune signature of FTO immunity to NPC, in addition we did molecular biological function experiments and mouse tumorigenesis models were established to explore the role of FTO in the occurrence and development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Finally, we performed FTO gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to explore potential downstream pathways of FTO.ResultsIn the present study, we showed that FTO, one of the writers, was downregulated in NPC. Functional studies showed that FTO was underexpressed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and promoted the invasion and migration of NPC cells. However, overexpression of FTO reversed this effect and inhibited the migration and invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Furthermore, to investigate the effect of FTO on immune infiltration of NPC. We performed Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) with immune cells and functional gene sets, we found that FTO also had a positive effect on the infiltration and activation of immune cells in the NPC microenvironment. We conducted Gene Set Enrichment Analysis to explore the potential downstream pathways of FTO. Our data demonstrate the significant correlation of FTO expression with the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) genome closely related to cancer development, and the protective role of FTO during NPC progression. ConclusionsOur data demonstrate the significant correlation of FTO expression with the KEGG genome closely related to cancer development, and the protective role of FTO during NPC progression, and suggest that FTO may be a promising target for future NPC therapy.

Background Geleophysic dysplasia (GD) presents the characterized clinical manifestations of acromelic dysplasia, including extremely short stature, short limbs, small hands and feet, stubby fingers and toes, joint stiffness and others. It is clinically distinct from the other acromelic dysplasia in terms of symptoms such as cardiac valvular abnormalities, progressive hepatomegaly and tracheal stenosis. Case summary We report on a Chinese 9-year-old girl with GD with the c.5243G>T (p.C1748F) mutation in FBN1 (fibrillin 1, OMIM 134797). She was born in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. The patient presented with typical clinical features of GD and recurrent respiratory tract infections over 6 years. Laboratory studies and chest computed tomography (CT) scan indicated bronchopneumonia. Her echocardiography revealed mild mitral valve thickening with regurgitation. Laryngopharyngeal CT and electronic bronchoscopy revealed severe glottic stenosis. Echocardiography examination displayed mild mitral valve thickening and regurgitation. Ophthalmic examination did not reveal myopia or lens dislocation. Treated with ceftriaxone sodium and methylprednisolone sodium succinate for injection as well as methylprednisolone orally, patient's symptoms had improved. Conclusion GD is a rare genetic condition that can cause life-threatening cardiovascular and respiratory problems. This study also found that the identified genotype of GD could be related to different clinical phenotypes.

BACKGROUND Endometrial stromal tumors originate from the endometrial stroma and account for < 2% of all uterine tumors. Uterine tumor resembling an ovarian sex cord tumor (UTROSCT) is a rare histological class of endometrial stromal and related tumors according to the latest World Health Organization classification of female genital tumors. Here, we report a case of UTROSCT in a 51-year-old woman. CASE SUMMARY A 51-year-old woman had irregular menses for 6 mo. The patient visited a local hospital for vaginal bleeding. Pelvic computed tomography (CT) showed a mass in the pelvic cavity. Five days later, she came to our hospital for further diagnosis. The results of contrast-enhanced CT and pelvic ultrasound at our hospital suggested a malignant pelvic tumor. She then underwent total removal of the uterus with bilateral salpingectomy. Postoperative histological examination showed that the tumor cells had abundant cytoplasm, ovoid and spindle-shaped nuclei, fine chromatin, a high nucleoplasm ratio, and a lamellar distribution. The findings were consistent with UTROSCT, and the results of immunohistochemical analysis supported that diagnosis. The tumor was International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IB. No adjuvant therapy was administered after radical surgery. The patient was followed up for 58 mo, and no recurrence was found. CONCLUSION We report a case of UTROSCT with abnormal menstruation as a symptom, which is one of the most common symptoms. In patients with vaginal bleeding, ultrasonography can be used as a screening test because of its convenience, speed, and lack of radiation exposure. For patients with long-term tamoxifen use, routine monitoring of the endometrium is recommended. As UTROSCT may have low malignant potential, surgery remains the primary management strategy. Additionally, fertility preservation in patients of childbearing age is a vital consideration.

In this article we study the semiparametric estimation of the Tobit model simultaneously jointed with an endogenous regressor. The model usually is estimated by maximum likelihood method and two-st...

Background A novel and improved methodology is still required for the diagnosis of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). The aim of the present study was to identify novel biomarkers using extracellular vesicle (EV)-derived mRNA based on kidney tissue microarray data. Methods Candidate genes were identified by intersecting the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and eGFR-correlated genes using the GEO datasets GSE30528 and GSE96804, followed by clinical parameter correlation and diagnostic efficacy assessment. Results Fifteen intersecting genes, including 8 positively correlated genes, B3GALT2, CDH10, MIR3916, NELL1, OCLM, PRKAR2B, TREM1 and USP46, and 7 negatively correlated genes, AEBP1, CDH6, HSD17B2, LUM, MS4A4A, PTN and RASSF9, were confirmed. The expression level assessment results revealed significantly increased levels of AEBP1 in DKD-derived EVs compared to those in T2DM and control EVs. Correlation analysis revealed that AEBP1 levels were positively correlated with Cr, 24-h urine protein and serum CYC and negatively correlated with eGFR and LDL, and good diagnostic efficacy for DKD was also found using AEBP1 levels to differentiate DKD patients from T2DM patients or controls. Conclusions Our results confirmed that the AEBP1 level from plasma EVs could differentiate DKD patients from T2DM patients and control subjects and was a good indication of the function of multiple critical clinical parameters. The AEBP1 level of EVs may serve as a novel and efficacious biomarker for DKD diagnosis.

Online customers execute transactions without inspecting products could expect to encounter risks of receiving products with unsatisfactory qualities, especially in food transactions. Thus quality supervision plays a key role in the establishment of trust as well as in the management of risk between online customers and sellers. Most papers in this field are in qualitative nature. In this paper, a quality supervision profit (QSP) model is formulated as a discrete-time optimal control problem. It is a quantitative approach, and it broadens the scope of current research in the area. The quality effort level of online sellers (QELs) and the quality supervision level of the electronic intermediary (QSLm) are considered together with their corresponding profit in the proposed model. The aim is to optimize an overall profit. A case study arising from Suichang’s food traceability system (FTS) of farm produce online transaction is carried out in details. The results reveal that QELs, QSLm and the profit distribution coefficient have a strong influence upon the profits of both sides. Finally, some concluding remarks, including potential further research topics, are given.

AimsMortality from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains substantial. The current study is aimed at developing a novel simple and easy-to-use risk score for AMI.MethodsThe CatLet extended validation trial (ChiCTR2000033730) and the CatLet validation trial (ChiCTR-POC-17013536), both being registered with chictr.org, served as the derivation and validation datasets, respectively. The derivation dataset included 1018 patients, and the validation dataset included 308 ones. They all suffered from AMI and underwent percutaneous intervention (PCI). The 4-year follow-up was 97% completed for the derivation dataset, and 100% completed for the validation dataset. The endpoint was all-cause death. Lasso regression analysis was used for covariate selection and coefficient estimation.ResultsOf 26 candidate predictor variables, four strongest predictors for 4-year mortality were included in the BACEF score (serum albumin, age, serum creatinine, and LVEF). This score was well calibrated and yielded an AUC (95%CI) statistics of 0.84(0.80-0.87) in internal validation, 0.89(0.83-0.95) in internal-external (temporal) validation, and 0.83(0.77-0.89) in external validation. Notably, it outperformed the ACEF, ACEFII, GRACE risk scores (0.83(0.77-0.89) vs 0.81(0.75-0.88); 0.83(0.77-0.89) vs 0.79(0.73-0.86); and 0.83(0.77-0.89) vs 0.79(0.72-0.86), respectively).ConclusionsA simple risk score for 4-year mortality risk stratification was developed, extensively validated, and calibrated in patients with AMI. This novel BACEF score outperformed the ACEF, ACEFII, and GRACE scores and may be a useful risk stratification tool for patients with AMI.One-sentence summaryA novel simple risk score with an acronym of BACEF, including only four risk factors of serum albumin, age, serum creatinine, and LVEF, has been developed, and outperformed the ACEF, ACEFII, and GRACE scores in terms of four-year mortality prediction for patients with acute myocardial infarction.Take-home figure

The evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in the emergence of new variant lineages that have exacerbated the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of those variants were designated as variants of concern/interest (VOC/VOI) by national or international authorities based on many factors including their potential impact on vaccine-mediated protection from disease. To ascertain and rank the risk of VOCs and VOIs, we analyze the ability of 14 variants (614G, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota, Kappa, Lambda, Mu, and Omicron) to escape from mRNA vaccine-induced antibodies. The variants show differential reductions in neutralization and replication by post-vaccination sera. Although the Omicron variant (BA.1, BA.1.1, and BA.2) shows the most escape from neutralization, sera collected after a third dose of vaccine (booster sera) retain moderate neutralizing activity against that variant. Therefore, vaccination remains an effective strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PurposeDefects in concrete surfaces are inevitably recurring during construction, which needs to be checked and accepted during construction and completion. Traditional manual inspection of surface defects requires inspectors to judge, evaluate and make decisions, which requires sufficient experience and is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the expertise cannot be effectively preserved and transferred. In addition, the evaluation standards of different inspectors are not identical, which may lead to cause discrepancies in inspection results. Although computer vision can achieve defect recognition, there is a gap between the low-level semantics acquired by computer vision and the high-level semantics that humans understand from images. Therefore, computer vision and ontology are combined to achieve intelligent evaluation and decision-making and to bridge the above gap.Design/methodology/approachCombining ontology and computer vision, this paper establishes an evaluation and decision-making framework for concrete surface quality. By establishing concrete surface quality ontology model and defect identification quantification model, ontology reasoning technology is used to realize concrete surface quality evaluation and decision-making.FindingsComputer vision can identify and quantify defects, obtain low-level image semantics, and ontology can structurally express expert knowledge in the field of defects. This proposed framework can automatically identify and quantify defects, and infer the causes, responsibility, severity and repair methods of defects. Through case analysis of various scenarios, the proposed evaluation and decision-making framework is feasible.Originality/valueThis paper establishes an evaluation and decision-making framework for concrete surface quality, so as to improve the standardization and intelligence of surface defect inspection and potentially provide reusable knowledge for inspecting concrete surface quality. The research results in this paper can be used to detect the concrete surface quality, reduce the subjectivity of evaluation and improve the inspection efficiency. In addition, the proposed framework enriches the application scenarios of ontology and computer vision, and to a certain extent bridges the gap between the image features extracted by computer vision and the information that people obtain from images.

Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) is a prevalent and heterogeneous malignancy with poor prognosis and high mortality rates. There is significant evidence of alternative splicing (AS) contributing to tumor development, suggesting its potential in predicting prognosis and therapeutic efficacy. This study aims to establish an AS-based prognostic signature in HNSC patients.Methods: The expression profiles and clinical information of 486 HNSC patients were downloaded from the TCGA database, and the AS data were downloaded from the TCGA SpliceSeq database. The survival-associated AS events were identified by conducting a Cox regression analysis and utilized to develop a prognostic signature by fitting into a LASSO-regularized Cox regression model. Survival analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed to evaluate the signature and an independent cohort was used for validation. The immune cell function and infiltration were analyzed by CIBERSORT and the ssGSEA algorithm.Results: Univariate Cox regression analysis identified 2726 survival-associated AS events from 1714 genes. The correlation network reported DDX39B, PRPF39, and ARGLU1 as key splicing factors (SF) regulating these AS events. Eight survival-associated AS events were selected and validated by LASSO regression to develop a prognostic signature. It was confirmed that this signature could predict HNSC outcomes independent of other variables via multivariate Cox regression analysis. The risk score AUC was more than 0.75 for 3 years, highlighting the signature’s prediction capability. Immune infiltration analysis reported different immune cell distributions between the two risk groups. The immune cell content was higher in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group. The correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between risk score, immune cell subsets, and immune checkpoint expression.Conclusion: The prognostic signature developed from survival-associated AS events could predict the prognosis of HNSC patients and their clinical response to immunotherapy. However, this signature requires further research and validation in larger cohort studies.

This study aimed to explore the effect of artesunate(ARS) on bone destruction in rheumatoid arthritis(RA) based on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor(AhR)/AhR nucleart ranslocator(ARNT)/NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1(NQO1) signaling pathway. Macrophage-colony stimulating factor(M-CSF) and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB(RANKL) were used to induce the differentiation of primary bone marrow-derived mouse macrophages into osteoclasts. After intervention with ARS(0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 μmol·L~(-1)), the formation and differentiation of osteoclasts were observed by tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase(TRAP) and F-actin staining. The protein expression levels of AhR and NQO1 were detected by Western blot, and their distribution in osteoclasts was observed by immunofluorescence localization. Simultaneously, the collagen induced arthritis(CIA) rat model was established using type Ⅱ bovine collagen emulsion and then treated with ARS(7.5, 15, and 30 mg·kg~(-1)) by gavage for 30 days. Following the observation of spinal cord and bone destruction in CIA rats by Masson staining, the expression of AhR and ARNT in rat knee joint tissue was measured by immunohistochemistry and the NQO1 protein expression in the knee joint tissue by Western blot. The results showed that a large number of TRAP-positive cells were present in RANKL-induced rats. Compared with the RANKL-induced group, ARS(0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 μmol·L~(-1)) inhibited the number of TRAP-positive cells in a dose-dependent manner. F-actin staining results showed that the inhibition of F-actin formation was enhanced with the increase in ARS dose. As revealed by Western blot and immunofluorescence assay, ARS significantly promoted the expression of AhR and its transfer to the nucleus, thereby activating the protein expression of downstream ARNT and antioxidant enzyme NQO1. At the same time, the CIA rat model was successfully established. Masson staining revealed serious joint destruction in the model group, manifested by the failed staining of surface cartilage, disordered arrangement of collagen fibers, and unclear boundaries of cartilage and bone. The positive drug and ARS at different doses all improved cartilage and bone destruction to varying degrees, with the best efficacy detected in the high-dose ARS group. According to immunohistochemistry, ARS promoted AhR and ARNT protein expression in knee cartilage and bone of CIA rats and also NQO1 protein expression in rat knee and ankle joint tissues. In conclusion, ARS inhibited osteoclast differentiation by activating the AhR/ARNT/NQO1 signaling pathway, thus alleviating RA.

The study aimed to explore the correlations of the results of the high-frequency ultrasound evaluation of the brachial artery endothelial dilatation and carotid atherosclerosis with glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammatory cytokines, the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and vascular endothelial function in elderly patients. 78 elderly patients with CAD in Beijing Anzhen Hospital were selected. The high-frequency ultrasonography was carried out to observe the flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and intima-media thickness (IMT) and to analyze their correlations with inflammatory cytokines [C-reactive protein (CRP) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1)], endothelial function [nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1)], glycolipid metabolism [high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and fasting blood glucose (FBG)] and the severity of CAD. FMD, NO and HDL-C: patients with single-vesselCADthose with double-vessel CADthose with multi-vessel CAD. IMT, CRP, PAI-1, FBG, ET-1, TC and TG: patients with single-vesselCADthose with double-vessel CADthose with multi-vessel CAD (p0.05). The FMD had negative correlations with CRP, PAI-1, FBG, ET-1, TC and TG and positive correlations with NO and HDL-C (p0.05). The IMT was positively associated with CRP, PAI-1, FBG, ET-1, TC and TG and negatively related to NO and HDL-C (p0.05). As the disease becomes severe, the endothelial dilatation of brachial arteries in elderly patients with CAD becomes weaker, and the risk of carotid atherosclerosis increases.

Quantum phase transitions in quantum matter occur at zero temperature between distinct ground states by tuning a nonthermal control parameter. Often, they can be accurately described within the Landau theory of phase transitions, similarly to conventional thermal phase transitions. However, this picture can break down under certain circumstances. Here, we present a comprehensive study of the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the magnetic structure and spin dynamics of the spin-1/2 ladder compound C$_9$H$_{18}$N$_2$CuBr$_4$. Single-crystal heat capacity and neutron diffraction measurements reveal that the N$\rm \acute{e}$el-ordered phase breaks down beyond a critical pressure of $P_{\rm c}$$\sim$1.0 GPa through a continuous quantum phase transition. Estimates of the critical exponents suggest that this transition may fall outside the traditional Landau paradigm. The inelastic neutron scattering spectra at 1.3 GPa are characterized by two well-separated gapped modes, including one continuum-like and another resolution-limited excitation in distinct scattering channels, which further indicates an exotic quantum-disordered phase above $P_{\rm c}$., The revised version includes 10 pages and 5 figures in the main text. To appear in Nature Communications. Any comments are welcome