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Abstract Increased dietary salt intake is a well-established risk factor for hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases, involving complex vascular remodeling processes. However, the specific role of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in vascular pathophysiology under high-salt conditions remains poorly understood. This study investigates the role of HIF-1α in high-salt-induced vascular remodeling using human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (HA-VSMCs) cultured in vitro. HA-VSMCs were divided into three groups: high-salt with HIF-1α knockdown (shHIF-1α + HS), negative control (shcontrol), and high-salt (HS). Cell viability, migration, gene expression, and protein levels were evaluated. High-salt conditions significantly increased mRNA expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), smooth muscle protein 22 (SM22), angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R), collagen I, and collagen III (p

Abstract Partial discharge (PD) detection of cable terminals is crucial for the safe operation of the traction power system in trains. However, similar PD signals in complex train‐operating environments cause difficulty to recognise the insulation defects. Therefore, a PD signal image transformation recognition method is proposed for PD detection of cable terminal defects to identify defects in cable terminals with similar PD characteristics accurately. In the proposed method, the raw PD signals are firstly transformed to images via the Gramian angular field (GAF) representation. This can reveal the discriminative characteristics embedded in the original PD signals and subsequently facilitate differentiating the PD sources, which exhibit similar characteristic in the time domain. The obtained GAF representation of PD signals (named as PD GAF images) is extracted from local and global features to train an efficient MobileVIT model, which is then utilised to identify similar types of PD sources in cable terminals. The results show that the proposed method achieves 97.5% recognition accuracy in the field experiment, which is superior to other methods.

Abstract Cerebrovascular abnormalities are critical indicators of stroke and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Understanding the normal evolution of brain vessels is essential for detecting early deviations and enabling timely interventions. Here, for the first time, we proposed a pipeline exploring the joint evolution of cortical volumes (CVs) and arterial volumes (AVs) in a large cohort of 2841 individuals. Using advanced deep learning for vessel segmentation, we built normative models of CVs and AVs across spatially hierarchical brain regions. We found that while AVs generally decline with age, distinct trends appear in regions like the circle of Willis. Comparing healthy individuals with those affected by AD or stroke, we identified significant reductions in both CVs and AVs, wherein patients with AD showing the most severe impact. Our findings reveal gender-specific effects and provide critical insights into how these conditions alter brain structure, potentially guiding future clinical assessments and interventions.

Abstract Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most malignant tumors that lacks effective treatment options. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), an important component of the tumor microenvironment, associated with tumor progression, prognosis, and treatment response. This work aimed to explore the novel CAFs-associated target to improve treatment strategies in PDAC. Methods The PDAC single-cell sequencing data (CRA001160, n = 35) were downloaded and integrated based on GSA databases to classify fibroblasts into fine subtypes. Functional enrichment analysis and coexpression regulatory network analysis were used to identify the functional phenotypes and biological properties of the different fibroblast subtypes. Fibroblast differentiation trajectories were constructed using pseudochronological analysis to identify initial and terminally differentiated subtypes of fibroblasts. The changes in the proportions of different fibroblast subtypes before and after PDAC immunotherapy were compared in responsive and nonresponding patients, and the relationships between fibroblast subtypes and PDAC immunotherapy responsiveness were determined based on GSA and GEO database. Using molecular biology methods to confirm the effects of BNIP3 on hypoxia and inflammation in CAFs. CAFs were co cultured with pancreatic cancer cells to detect their effects on migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer. Results Single-cell data analysis divided fibroblasts into six subtypes. The differentiation trajectory suggested that BNIP3+ Fibro subtype exhibited terminal differentiation, and the expression of genes related to hypoxia and the inflammatory response increased gradually with differentiation time. The specific overexpressed genes in the BNIP3+ Fibro subtype were significantly associated with overall and disease progression-free survival in the patients with PDAC. Interestingly, the greater the proportion of the BNIP3+ Fibro subtype was, the worse the response of PDAC patients to immunotherapy, and the CRTL treatment regimen effectively reduced the proportion of the BNIP3+ Fibro subtype. After knocking out BNIP3, the hypoxia markers and inflammatory factors of CAFs were inhibited. Co-culture of CAFs with pancreatic cancer cells can increase the migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer, but this could be reversed by knocking out BNIP3. Conclusions This study revealed the BNIP3+ Fibro subtype associated with hypoxia and inflammatory responses, which was closely related to the poor prognosis of patients with PDAC, and identified signature genes that predict the immunotherapy response in PDAC.

At present, there are few studies on the phase transition during the thermocompression plastic deformation of magnesium alloy. In this study, the evolution model of thermal compression plastic of AZ31 magnesium alloy was constructed by molecular dynamics, and the phase transition relationship between HCP and FCC at different thermal compression rates was studied. By combining GLEEBLE thermal compression experiment with transmission electron microscopy experiment, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images were taken to analyze the transition rules between HCP and FCC during plastic deformation at different thermal compression rates, and the accuracy of molecular dynamics analysis was verified. It is found that the slip of Shockley's incomplete dislocation produces obvious HCP →FCC phase transition at low strain rate and base plane dislocation at high strain rate, which makes the amorphous phase transition of HCP→OTHER more obvious, which provides theoretical guidance for the formulation of forming mechanism and preparation process of magnesium alloy.

Abstract Background CXC chemokine CXCL12 is involved in the pathological development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) through abnormal migration of peripheral immune cells in the joint. Although low dose methotrexate (MTX) is clinically used to treat RA patients, CXCL12 signaling responses to MTX-mediated treatments is still not well understood. Methods In this study, we examined the expression of CXCR4 (cognatic receptor for CXCL12) in peripheral T cells from RA patients and arthritis mice models received from low dose MTX therapies. The effects of low dose MTX on CXCR4 were further determined via both in vitro CD3+ T cells and Cxcr4 conditional knockout (CKO) arthritis mice models. Results Our clinical data shows that low dose MTX treatment was clinically associated with down-regulated expression of chemokine receptor CXCR4 on patient peripheral T cells. In vitro, low dose MTX significantly decreased cell transmigration through down-regulated CXCR4’s expression in CD3+ T cells. Consistently, CD3+ T cells treated with low dose MTX demonstrated an increased genomic hypermethylation across the promoter region of Cxcr4 gene. Furthermore, our preclinical studies showed that low dose MTX-mediated downregulation of CXCR4 significantly improved the pathological development in mouse arthritis models. Conditional disruption of the Cxcr4 gene in peripheral immune cells potentially alleviated inflammation of joints and lung tissue in the arthritis mice, though genetic modification itself overall did not change their clinical scores of arthritis, except for a significant improvement on day 45 in CXCR4 CKO arthritis mice models during the recovery phase. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the effect of low dose MTX treatment could serve to eliminate inflammation in RA patients through impairment of immune cell transmigration mediated by CXCR4.

This paper investigates the enhancement of the microstructure and properties of Ag-10La0.7Sr0.3CoO3 composites, prepared by powder metallurgy, through the application of high-current pulsed electron beam (HCPEB) irradiation. The X-ray diffraction results showed that the irradiated samples exhibited selective orientations on the surface of their (200) and (311) crystal planes. Microstructural observations revealed a dense remelted layer on the samples’ surface after HCPEB irradiation. The surface hardness of the samples increased after 15 treatments, showing an improvement of 36.76%. This is primarily attributed to fine-grain strengthening, surface remelting, and recrystallization. Further, the electrical conductivity of the samples treated 15 times increased by 74.8% compared to that of the original samples. Electrochemical test results showed that the samples treated 15 times showed the lowest corrosion current density in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. This improved corrosion resistance is attributable to the refinement of the surface’s microstructure and the introduction of residual compressive stress. This study demonstrates the significant impact of HCPEB irradiation on the regulation of the properties of Ag-10La0.7Sr0.3CoO3 composites.

The SAF2507 duplex stainless steel with the heterogeneous structure is produced through cold rolling (ε = 90%) and subsequent 1-min normalizing at 1273 K. Compared with the corresponding initial samples, the grain sizes of ferrite and austenite phases in the 90%-1273 sample are refined by 90%, which led to an increase in the number of grain or phase boundaries between the two phases. The yield strength (YS) of the 90%-1273 sample increased to 715 MPa from 541 MPa, while the uniform elongation of 24.8% is slightly smaller than that of the coarse-grained sample. The higher YS is mainly contributed by the strengthening of grain refinement and dislocation strengthening by incorporating geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs). During tensile deformation, the accumulation of GNDs in the heterostructured sample continuously generates hetero-deformation-induced (HDI) stress. The HDI stress plays a positive role in the 90%-1273 sample showing an ultimate tensile strength of 939 MPa. Additionally, the amount of twin boundaries in the 90%-1273 sample rose from 4.5% to 35% during tensile deformation, which indicated that the twinning induced plasticity effect was helpful in retaining the ductility of the 90%-1273 sample. This work provides strategies for optimizing the mechanical properties of duplex stainless steels and contributes to understanding the essence of a superior combination of strength and ductility of heterostructured materials.

Abstract Background CT-detected Extramural venous invasion (EMVI) is known as an independent risk factor for distant metastasis in patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC). However, the molecular basis is not clear. In colorectal cancer, M2 macrophages plays a vital role in determining EMVI. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between CT-detected EMVI and the M2 macrophages as well as prognosis predictionusing a radiogenomic approach. Method We utilized EMVI-related genes (from mRNA sequencing of 13 GC samples correlated with EMVI score by spearman analysis, P

Abstracts This is a rare case of struma ovarii combined with sarcomatoid carcinoma. Because struma ovarii and ovarian sarcomatoid carcinoma have an extremely low incidence, this may be the first case of a combined occurrence of both. Therefore, this report describes its clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment, analyzes the pathogenesis, and summarizes the previous literature in the hope that it can be helpful to other tumor-related medical personnel and provide material support for the formation of guidelines for this disease.

A new pore type, nano-scale organo-clay complex pore-fracture was first discovered based on argon ion polishing-field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction by focused ion-scanning electron in combination with analysis of TOC, Ro values, X-ray diffraction etc. in the Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation shale in the Songliao Basin, NE China. Such pore characteristics and evolution study show that: (1) Organo-clay complex pore-fractures are developed in the shale matrix and in the form of spongy and reticular aggregates. Different from circular or oval organic pores discovered in other shales, a single organo-clay complex pore is square, rectangular, rhombic or slaty, with the pore diameter generally less than 200 nm. (2) With thermal maturity increasing, the elements (C, Si, Al, O, Mg, Fe, etc.) in organo-clay complex change accordingly, showing that organic matter shrinkage due to hydrocarbon generation and clay mineral transformation both affect organo-clay complex pore-fracture formation. (3) At high thermal maturity, the Qingshankou Formation shale is dominated by nano-scale organo-clay complex pore-fractures with the percentage reaching more than 70% of total pore space. The spatial connectivity of organo-clay complex pore-fractures is significantly better than that of organic pores. It is suggested that organo-complex pore-fractures are the main pore space of laminar shale at high thermal maturity and are the main oil and gas accumulation space in the core area of continental shale oil. The discovery of nano-scale organo-clay complex pore-fractures changes the conventional view that inorganic pores are the main reservoir space and has scientific significance for the study of shale oil formation and accumulation laws.

Abstract Sodium is crucial for maintaining cardiovascular health, especially in relation to heart failure. The impact of baseline serum sodium concentrations on the outcomes of newly diagnosed coronary heart disease (CHD) without heart failure remains unclear. This prospective cohort study included 681 patients who were newly diagnosed with CHD. Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis were used to assess the relationship between serum sodium concentrations and major adverse cardiovascular events. The improvement in traditional prediction models by the addition of serum sodium concentrations was assessed using changes in the C-statistic, net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). During a median follow-up of 51.04 months (IQR: 40.88–53.80 months), 131 events were recorded. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models showed that the L2 group (136–138.9 mmol/L) had the highest MACE risk. Compared to L2, the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the L1 (130–135.9 mmol/L), L3 (139–140.9 mmol/L), L4 (141–142.9 mmol/L), and L5 (143–147.0 mmol/L) groups were 0.31 (0.14–0.70, P = 0.005), 0.48 (030–0.78, P = 0.003), 0.56 (0.34–0.92, P = 0.022), and 0.37 (0.22–0.64, P

Abstract During tumorigenesis and progression, the immune checkpoint programmed death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) play critical roles in suppressing T cell-mediated anticancer immune responses, leading to T-cell exhaustion and subsequent tumor evasion. Therefore, anti-PD-L1/PD-1 therapy has been an attractive strategy for treating cancer over the past decade. However, the overall efficacy of this approach remains suboptimal, revealing an urgent need for novel insights. Interestingly, increasing evidence indicates that both PD-L1 on tumor cells and PD-1 on tumor-specific T cells undergo extensive N-linked glycosylation, which is essential for the stability and interaction of these proteins, and this modification promotes tumor evasion. In various preclinical models, targeting the N-linked glycosylation of PD-L1/PD-1 was shown to significantly increase the efficacy of PD-L1/PD-1 blockade therapy. Furthermore, deglycosylation of PD-L1 strengthens the signal intensity in PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays, improving the diagnostic and therapeutic relevance of this protein. In this review, we provide an overview of the regulatory mechanisms underlying the N-linked glycosylation of PD-L1/PD-1 as well as the crucial role of N-linked glycosylation in PD-L1/PD-1-mediated immune evasion. In addition, we highlight the promising implications of targeting the N-linked glycosylation of PD-L1/PD-1 in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Our review identifies knowledge gaps and sheds new light on the cancer research field.

In order to gain insight into the hydrochemical characteristics and formation mechanism of high fluoride groundwater in Zhuanlongwan Coal Mine, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of 48 samples including quaternary groundwater (QGW), sandstone groundwater (SGW), and mine water (MGW) using statistical analysis and hydrochemical methods. The findings demonstrate that the groundwater in Zhuanlongwan Coal Mine generally exhibits weak alkalinity, with predominant cations comprising of Ca2+ and Na+, and anions consisting of HCO3– and Cl–. The mean mass concentration of SO4 2–, Cl–, TDS, pH, and CO3 2– in groundwater follows the order of MGW>SGW>QGW, whereas HCO3– and F– exhibit the trend of SGW>MGW>QGW. Specifically, the average mass concentration of F– in QGW, SGW, and MGW is 0.76 mg/L, 4.55 mg/L, and 4.35 mg/L, respectively. Notably, most samples from SGW and MGW significantly exceed the permissible F−concentration threshold of 1.0 mg/L. The hydrochemical type of low fluoride (\begin{document}$\rho_{{\mathrm{F}}^{-}} $\end{document}1 mg/L) are mainly HCO3−Na (35.42%) and SO4·Cl−Na (45.83%). The dissolution of fluorinated minerals serves as the main source of F– in the high fluoride groundwater of Zhuanlongwan Coal Mine. Moreover, cation exchange, competitive adsorption, as well as the dissolution and precipitation of dolomite and calcite, are significant factors influencing the occurrence of high fluoride groundwater.

Abstract The soil environment plays an important role in urban ecosystems. To study the heavy metal contamination of soil in Beilun District, Ningbo, we collected soil samples from 60 points in urban and peri-urban areas of Beilun District and analyzed the spatiotemporal variation and sources of heavy metal pollution in various land-use types. The results shown that the heavy metal contents in 2015 and 2022 were higher than the background soil values of Ningbo city, and there was an accumulation of heavy metals over these 7 years. The contents of heavy metals in green belts and woodland in 2022 were higher than those in 2015, while there was no significant change in agricultural land. The heavy metal contents in both years were mainly in the order green belts > agricultural land > woodland. The spatiotemporal distribution of heavy metal content showed that heavy metal pollution in Beilun District was concentrated in five industrial areas, and there was a trend toward the disappearance of highly polluted points. But the single-factor pollution index, pollution load index (PLI), and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) indicated that there was no significant heavy metal pollution in Beilun District, and individual elements at specific points showed slight pollution. The source analysis results showed that the main source of Hg is chemical, As is mainly derived from agricultural, Cr, Ni and Cu are mainly derived from natural, the main sources of Zn and Cd are electroplating and machinery activities, and the main source of Pb is traffic. These results specify a reference for future investigation on urban soil heavy metals, and the source apportionment results provide a scientific foundation for subsequent soil heavy metal pollution treatment.

In view of the problems such as long period of automatic process parameter debugging, high cost and difficult construction of working environment, the key technology of virtual process debugging of hydraulic support group process is studied based on digital twin technology. Firstly, based on modern modeling technology, a 1∶1 twin of three fully-mechanized mining machines was constructed, and virtual reconstruction and simulation of the three mechanized mining machines were carried out by virtual reality engine. Then, based on the modern design theory and the principle of three-machine collaboration, different parameters in the automatic process of the following machine are configured, and the decision-making model of the support behavior of the coal mining process is established, and the decision-making model is rehearsed in the virtual scene. Finally, the virtual and real interaction channel is established by TCP protocol, and the decision model is verified by semi-physical simulation experiment. The results show that the virtual scene can accurately reproduce the physical working face scene in the implementation of coal mining technology, the support group behavior decision model can be used to make decision planning of the hydraulic support process behavior in advance, and the real-time virtual-real interaction of the support controller can be carried out through the reverse control experiment. It is expected to overcome the obstacles of underground commissioning environment and provide useful reference value for the reasonable formulation and revision of hydraulic control program of the third mechanized mining machine.

Abstract Background The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has been driven by the latest advances in computing power. Although, there exists a dearth of research on the application of AI in medical education. Methods this study is based on the TAM-ISSM-UTAUT model and introduces STARA awareness and chilling effect as moderating variables. A total of 657 valid questionnaires were collected from students of a medical university in Dalian, China, and data were statistically described using SPSS version 26, Amos 3.0 software was used to validate the research model, as well as moderated effects analysis using Process (3.3.1) software, and Origin (2021) software. Results The findings reveal that both information quality and perceived usefulness are pivotal factors that positively influence the willingness to use AI products. It also uncovers the moderating influence of the chilling effect and STARA awareness. Conclusions This suggests that enhancing information quality can be a key strategy to encourage the widespread use of AI products. Furthermore, this investigation offers valuable insights into the intersection of medical education and AI use from the standpoint of medical students. This research may prove to be pertinent in shaping the promotion of Medical Education Intelligence in the future.

Abstract Developing artificial leaves to address the environmental burden of CO2 is pivotal for advancing our Net Zero Future. In this study, we introduce EcoLeaf, an artificial leaf that closely mimics the characteristics of natural leaves. It harnesses visible light as its sole energy source and orchestrates the controlled expansion and contraction of stomata and the exchange of petiole materials to govern the rate of CO2 sequestration from the atmosphere. Furthermore, EcoLeaf has a cellulose composition and mechanical strength similar to those of natural leaves, allowing it to seamlessly integrate into the ecosystem during use and participate in natural degradation and nutrient cycling processes at the end of its life. We propose that the carbon sequestration pathway within EcoLeaf is adaptable and can serve as a versatile biomimetic platform for diverse biogenic carbon sequestration pathways in the future.

Abstract Background Immature teeth with necrotic pulps present multiple challenges to clinicians. In such cases, regenerative endodontic procedures (REPs) may be a favorable strategy. Cells, biomaterial scaffolds, and signaling molecules are three key elements of REPs. Autologous human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) play an important role in pulp regeneration. In addition, autologous platelet concentrates (APCs) have recently been demonstrated as effective biomaterial scaffolds in regenerative dentistry, whereas the latest generation of APCs—concentrated growth factor (CGF), especially liquid phase CGF (LPCGF)—has rarely been reported in REPs. Case presentation A 31-year-old woman presented to our clinic with the chief complaint of occlusion discomfort in the left mandibular posterior region for the past 5 years. Tooth #35 showed no pulp vitality and had a periodontal lesion, and radiographic examination revealed that the tooth exhibited extensive periapical radiolucency with an immature apex and thin dentin walls. REP was implemented via transplantation of autologous hDPCs with the aid of LPCGF. The periodontal lesion was managed with simultaneous periodontal surgery. After the treatment, the tooth was free of any clinical symptoms and showed positive results in thermal and electric pulp tests at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. At 12-month follow-up, radiographic evidence and three-dimensional models, which were reconstructed using Mimics software based on cone-beam computed tomography, synergistically confirmed bone augmentation and continued root development, indicating complete disappearance of the periapical radiolucency, slight lengthening of the root, evident thickening of the canal walls, and closure of the apex. Conclusion hDPCs combined with LPCGF represents an innovative and effective strategy for cell-based regenerative endodontics.

BackgroundOsteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma are common malignant bone tumors, and accurate differentiation between these two tumors is crucial for treatment strategies and prognosis assessment. However, traditional radiological methods face diagnostic challenges due to the similarity in imaging between the two.MethodsClinical CT images and pathological data of 76 patients confirmed by pathology from January 2018 to January 2024 were retrospectively collected from Guizhou Medical University Affiliated Hospital and Guizhou Medical University Second Affiliated Hospital. A total of 788 radiomic features, including shape, texture, and first-order statistics, were extracted in this study. Six machine learning models, including Random Forest (RF), Extra Trees (ET), AdaBoost, Gradient Boosting Tree (GB), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), and XGBoost (XGB), were trained and validated. Additionally, the importance of features and the interpretability of the models were evaluated through SHAP value analysis.ResultsThe RF model performed best in distinguishing between these two tumor types, with an AUC value close to perfect at 1.00. The ET and AdaBoost models also demonstrated high performance, with AUC values of 0.98 and 0.93, respectively. SHAP value analysis revealed significant influences of wavelet-transformed GLCM and First Order features on model predictions, further enhancing diagnostic interpretability.ConclusionThis study confirms the effectiveness of combining machine learning with radiomic features in improving the accuracy and interpretability of osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma diagnosis. The excellent performance of the RF model is particularly suitable for complex imaging data processing, providing valuable insights for the future.

IntroductionThis study explores how elevated CO2 concentration may alter the source-sink dynamics in rice by providing additional carbon for photosynthesis, thereby affecting nutrient absorption and distribution.MethodsA free-air CO2 enrichment experiment was conducted on a japonica cultivar Wuyunjing 27 in 2017 and 2018 growing seasons. The plants were exposed to ambient and elevated CO2 level (increased by 200 μmol·mol-1) and two source-sink manipulation treatments (control with no leaf cutting and cutting off the top three leaves at heading).ResultsThe elevated CO2 significantly increased the above-ground biomass and the straw non-structural carbohydrate concentration by an average of 19.3% and 12.5%, respectively. Significant changes in the concentrations of N, S, Fe, and Zn in straw were noted under elevated CO2, with average decreases by 7.1, 7.2, 11.6, and 10.1%, respectively. The exposure to elevated CO2 significantly enhanced the elements accumulation, yet it had minimal impact on their distribution across different organs. When compared to intact rice, removing the top three leaves at heading reduced the above-ground biomass by 36.8% and the straw non-structural carbohydrate content by 44.8%. Leaf-cutting generally increased the concentration of elements in stem, leaf, and grain, likely due to a concentration effect from reduced biomass and carbohydrate accumulation. Leaf-cutting reduced element accumulation and shifted element allocation in rice organs. It increased the proportion of elements in stems while reduced their presence in leaves and grains.DiscussionOur study suggests that a dilution effect may cause a decrease in mineral elements concentrations under elevated CO2 because of the increase in biomass and carbohydrates.

IntroductionImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are important systemic therapeutic agents for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), among which T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing protein 3 (Tim-3) is considered an emerging target for ICI therapy. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic value of Tim-3 expression and develop a predictive model for Tim-3 infiltration in HCC.MethodsWe collected data from 424 HCC patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and data from 102 pathologically confirmed HCC patients from our center for prognostic analysis. Multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed on both datasets to determine the prognostic significance of Tim-3 expression. In radiomics analysis, we used the K-means algorithm to cluster regions of interest in arterial phase enhancement and venous phase enhancement images from patients at our center. Radiomic features were extracted from three subregions as well as the entire tumor using pyradiomics. Five machine learning methods were employed to construct Habitat models based on habitat features and Rad models based on traditional radiomic features. The predictive performance of the models was compared using ROC curves, DCA curves, and calibration curves.ResultsMultivariate Cox analyses from both our center and the TCGA database indicated that high Tim-3 expression is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in HCC patients. Higher levels of Tim-3 expression were significantly associated with worse prognosis. Among the ten models evaluated, the Habitat model constructed using the LightGBM algorithm showed the best performance in predicting Tim-3 expression status (training set vs. test set AUC 0.866 vs. 0.824).DiscussionThis study confirmed the importance of Tim-3 as a prognostic marker in HCC. The habitat radiomics model we developed effectively predicted intratumoral Tim-3 infiltration, providing valuable insights for the evaluation of ICI therapy in HCC patients.

The uncertainty associated with the future of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 poses a challenge to public health officials because of its implications for welfare, economics and population health. In this document, we develop an age-stratified epidemiological-mathematical model to predict various health outcomes, considering the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. The analytical model proposed and developed for this research is based on the approach constructed by the COVID-19 International Modelling Consortium. Following this approach, this paper innovates at the frontier of knowledge by including the various variants of SARS-CoV-2 in the Consortium model. Furthermore, for the first time in international literature, a complete compilation of the formal mathematical development of this entire quantitative model is presented. Our model accurately fits the observed historical data of new infections, cumulative mortality, symptomatic infections, hospitalisations, and Intensive Care Units admissions, capturing the waves of contagion that have occurred in Bogotá, Colombia. In turn, the prognosis obtained indicates a considerable decrease in the incidence and lethality caused by SARS-CoV-2 under current conditions, thus evidencing the effectiveness of vaccines against infection, hospitalisation, and death. This model enables the evaluation of different scenarios in response to changes in the dynamics of this infectious disease, providing information to policymakers for real-world evidence-based decision-making.

ObjectiveTo assess the positional reproducibility of sedated and non-sedated pediatric tumor patients during radiotherapy through a retrospective analysis of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and planned computed tomography (CT) scan data.MethodsThe positional reproducibility of 40 pediatric tumor patients, aged 2 to 17 years with a median age of 4.5 years, who received radiotherapy under sedated and non-sedated states was retrospectively compared. The first CBCT images obtained during CT-based treatment planning were analyzed. The analysis encompassed six-dimensional positional changes, including vertical (Vrt), longitudinal (Lng), lateral (Lat), rotational (Rtn), pitch, and roll directions. Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z nonparametric rank-sum testing was employed to evaluate the positional deviations, considering absolute values regardless of directionality. Data were further stratified based on different fixation methods used during treatment.ResultsSedated patients exhibited significantly smaller positional deviations in Vrt, Lng, Lat, and Rtn directions in the body membrane group compared with their non-sedated counterparts (P

Introduction: The patterns of oligoprogression after first-line immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for metastatic NSCLC are yet to be well established. An increasing volume of data suggests that directed radiotherapy improves survival outcomes in patients with progression after ICIs. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed on patients with metastatic NSCLC who had completed first-line programmed death-(ligand) 1 inhibitor therapy with or without chemotherapy at two high-volume cancer centers. We sought to characterize the frequency and location of oligoprogression and determine the overall survival (OS) after radiotherapy in this population. Results: A total of 159 patients were included in the study. At first progression, 62 (39.0%) were classified as undergoing oligoprogression. Multivariate analysis confirmed the presence of brain metastases was associated with an increased likelihood of oligoprogression (OR = 2.44, p = 0.04) with most (63.2%) of these patients experiencing progression intracranially. The presence of liver metastases was associated with a decreased likelihood of oligoprogression (OR = 0.17, p < 0.01). For patients with oligoprogression, those who received radiotherapy had a longer median progression-free survival-2 (PFS2) (17 versus 11.5 mo, HR = 0.51, p = 0.02) and a longer median OS (23 versus 13 mo, HR = 0.40, p < 0.001) compared with those who did not receive radiotherapy. No difference in PFS2 or OS outcomes was observed between patients who received radiotherapy versus those who did not for systemic progression. Conclusions: In patients with oligoprogressive metastatic NSCLC after treatment with first-line ICIs, radiotherapy significantly improves OS and PFS2 outcomes. Patients with baseline brain metastases are more likely to experience oligoprogression. Further prospective studies in directed, less heterogeneous populations of patients with metastatic NSCLC will be fundamental to optimize management.

Abstract Melatonin (N‐acetyl‐5‐methoxytryptamine) is reported to improve mood disorders in perimenopausal women and gut microbiome composition is altered during menopausal period. The possible role of microbiome in the treatment effect of melatonin on menopausal depression remains unknown. Here, it is shown that melatonin treatment reverses the gut microbiota dysbiosis and depressive‐like behaviors in ovariectomy (OVX) operated mice. This effect of melatonin is prevented by antibiotic cocktails (ABX) treatment. Transferring microbiota harvested from adolescent female mice to OVX‐operated mice is sufficient to ameliorate depressive‐like behaviors. Conversely, microbiota transplantation from OVX‐operated mice or melatonin‐treated OVX‐operated mice to naïve recipient mice exhibits similar phenotypes to donors. The colonization of Alistipes Inops, which is abundant in OVX‐operated mice, confers the recipient with depressive‐like behaviors. Further investigation indicates that the expansion of Alistipes Inops induced by OVX leads to the degradation of intestinal tryptophan, which destroys systemic tryptophan availability. Melatonin supplementation restores systemic tryptophan metabolic disorders by suppressing the growth of Alistipes Inops, which ameliorates depressive‐like behaviors. These results highlight the previously unrecognized role of Alistipes Inops in the modulation of OVX‐induced behavioral disorders and suggest that the application of melatonin to inhibit Alistipes Inops may serve as a potential strategy for preventing menopausal depressive symptoms.

In the realm of shallow water acoustics, reverberation poses a critical challenge to active sonar systems, yet it also serves as a valuable conduit for environmental information. This study presents the findings from a 48-hour experimental investigation of reverberation and clutter in the northern Yellow China Sea, conducted in July 2014. Utilizing temperature and depth sensor arrays, we captured multiple instances of nonlinear internal waves (NIWs). Notably, the reverberation data collected by a vertical array of hydrophones revealed peculiar intensity fluctuations, which were exclusively detected by hydrophones located below the thermocline as NIWs traversed the measurement vessel. To elucidate this phenomenon, we introduce a novel coupled-mode reverberation–clutter theory. Through numerical computations, we determined both the coherent and incoherent components of the reverberation intensities, effectively accounting for the observed target-like intensity variations. The model developed herein was further employed to successfully estimate the velocity of NIWs. These anomalous reverberation characteristics could potentially pave the way for innovative methods of NIW parameter detection in shallow water environments.

This study investigates the influence of COVID-19 on the mental health of Chinese college students and evaluates the current status of mental health literacy (MHL) education. With mental health issues among students becoming increasingly prominent due to the pandemic and rapid social changes, enhancing MHL is critical. The research highlights the necessity of integrating mental health education with MHL to foster resilience and effective coping strategies. It proposes a model combining online and offline education to maximize accessibility and engagement. By examining both domestic and international perspectives, the study underscores the importance of comprehensive mental health education reform in the post-pandemic era. This integrated approach aims to improve students’ mental well-being, reduce stigma, and encourage help-seeking behaviors, ultimately contributing to a healthier and more supportive campus environment.

Abstract The striatum plays a crucial role in providing input to the basal ganglia circuit and is implicated in the pathological process of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Disruption of the dynamic equilibrium in the basal ganglia loop can be attributed to the abnormal functioning of the medium spiny neurons (MSNs) within the striatum, potentially acting as a trigger for PD. Exercise has been shown to mitigate striatal neuronal dysfunction through neuroprotective and neurorestorative effects and to improve behavioral deficits in PD model mice. In addition, this effect is offset by the activation of MSNs expressing dopamine D2 receptors (D2-MSNs). In the current study, we investigated the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of this effect. Our findings indicated that exercise reduces the power spectral density of the beta-band in the striatum and decreases the overall firing frequency of MSNs, particularly in the case of striatal D2-MSNs. These observations were consistent with the results of molecular biology experiments, which revealed that aerobic training specifically enhanced the expression of striatal dopamine D2 receptors (D2R). Taken together, our results suggest that aerobic training aimed at upregulating striatal D2R expression to inhibit the functional activity of D2-MSNs represents a potential therapeutic strategy for the amelioration of motor dysfunction in PD.

Abstract Background Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common disease in elderly men. There is increasing evidence that periodontitis increases the risk of BPH, but the specific mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the role and mechanism of the key periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) in the development of BPH. Methods The subgingival plaque (Sp) and prostatic fluid (Pf) of patients with BPH concurrent periodontitis were extracted and cultured for 16S rDNA sequencing. Ligature-induced periodontitis, testosterone-induced BPH and the composite models in rats were established. The P. gingivalis and its toxic factor P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (P.g-LPS) were injected into the ventral lobe of prostate in rats to simulate its colonization of prostate. P.g-LPS was used to construct the prostate cell infection model for mechanism exploration. Results P. gingivalis, Streptococcus oralis, Capnocytophaga ochracea and other oral pathogens were simultaneously detected in the Pf and Sp of patients with BPH concurrent periodontitis, and the average relative abundance of P. gingivalis was found to be the highest. P. gingivalis was detected in both Pf and Sp in 62.5% of patients. Simultaneous periodontitis and BPH synergistically aggravated prostate histological changes. P. gingivalis and P.g-LPS infection could induce obvious hyperplasia of the prostate epithelium and stroma (epithelial thickness was 2.97- and 3.08-fold that of control group, respectively), and increase of collagen fibrosis (3.81- and 5.02-fold that of control group, respectively). P. gingivalis infection promoted prostate cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis, and upregulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6; 4.47-fold), interleukin-6 receptor-α (IL-6Rα; 5.74-fold) and glycoprotein 130 (gp130; 4.47-fold) in prostatic tissue. P.g-LPS could significantly inhibit cell apoptosis, promote mitosis and proliferation of cells. P.g-LPS activates the Akt pathway through IL-6/IL-6Rα/gp130 complex, which destroys the imbalance between proliferation and apoptosis of prostate cells, induces BPH. Conclusion P. gingivalis was abundant in the Pf of patients with BPH concurrent periodontitis. P. gingivalis infection can promote BPH, which may affect the progression of BPH via inflammation and the Akt signaling pathway.

Abstract Tracing the sources of microplastics (MPs) across various environmental media is currently facing significant challenges due to their complex transportable features. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive identification of MP sources in Beijing water bodies by combining MP diversity and the conditional fragmentation model, thoroughly considering local multiple sources. The resemblance in MP community compositions implied shared or similar sources in rivers and lakes, and the sources were assorted and equivalent based on the high diversity of MPs. The conditional fragmentation model can act as a proxy of fragmentation characteristics of MPs. According to the model, suburban sewage, soils, and dry and wet deposition constituted significant sources of MPs in the rivers and lakes of Beijing. The extremely high abundance of MPs (520,000 items·m−3) in suburban sewage also confirmed it as a potential source. For MPs with different polymer types and morphologies, non-fibrous polypropylene (PP) was primarily controlled by soils, whereas the contribution of sewage sludge to fibrous polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was notable. Our study provides insights for more accurate source apportionment and contributes to a better understanding of MP fate in urban environment.

Abstract Temporal solitons have been the focus of much research due to their fascinating physical properties. These solitons can form bound states, which are fundamentally crucial modes in fiber laser and present striking analogies with their matter molecules counterparts, which means they have potential applications in large-capacity transmission and all-optical information storage. Although traditionally, second-order dispersion has been the dominant dispersion for conventional solitons, recent experimental and theoretical research has shown that pure-high-even-order dispersion (PHEOD) solitons with energy-width scaling can arise from the interaction of arbitrary negative-even-order dispersion and Kerr nonlinearity. Despite these advancements, research on the bound states of PHEOD solitons is currently non-existent. In this study, we obtained PHEOD bound solitons in a fiber laser using an intra-cavity spectral pulse shaper for high-order dispersion management. Specifically, we experimentally demonstrate the existence of PHEOD solitons and PHEOD bound solitons with pure-quartic, -sextic, -octic, and -decic dispersion. Numerical simulations corroborate these experimental observations. Furthermore, vibrating phase PHEOD bound soliton pairs, sliding phase PHEOD bound soliton pairs, and hybrid phase PHEOD bound tri-soliton are discovered and characterized. These results broaden the fundamental understanding of solitons and show the universality of multi-soliton patterns.

Abstract Quantum-confined CsPbBr3 perovskites are promising blue emitters for ultra-high-definition displays, but their soft lattice caused by highly ionic nature has a limited stability. Here, we endow CsPbBr3 nanoplatelets (NPLs) with atomic crystal-like structural rigidity through proper surface engineering, by using strongly bound N-dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (DBSA). A stable, rigid crystal structure, as well as uniform, orderly-arranged surface of these NPLs is achieved by optimizing intermediate reaction stage, by switching from molecular clusters to mono-octahedra, while interaction with DBSA resulted in formation of a CsxO monolayer shell capping the NPL surface. As a result, both structural and optical stability of the CsPbBr3 NPLs is enhanced by strong covalent bonding of DBSA, which inhibits undesired phase transitions and decomposition of the perovskite phase potentially caused by ligand desorption. Moreover, rather small amount of DBSA ligands at the NPL surface results in a short inter-NPL spacing in their closely-packed films, which facilitates efficient charge injection and transport. Blue photoluminescence of the produced CsPbBr3 NPLs is bright (nearly unity emission quantum yield) and peaks at 457 nm with an extremely narrow bandwidth of 3.7 nm at 80 K, while the bandwidth of the electroluminescence (peaked at 460 nm) also reaches a record-narrow value of 15 nm at room temperature. This value corresponds to the CIE coordinates of (0.141, 0.062), which meets Rec. 2020 standards for ultra-high-definition displays.

Abstract Serial casting as one of the applications to treat early-onset scoliosis has been reported efficiently to improve deformity, but no report has focused on the efficacy of braces in the treatment of congenital early-onset scoliosis and comparison with progressive idiopathic early-onset scoliosis. Patients with progressive EOS treated with braces in our institution with a minimum of 4 years follow-up were reviewed. Two groups according to the etiological diagnosis were analyzed and compared: the congenital scoliosis (CS) group and idiopathic scoliosis (IS) group. The success cases and the failure cases were also compared. 27 patients with an average main Cobb angle of 38.19° (20–55) underwent initial bracing at an average age of 55.7 months (24–108), the average follow-up time was 76.19 months (49–117). In IS group the main Cobb angle was corrected to 18.69 ± 12.06° (48.61%) following the first bracing; the final Cobb angle was 23.08 ± 22.15°(38.76%) after brace removal. In CS group the main Cobb angle was corrected to 33.93 ± 10.31°(17.1%) following the first bracing and 37.93 ± 14.74°(3.53%) after brace removal. Both coronal chest width and T1-T12 height increased dramatically from pre-bracing to the last follow-up. Patients diagnosed as IS tended to have a better result in main Cobb angle correction than that of CS (P = 0.049). By the time of last follow-up, 8 patients had undergone surgery, and the operation time was postponed by 68.88 ± 26.43 months. For patients with progressive early-onset scoliosis, bracing is an efficient nonsurgical alternative to casting, and some of them can be cured; if not, eventual surgical intervention can be delayed for a period of time without restrictions on the thoracic cavity.

The deep integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and communication technology is the typical feature of the 6G network.On the one hand, AI injects new vitality into the development of the 6G network, which can effectively use the data generated by the historical operation of the network.It enables the network to be self-maintained and selfoptimized, and accelerates the process of network intelligence.On the other hand, the rich scenarios and IoT devices of the 6G network provide a large number of application fields and massive data for AI.These can enable the better deployment of AI, fully demonstrate the performance advantages of AI, and provide high-quality services for users.However, in practice, it is difficult to give full play to the performance advantages of AI due to the difficulty of sample collection, high cost of the collection, and lack of universality which caused by the complexity of the environment.Therefore, academia and industry introduce generative adversarial network (GAN) into the design of wireless networks.The powerful feature learning and feature expression ability of GAN can generate a large number of generated samples, which realizes the expansion of the wireless database.The introduction of GAN can effectively improve the generalization ability of AI models for wireless networks.Owing to the excellent performance of GAN, the generative model represented by GAN has attracted increased attention in the field of wireless networks, and rapidly became the new research hotspot of 6G networks.Firstly, the principle of GAN and its different versions of improved derived models were summarized.Then, the framework, advantages and disadvantages of each model were analyzed.Secondly, the research and application status of these models in wireless networks were reviewed.Finally, the research trends of GAN were proposed for the 6G network requirements, which provided some valuable exploration for future research.

Abstract Regulating metabolic disorders has become a promising focus in treating intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). A few drugs regulating metabolism, such as atorvastatin, metformin, and melatonin, show positive effects in treating IDD. Glutamine participates in multiple metabolic processes, including glutaminolysis and glycolysis; however, its impact on IDD is unclear. The current study reveals that glutamine levels are decreased in severely degenerated human nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues and aging Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat nucleus pulposus tissues, while lactate accumulation and lactylation are increased. Supplementary glutamine suppresses glycolysis and reduces lactate production, which downregulates adenosine-5’-monophosphate-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) lactylation and upregulates AMPKα phosphorylation. Moreover, glutamine treatment reduces NP cell senescence and enhances autophagy and matrix synthesis via inhibition of glycolysis and AMPK lactylation, and glycolysis inhibition suppresses lactylation. Our results indicate that glutamine could prevent IDD by glycolysis inhibition-decreased AMPKα lactylation, which promotes autophagy and suppresses NP cell senescence.

The microstructure, grain size, dislocation density, and crystal texture of a material vary owing to prestraining due to external forces. These changes directly affect the corrosion behavior of the material, thereby affecting the structural integrity and service life of the equipment. Thus, this study investigated the impact of 0 %–25 % prestrain on the microstructure and corrosion properties of Incoloy 840, a nickel-based alloy steel. This research explored the relationship between the grain size, low-angle grain boundaries, geometrically necessary dislocation density, dislocation distribution, and corrosion properties. When the prestrain was less than 20 %, the material had fewer defects, and the corrosion performance was influenced by the grain size and low-angle grain boundaries. The highest corrosion resistance was observed with a prestrain of 20 %. Conversely, higher prestrain levels increased the number of defects and dislocation density, thereby rupturing the passivation film and reducing the corrosion resistance of the material.

Robot tea picking is an inevitable trend to solve the problem of tea picking, and the picking path planning is directly related to the robot picking efficiency. An Improved Ant Colony Algorithm (IACA) is proposed, which firstly introduces the adaptive adjustment mechanism into the pheromone volatilization factor of the ant colony algorithm, and then sets the pheromone volatilization factor with a high initial value to improve the searching speed, and then adjusts the size of its value within a certain range in real time according to the iterative results, and finally solves the problem that the searching of the ant colony algorithm is prone to fall into the local optimal solution. On the basis of visual recognition of tea leaves and obtaining coordinate information, the improved ant colony algorithm is used to enter the path planning simulation experiments, and the planning results of the other six algorithms are compared with the similar algorithms and dissimilar algorithms, and the experimental results indicate that the IACA method has improved the shortest path index by 5% compared to the basic ant colony algorithm, and by an average of 4% compared to similar improved ant colony algorithms. In comparison to different optimization algorithms, the enhancement has an average increase of 6%; Furthermore, the convergence speed has been improved by 60% compared to six other methods. The standard deviation of repeated experimental results is 50% lower than the other six methods. The gap between the results of multiple repeated experiments is small, the degree of fluctuation is low, and the calculation results are more stable, which verifies the superiority of IACA method. Therefore, the improvement of the ant colony algorithm makes the pheromone concentration value with adaptive adjustment ability, which reflects good effects in path optimization, convergence speed improvement, stability of results, etc., and has good application value for the path planning problems such as tea picking, which has complex paths and large computational volume.

Abstract Novel active DNA transposons, such as Spy transposons from the PHIS superfamily, are identified through bioinformatics in this study. The native transposases cgSpy and cvSpy displayed transposition activities of approximately 85% and 35% compared to the hyperactive piggyBac transposase (hyPB). The cgSpy transposon showed unique characteristics, including a lack of overproduction inhibition and reduced efficiency for insertion sizes between 3.1 to 8.5 kb. Integration preferences of cgSpy are found in genes and regulatory regions, making it suitable for genetic manipulation. Evaluation in T‐cell engineering demonstrated that cgSpy‐mediated chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modification is comparable to the PB system, indicating its potential utility in cell therapy. This study unveils the promising application of the active native transposase, Spy, from Colletes gigas, as a valuable tool for genetic engineering, particularly in T‐cell manipulation.

Introduction: The independent diagnostic value of inflammatory markers neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and the diagnostic efficacy of NLR, derived neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (dNLR), PLR, and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) in glioma cases remain unclear. We investigated the correlation of preoperative peripheral blood inflammatory markers with pathological grade, Ki-67 Proliferation Index, and IDH-1 gene phenotype in patients with glioma, focusing on tumor grade and prognosis. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical, pathological, and laboratory data of 334 patients with glioma with varying grades and 345 with World Health Organization (WHO I) meningioma who underwent initial surgery at the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University from December 2019 to December 2021. The diagnostic value of peripheral blood inflammatory markers for glioma was investigated. Results: The proportion of men smoking and drinking was significantly higher in the glioma group than in the meningioma group ( P .05). LMR, NLR, dNLR, and PLR, varied significantly among different glioma types ( P

BackgroundMild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a critical transitional phase from healthy cognitive aging to dementia, offering a unique opportunity for early intervention. However, few studies focus on the correlation of brain structure and functional activity in patients with MCI due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Elucidating the complex interactions between structural-functional (SC-FC) brain connectivity and glymphatic system function is crucial for understanding this condition.MethodThe aims of this study were to explore the relationship among SC-FC coupling values, glymphatic system function and cognitive function. 23 MCI patients and 18 healthy controls (HC) underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional MRI (fMRI). DTI analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index and SC-FC coupling values were calculated using DTI and fMRI. Correlation analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, DTI-ALPS index, and coupling values. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was conducted on the SC-FC coupling between the whole brain and subnetworks. The correlation of coupling values with MMSE scores was also analyzed.ResultMCI patients (67.74 ± 6.99 years of age) exhibited significantly lower coupling in the whole-brain network and subnetworks, such as the somatomotor network (SMN) and ventral attention network (VAN), than HCs (63.44 ± 6.92 years of age). Whole-brain network coupling was positively correlated with dorsal attention network (DAN), SMN, and visual network (VN) coupling. MMSE scores were significantly positively correlated with whole-brain coupling and SMN coupling. In MCI, whole-brain network demonstrated the highest performance, followed by the SMN and VAN, with the VN, DAN, limbic network (LN), frontoparietal network (FPN), and default mode network (DMN). Compared to HCs, lower DTI-ALPS index was observed in individuals with MCI. Additionally, the left DTI-ALPS index showed a significant positive correlation with MMSE scores and coupling values in the whole-brain network and SMN.ConclusionThese findings reveal the critical role of SC-FC coupling values and the ALPS index in cognitive function of MCI. The positive correlations observed in the left DTI-ALPS and whole-brain and SMN coupling values provide a new insight for investigating the asymmetrical nature of cognitive impairments.

Abstract Background Sarcopenic obesity (SO) in patients with gastrointestinal cancer is associated with a poor prognosis. We aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of SO in patients with gastrointestinal cancer, as well as the diagnostic cut‐off value of SO in patients with gastrointestinal cancer among Chinese population. Methods We conducted a consecutive cohort study. Between January 2017 and January 2019, 289 patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer were included in our study. Skeletal muscle area, total fat area, and subcutaneous fat area were measured by CT scan. All patients were followed up for 5 years. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were adopted to determine the cut‐off values of visceral fat obesity for the prediction of sarcopenia. Based on the cut‐off values, patients with sarcopenia combined with visceral fat obesity were divided into the SO group, and the others were divided into the non‐sarcopenic obesity (NSO) group. Kaplan–Meier curves and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were employed to explore the associations of body composition profiles with 5‐year overall survival and disease‐specific survival. Results Obtained from Youden's Index for ROC for the prediction of 5‐year survival, skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) ≤40.02 cm2/m2 with VFA ≥ 126.30 cm2 in men and SMI ≤32.05 cm2/m2 with VFA ≥72.42 cm2 in women indicate a risk of poor prognosis in patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. Patients with SO had poorer 5‐year overall survival (OS) than patients with NSO (6.74% vs. 82.84%, p

With strong electron–phonon coupling, self‐trapped excitons (STEs) are typically formed in perovskite materials, and radiative recombination of STEs can produce broadband emission with large Stokes shifts. STEs are essential to further improve the optoelectronic properties of materials. Surprisingly, 2D system is the edge case, with low even no self‐trapping barriers, leading to effortless formation of STEs. In this work, 2D strontium titanate (SrTiO3) with defects is prepared using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC CO2) and its carrier transport and transition are studied. The appearance of wide photoinduced positive absorption signals in the femtosecond transient absorption spectra is direct evidence for the formation of STEs. The presence of STEs is further supported by the increased Stokes shift and full width at half maximum in the steady‐state photoluminescence spectra.

This study proposes a hybrid prediction model using sparrow search algorithm (SSA) to optimize the convolutional neural network (CNN) and support vector machine (SVM), in order to perform accurate prediction of secondary supply temperature (Ts2). The historical operation data of Weifang residential building thermal station was adopted and reasonable data preprocessing was performed to suppress the interference of abnormal data. The input variables of the prediction model were screened using the correlation analysis method, taking the influence of the hysteresis effect into consideration. The SSA–CNN–SVM model was then developed for prediction. The performance of the model was evaluated by the root mean square error, mean absolute error, mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and absolute value of relative error of each time step. The results obtained demonstrated that the SSA–CNN–SVM model has high prediction accuracy. The MAPE values of the two heat exchange stations were between 2.28 % and 2.4 %. The indoor temperature significantly affected the prediction accuracy of Ts2. After the introduction of the indoor temperature, the MAPE of the predicted values of the hybrid model was reduced by 0.35 %. The maximum reduction in MAPE of the SSA–CNN–SVM model was 1.5 % compared with other prediction models.

PurposeHow cortical functional reorganization occurs after hearing loss in preschool children with congenital sensorineural hearing loss (CSNHL) is poorly understood. Therefore, we used resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) to explore the characteristics of cortical reorganization in these patents.MethodsSixty-three preschool children with CSNHL and 32 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited, and the Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP) scores were determined at the 6-month follow-up after cochlear implantation (CI). First, rs-fMRI data were preprocessed, and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) were calculated. Second, whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) analysis was performed using bilateral primary auditory cortex as seed points. Finally, Spearman correlation analysis was performed between the differential ALFF, ReHo and FC values and the CAP score.ResultsALFF analysis showed that preschool children with CSNHL had lower ALFF values in the bilateral prefrontal cortex and superior temporal gyrus than HCs, but higher ALFF values in the bilateral thalamus and calcarine gyrus. And correlation analysis showed that some abnormal brain regions were weak negatively correlated with CAP score (p

Abstract LIN28A is important in somatic reprogramming and pluripotency regulation. Although previous studies addressed that LIN28A can repress let-7 microRNA maturation in the cytoplasm, few focused on its role within the nucleus. Here, we show that the nucleolus-localized LIN28A protein undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) and in vitro. The RNA binding domains (RBD) and intrinsically disordered regions (IDR) of LIN28A contribute to LIN28A and the other nucleolar proteins’ phase-separated condensate establishment. S120A, S200A and R192G mutations in the IDR result in subcellular mislocalization of LIN28A and abnormal nucleolar phase separation. Moreover, we find that the naive-to-primed pluripotency state conversion and the reprogramming are associated with dynamic nucleolar remodeling, which depends on LIN28A’s phase separation capacity, because the LIN28A IDR point mutations abolish its role in regulating nucleolus and in these cell fate decision processes, and an exogenous IDR rescues it. These findings shed light on the nucleolar function in pluripotent stem cell states and on a non-canonical RNA-independent role of LIN28A in phase separation and cell fate decisions.

Abstract Background Continuous and noninvasive hemoglobin (Hb) monitoring during surgery is essential for anesthesiologists to make transfusions decisions. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and accuracy of noninvasive and continuous Hb monitoring using transesophageal descending aortic photoplethysmography (dPPG) in porcine model. Methods Nineteen landrace pigs, aged 3 to 5 months and weighing 30 to 50 kg, were enrolled in this study. A homemade oximetry sensor, including red (660 nm) and infrared (940 nm) lights, was placed in the esophagus for dPPG signal detection to pair with the corresponding reference Hb values (Hbi−STAT) measured by blood gas analysis. The decrease and increase changes in Hb concentration were achieved by hemodilution and transfusion. Metrics, including alternating current (AC), direct current (DC), and AC/DC for both red and infrared light were extracted from the dPPG signal. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was built to evaluate the performance of dPPG metrics in predicting the Hb “trigger threshold” of transfusion (Hb 100 g/L). Agreement and trending ability between Hb measured by dPPG (HbdPPG) and by blood gas analysis were analyzed by Bland-Altman method and polar plot graph. Error grid analysis was also performed to evaluate clinical significance of HbdPPG measurement. Results The dPPG signal was successfully detected in all of the enrolled experimental pigs, without the occurrence of a continuous loss of dPPG signal for 2 min during the entire measurement. A total of 376 pairs of dPPG signal and Hbi−STAT were acquired. ACred/DCred and ACinf/DCinf had moderate correlations with Hbi−STAT, and the correlation coefficients were 0.790 and 0.782, respectively. The areas under the ROC curve for ACred/DCred and ACinf/DCinf in predicting Hbi−STAT < 60 g/L were 0.85 and 0.75, in predicting Hbi−STAT > 100 g/L were 0.90 and 0.83, respectively. Bland-Altman analysis and polar plot showed a small bias (1.69 g/L) but a wide limit of agreement (-26.02–29.40 g/L) and a poor trend ability between HbdPPG and Hbi−STAT. Clinical significance analysis showed that 82% of the data lay within the Zone A, 18% within the Zone B, and 0% within the Zone C. Conclusion It is feasible to establish a noninvasive and continuous Hb monitoring by transesophageal dPPG signal. The ACred/DCred extracted from the dPPG signal could provide a sensitive prediction of the Hb threshold for transfusion. The Hb concentration measured by dPPG signal has a moderate correlation with that measured by blood gas analysis. This animal study may provide an experimental basis for the development of bedside HbdPPG monitoring in the future.

Patients with cancer and diabetes face unique challenges. Limited data are available on diabetes management in patients undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), a curative intent anticancer therapy commonly associated with glucocorticoid administration, weight fluctuations and enteral feeds. This retrospective case–control study examined the real-world incidence of acute diabetes-related complications in patients with head and neck cancer receiving CCRT, along with the impact of diabetes on CCRT tolerance and outcomes. Methods: Consecutive patients with head and neck squamous cell or nasopharyngeal cancer who underwent definitive or adjuvant CCRT between 2010 and 2019 at two large cancer centers in Australia were included. Clinicopathological characteristics, treatment complications and outcomes were collected from medical records. Results: Of 282 patients who received CCRT, 29 (10.3%) had pre-existing type 2 diabetes. None had type 1 diabetes. The majority (74.5%) required enteral feeding. A higher proportion of patients with diabetes required admission to a high-dependency or intensive care unit (17.2 versus 4.0%, p = 0.003). This difference was driven by the group who required insulin at baseline (n = 5), of which four (80.0%) were admitted to a high-dependency unit with diabetes-related complications, and three (60.0%) required omission of at least one cycle of chemotherapy. Conclusions: Patients with diabetes requiring insulin have a high risk of acute life-threatening diabetes-related complications while receiving CCRT. We recommend multidisciplinary management involving a diabetes specialist, educator, dietitian, and pharmacist, in collaboration with the cancer care team, to better avoid these complications.

In this paper, we propose a correlation-based background linearity calibration technique to digitally correct the bit weights in successive approximation register (SAR)-assisted analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Unlike typical dithering-based calibration techniques in which signal dynamic range (DR) is unavoidably reduced, in this work, a small dither signal is injected into the input path by a simple switching scheme. The associated DR loss is avoided by the back-end redundancy. We also describe a capacitor-scanning dither method to accomplish simultaneous and independent identification of multiple bit weights. In addition, a digital-domain input-interference cancellation (IIC) technique is proposed to accelerate the convergence speed of the correlation-based calibration. The proposed calibration and acceleration techniques are analyzed by using both theoretical formulation and system simulation. The simulation results are presented with a 12-bit SAR-assisted two-stage pipeline ADC model. Owing to our proposed calibration, the spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) increased from 60.1 to 84.8 dB and the signal to noise and distortion ratio (SNDR) improved from 55.4 to 72.5 dB. By comparing the cases with and without the proposed IIC technique, a $50\times $ reduction in convergence cycle could be achieved. The proposed calibration technique can be utilized to overcome the inherent DAC mismatch and residue gain errors to implement high-linearity ADCs, such as SAR-assisted ADCs in many different applications.