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Abstract Numerous studies have highlighted the pivotal role of mitochondria-related genes (MRGs) in the initiation and progression of glioblastoma (GBM). However, the specific contributions of MRGs coding proteins to GBM pathology remain incompletely elucidated. The identification of prognostic MRGs in GBM holds promise for the development of personalized targeted therapies and the enhancement of patient prognosis. We combined differential expression with univariate Cox regression analysis to screen prognosis-associated MRGs in GBM. Based on the nine MRGs, the hazard ratio model was conducted using a multivariate Cox regression algorithm. SHC-related survival, pathway, and immune analyses in GBM cohorts were obtained from the Biomarker Exploration of the Solid Tumor database. The proliferation and migration of U87 cells were measured by CCK-8 and transwell assay. Apoptosis in U87 cells was evaluated using flow cytometry. Confocal microscopy was employed to measure mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and morphology. The expression levels of SHC1 and other relevant proteins were examined via western blotting. We screened 15 prognosis-associated MRGs and constructed a 9 MRGs-based model. Validation of the model's risk score confirmed its efficacy in predicting the prognosis of patients with GBM. Furthermore, analysis revealed that SHC1, a constituent MRG of the prognostic model, was upregulated and implicated in the progression, migration, and immune infiltration of GBM. In vitro experiments elucidated that p66Shc, the longest isoform of SHC1, modulates mitochondrial ROS production and morphology, consequently promoting the proliferation and migration of U87 cells. The 9 MRGs-based prognostic model could predict the prognosis of GBM. SHC1 was upregulated and correlated with the prognosis of patients by involvement in immune infiltration. Furthermore, in vitro experiments demonstrated that p66Shc promotes U87 cell proliferation and migration by mediating mitochondrial ROS production. Thus, p66Shc may serve as a promising biomarker and therapeutic target for GBM.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Quality Risk Management (QRM) system in hospital pharmacy intravenous admixture services (PIVAS). Methods: Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and risk matrix methods were used to systematically assess the critical risk points in PIVAS. By collecting and comparing relevant data from 2019 to 2023, key performance indicators (KPIs) before and after the implementation of the QRM system were quantitatively evaluated. Results: The results showed that the safety and efficiency of pharmacy services significantly improved after the implementation of the QRM system. The medication error rate significantly decreased from 3.2% to 1.1%, the average medication preparation time reduced from 15.5 min to 8.2 min, and staff satisfaction increased from 6.0 to 8.5 points. Other indicators, such as cross-contamination rates and handling errors, also showed significant improvement (all outcomes p

Abstract Focusing on the impact of the digital economy on urban resilience is beneficial to the sustainable development of cities. This paper empirically examines the impact of digital economic development on urban resilience and its mechanisms by measuring urban resilience and the level of urban digital economy with the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method using the data of 252 Chinese cities from 2011 to 2020. The findings show that digital economic development effectively promotes urban resilience at the 1% significance level, and this conclusion remains valid after a series of endogeneity and robustness tests. The channel mechanism suggests that the development of the digital economy can improve urban resilience by optimizing urban distributional effects and promoting the upgrading of urban industrial structures. This paper discusses the nonlinear relationship between the two using the MMQR model and the threshold model. The results show that urban resilience development level is in a higher quartile of cities, and digital economy development has a greater impact on urban resilience improvement. Meanwhile, there are two threshold values for the nonlinear impact of the digital economy on urban resilience, which are 0.026 and 0.082, respectively. Further, the spatial effect between the two is also verified. From the perspective of heterogeneity analysis, the digital economy development of high-class cities, key city clusters, and cities in eastern and western regions has a greater effect on urban resilience. This study can provide ideas and inspiration for countries to enhance urban resilience and promote sustainable urban development through the development of the digital economy.

ABSTRACTDentists judge that the quality of dental treatment for each patient is very time-consuming and inefficient, lacks quantitative evaluation criteria, and is easy to cause errors. At the same time, the traditional method of extracting tooth and root canal image features based on experience is difficult to accurately extract the tooth area and root canal filling area, resulting in low accuracy of tooth and root canal segmentation, which in turn affects the accuracy of tooth treatment quality evaluation. In this paper, a deep learning convolutional neural network is used to segment the root canal filling area, tooth boundary, and the boundary between tooth and soft tissue for the real patient ‘s root canal treatment and filling image. Finally, the segmented image is quantitatively evaluated according to the multi-evaluation index of professional doctors. The experimental results show that the intelligent evaluation method of dental treatment quality combined with deep learning and multi-index decomposition proposed in this paper not only unifies the evaluation criteria of dental treatment quality but also the therapeutic effect of quantitative scoring can effectively improve the work efficiency of doctors, which has reference significance for the application of artificial intelligence in the medical field.

Purpose: To develop and validate a radiomics machine learning (Rad-ML) model based on preoperative MRI to predict extrahepatic metastasis (EHM) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients receiving transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment. Methods: A total of 355 HCC patients who received multiple TACE procedures were split at random into a training set and a test set at a 7:3 ratio. Radiomic features were calculated from tumor and peritumor in arterial phase and portal venous phase, and were identified using intraclass correlation coefficient, maximal relevance and minimum redundancy, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator techniques. Cox regression analysis was employed to determine the clinical model. The best-performing algorithm among eight machine learning methods was used to construct the Rad-ML model. A nomogram combining clinical and Rad-ML parameters was used to develop a combined model. Model performance was evaluated using C-index, decision curve analysis, calibration plot, and survival analysis. Results: In clinical model, elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and alpha-fetoprotein were associated with faster EHM. The XGBoost-based Rad-ML model demonstrated the best predictive performance for EHM. When compared to the clinical model, both the Rad-ML model and the combination model performed better (C-indexes of 0.61, 0.85, and 0.86 in the training set, and 0.62, 0.82, and 0.83 in the test set, respectively). However, the combined model's and the Rad-ML model's prediction performance did not differ significantly. The most influential feature was peritumoral waveletHLL_firstorder_Minimum in AP, which exhibited an inverse relationship with EHM risk. Conclusions: Our study suggests that the preoperative MRI-based Rad-ML model is a valuable tool to predict EHM in HCC patients treated with TACE.

Irisin, released from exercised muscle, has been shown to have beneficial effects on numerous tissues but its effects on bone are unclear. We found significant sex and genotype differences in bone from wildtype (WT) mice compared to mice lacking Fndc5 (knockout [KO]), with and without calcium deficiency. Despite their bone being indistinguishable from WT females, KO female mice were partially protected from osteocytic osteolysis and osteoclastic bone resorption when allowed to lactate or when placed on a low-calcium diet. Male KO mice have more but weaker bone compared to WT males, and when challenged with a low-calcium diet lost more bone than WT males. To begin to understand responsible molecular mechanisms, osteocyte transcriptomics was performed. Osteocytes from WT females had greater expression of genes associated with osteocytic osteolysis and osteoclastic bone resorption compared to WT males which had greater expression of genes associated with steroid and fatty acid metabolism. Few differences were observed between female KO and WT osteocytes, but with a low-calcium diet, the KO females had lower expression of genes responsible for osteocytic osteolysis and osteoclastic resorption than the WT females. Male KO osteocytes had lower expression of genes associated with steroid and fatty acid metabolism, but higher expression of genes associated with bone resorption compared to male WT. In conclusion, irisin plays a critical role in the development of the male but not the female skeleton and protects male but not female bone from calcium deficiency. We propose irisin ensures the survival of offspring by targeting the osteocyte to provide calcium in lactating females, a novel function for this myokine.

With the aim of effectively preventing and controlling systemic risk, by stimulating the advancement of the green bond market, it is significant and imperative to help investors and policymakers adopt more effective measures, which will ensure them to maximize profit. We construct VAR, DCC-GARCH and Copula-CoVaR models, and study the spillover effect between the green bond market and traditional bond market from the three perspectives of mean spillover, volatility spillover and extreme risk spillover using the data on daily closing prices of green bond market and traditional bond market indices. The research findings of this paper are as follows: (1) There are three spillover effects of mean value, volatility and extreme risk among the green bond market, corporate bond market, enterprise bond market and conventional bond market. (2) From the perspective of mean spillover between markets, only the mean spillover between the conventional bond market and the green bond market is bidirectional, and there is the profoundest impact of spillover from the green bond market to the conventional bond market. (3) As far as the volatility spillover between markets is concerned, the volatility spillover between the three traditional bond market and the green bond markets are all positive. The volatility spillover between the conventional bond market and the green bond market is the largest, which is particularly obvious in the first half of 2018 and the first half of 2020. (4) In terms of inter-market extreme risk spillover, the risk spillover between the green bond market and the traditional bond market is positive. The green bond market contributes more to the risk spillover of the enterprise bond market, and it has a time-varying risk spillover effect on the traditional bond market.

Due to the limitation of a single sensor such as only camera or only LiDAR, the Visual SLAM detects few effective features in the case of poor lighting or no texture. The LiDAR SLAM will also degrade in an unstructured environment and open spaces, which reduces the accuracy of pose estimation and the quality of mapping. In order to solve this problem, on account of the high efficiency of Visual odometry and the high accuracy of LiDAR odometry, this paper investigates the multi-sensor fusion of bidirectional visual–inertial odometry with 3D LiDAR for pose estimation. This method can couple the IMU with the bidirectional vision respectively, and the LiDAR odometry is obtained assisted by the bidirectional visual inertial. The factor graph optimization is constructed, which effectively improves the accuracy of pose estimation. The algorithm in this paper is compared with LIO-LOAM, LeGO-LOAM, VINS-Mono, and so on using challenging datasets such as KITTI and M2DGR. The results show that this method effectively improves the accuracy of pose estimation and has high application value for mobile robots.

Nowadays, trajectory planning and control technology has been extensively utilized in industry, agriculture, service, construction, infrastructure inspection, military reconnaissance, disaster management, and other areas [...]

In this paper, we present a re-established functional fractal circuit model of arterial blood flow that incorporates the shunt effect of the branch vessels. Under the background of hemodynamics, we abstracted a family of fractal operators and investigate the kernel function and properties thereof. Based on fractal operators, the intrinsic relation between Bessel function and Struve function was revealed, and some new special functions were found. The results provide mathematical tools for biomechanics and automatic control.

This article studies the error function and its invariance properties in the convolutional kernel function of bone fractal operators. Specifically, the following contents are included: (1) demonstrating the correlation between the convolution kernel function and error function of bone fractal operators; (2) focusing on the main part of bone fractal operators: p+α2-type differential operator, discussing the convolutional kernel function image; (3) exploring the fractional-order correlation between the error function and other special functions from the perspective of fractal operators.

Violet phosphorus (VP), a novel two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterial, boasts structural anisotropy, a tunable optical bandgap, and superior thermal stability compared with its allotropes. Its multifunctionality has sparked widespread interest in the community. Yet, the VP’s air susceptibility impedes both probing its intrinsic features and device integration, thus making it of urgent significance to unveil the degradation mechanism. Herein, we conduct a comprehensive study of photoactivated degradation effects on VP. A nitrogen annealing method is presented for the effective elimination of surface adsorbates from VP, as evidenced by a giant surface-roughness improvement from 65.639 nm to 7.09 nm, enabling direct observation of the intrinsic morphology changes induced by photodegradation. Laser illumination demonstrates a significant thickness-thinning effect on VP, manifested in the remarkable morphological changes and the 73% quenching of PL intensity within 160 s, implying its great potential for the efficient selected-area etching of VP at high resolution. Furthermore, van der Waals passivation of VP using 2D hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) was achieved. The hBN-passivated channel exhibited improved surface roughness (0.512 nm), reduced photocurrent hysteresis, and lower responsivity (0.11 A/W @ 450 nm; 2 μW), effectively excluding adsorbate-induced electrical and optoelectrical effects while disabling photodegradation. Based on our experimental results, we conclude that three possible factors contribute to the photodegradation of VP: illumination with photon energy higher than the bandgap, adsorbed H2O, and adsorbed O2.

Abstract A meta‐analysis on seven large case series (>1000 cases) of chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) on products of conceptions (POC) evaluated the diagnostic yields of genomic disorders and syndromic pathogenic copy number variants (pCNVs) from a collection of 35,130 POC cases. CMA detected chromosomal abnormalities and pCNVs in approximately 50% and 2.5% of cases, respectively. The genomic disorders and syndromic pCNVs accounted for 31% of the detected pCNVs, and their incidences in POC ranged from 1/750 to 1/12,000. The newborn incidences of these genomic disorders and syndromic pCNVs were estimated in a range of 1/4000 to 1/50,000 live births from population genetic studies and diagnostic yields of a large case series of 32,587 pediatric patients. The risk of spontaneous abortion (SAB) for DiGeorge syndrome (DGS), Wolf–Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS), and William–Beuren syndrome (WBS) was 42%, 33%, and 21%, respectively. The estimated overall risk of SAB for major genomic disorders and syndromic pCNVs was approximately 38%, which was significantly lower than the 94% overall risk of SAB for chromosomal abnormalities. Further classification on levels of risk of SAB to high (>75%), intermediate (51%–75%), and low (26%–50%) for known chromosomal abnormalities, genomic disorders, and syndromic pCNVs could provide evidence‐based interpretation in prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the mechanism between public services and residents’ health, focusing on the role of spatial geographical factors.Methods: Leveraging a comprehensive panel dataset encompassing 30 mainland Chinese provinces from 2007 to 2019, this study engineered a spatial Durbin model furnished with dual fixed effects through the application of the Lagrange multiplier, Hausman, and likelihood ratio tests. The primary objective was to delve into the repercussions of varying public service levels on residents’ health outcomes.Results: The empirical findings reveal a palpable spatial autocorrelation between residents’ health outcomes and the public services levels dispensed across Chinese provinces. Intriguingly, an elevation in the public service level in a given province not only ameliorates its residents’ health outcomes but also triggers a spatial spillover effect, thereby positively influencing residents’ health in neighboring provinces. The rigorous endogeneity and robustness checks affirm the reliability of the principal outcomes.Conclusion: Due to the increase in social uncertainty, all regions should break free of the administrative monopoly, enhance regional integration and development, and improve residents’ health status by clustering public service supply.

Abstract Background Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor that leads to lethality. Several studies have demonstrated that mitochondria play an important role in GBM and that mitochondria-related genes (MRGs) are potential therapeutic targets. However, the role of MRGs in GBM remains unclear. Methods Differential expression and univariate Cox regression analyses were combined to screen for prognostic differentially-expressed (DE)-MRGs in GBM. Based on LASSO Cox analysis, 12 DE-MRGs were selected to construct a risk score model. Survival, time dependent ROC, and stratified analyses were performed to evaluate the performance of this risk model. Mutation and functional enrichment analyses were performed to determine the potential mechanism of the risk score. Immune cell infiltration analysis was used to determine the association between the risk score and immune cell infiltration levels. CCK-8 and transwell assays were performed to evaluate cell proliferation and migration, respectively. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and morphology were measured using a confocal laser scanning microscope. Genes and proteins expression levels were investigated by quantitative PCR and western blotting, respectively. Results We identified 21 prognostic DE-MRGs, of which 12 DE-MRGs were selected to construct a prognostic risk score model for GBM. This model presented excellent performance in predicting the prognosis of patients with GBM and acted as an independent predictive factor. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the risk score was enriched in the inflammatory response, extracellular matrix, and pro-cancer-related and immune related pathways. Additionally, the risk score was significantly associated with gene mutations and immune cell infiltration in GBM. Single-stranded DNA-binding protein 1 (SSBP1) was considerably upregulated in GBM and associated with poor prognosis. Furthermore, SSBP1 knockdown inhibited GBM cell progression and migration. Mechanistically, SSBP1 knockdown resulted in mitochondrial dysfunction and increased ROS levels, which, in turn, increased temozolomide (TMZ) sensitivity in GBM cells by enhancing ferroptosis. Conclusion Our 12 DE-MRGs-based prognostic model can predict the GBM patients prognosis and 12 MRGs are potential targets for the treatment of GBM. SSBP1 was significantly upregulated in GBM and protected U87 cells from TMZ-induced ferroptosis, which could serve as a prognostic and therapeutic target/biomarker for GBM.

ABSTRACT The L‐enantiomer of β‐aminoisobutyric acid (BAIBA) is secreted by contracted muscle in mice, and exercise increases serum levels in humans. In mice, L‐BAIBA reduces bone loss with unloading, but whether it can have a positive effect with loading is unknown. Since synergism can be more easily observed with sub‐optimal amounts of factors/stimulation, we sought to determine whether L‐BAIBA could potentiate the effects of sub‐optimal loading to enhance bone formation. L‐BAIBA was provided in drinking water to C57Bl/6 male mice subjected to either 7 N or 8.25 N of sub‐optimal unilateral tibial loading for 2 weeks. The combination of 8.25 N and L‐BAIBA significantly increased the periosteal mineral apposition rate and bone formation rate compared to loading alone or BAIBA alone. Though L‐BAIBA alone had no effect on bone formation, grip strength was increased, suggesting a positive effect on muscle function. Gene expression analysis of the osteocyte‐enriched bone showed that the combination of L‐BAIBA and 8.25 N induced the expression of loading‐responsive genes such as Wnt1, Wnt10b, and the TGFb and BMP signaling pathways. One dramatic change was the downregulation of histone genes in response to sub‐optimal loading and/or L‐BAIBA. To determine early gene expression, the osteocyte fraction was harvested within 24 hours of loading. A dramatic effect was observed with L‐BAIBA and 8.25 N loading as genes were enriched for pathways regulating the extracellular matrix (Chad, Acan, Col9a2), ion channel activity (Scn4b, Scn7a, Cacna1i), and lipid metabolism (Plin1, Plin4, Cidec). Few changes in gene expression were observed with sub‐optimal loading or L‐BAIBA alone after 24 hours. These results suggest that these signaling pathways are responsible for the synergistic effects between L‐BAIBA and sub‐optimal loading. Showing that a small muscle factor can enhance the effects of sub‐optimal loading of bone may be of relevance for individuals unable to benefit from optimal exercise. © 2023 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Abstract Flexible and wearable electronic devices hold great potential in electronic skins, health monitoring systems and soft robotics. Among them, flexible strain sensors with high performance are key components for wearable health monitoring devices. However, the facile and controllable preparation of highly sensitive sensors still faces significant challenges. By virtue of excellent conductivity of 2D transition metal carbids (MXenes), this work reports a facile and low‐cost fabrication strategy for large‐scale production of strain sensors. The sensitive layer is deposited on flexible interdigital electrodes by ultrasonic nebulization of Ti3C2Tx nanosheets. By controlling the nebulization time, different thicknesses of Ti3C2Tx films has a great influence on the performance of strain sensors. The Ti3C2Tx‐based strain sensor exhibits good sensing performances such as high GF (19.1) in the low strain range (≈0.25%–1.14%), short response time (0.7 s), and stable durability (over 1000 cycles). In practice, the potential applications of the strain sensor in sound frequency detection, human physiological signal monitoring and facial expression recognition are demonstrated. Finally, this work integrates the strain sensor with a miniaturized analyzer to assemble a wearable motion monitoring device for mobile healthcare. This study provides a facile strategy for fabricating flexible strain sensors in the field of wearable electronics.

The Euclidean distance error of calibration results cannot be calculated during the hand–eye calibration process of a manipulator because the true values of the hand–eye conversion matrix cannot be obtained. In this study, a new method for error analysis and algorithm optimization is presented. An error analysis of the method is carried out using a priori knowledge that the location of the augmented reality markers is fixed during the calibration process. The coordinates of the AR marker center point are reprojected onto the pixel coordinate system and then compared with the true pixel coordinates of the AR marker center point obtained by corner detection or manual labeling to obtain the Euclidean distance between the two coordinates as the basis for the error analysis. We then fine-tune the results of the hand–eye calibration algorithm to obtain the smallest reprojection error, thereby obtaining higher-precision calibration results. The experimental results show that, compared with the Tsai–Lenz algorithm, the optimized algorithm in this study reduces the average reprojection error by 44.43% and the average visual positioning error by 50.63%. Therefore, the proposed optimization method can significantly improve the accuracy of hand–eye calibration results.

Pregnancy at an advanced maternal age is considered a risk factor for adverse maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes. Here we investigated whether maternal age could be associated with differences in the blood levels of newborn screening (NBS) markers for inborn metabolic disorders on the Recommended Universal Screening Panel (RUSP). Population-level NBS data from screen-negative singleton infants were examined, which included blood metabolic markers and covariates such as age at blood collection, birth weight, gestational age, infant sex, parent-reported ethnicity, and maternal age at delivery. Marker levels were compared between maternal age groups (age range: 1544 years) using effect size analyses, which controlled for differences in group sizes and potential confounding from other covariates. We found that 13% of the markers had maternal age-related differences, including newborn metabolites with either increased (Tetradecanoylcarnitine [C14], Palmitoylcarnitine [C16], Stearoylcarnitine [C18], Oleoylcarnitine [C18:1], Malonylcarnitine [C3DC]) or decreased (3-Hydroxyisovalerylcarnitine [C5OH]) levels at an advanced maternal age (≥35 years, absolute Cohen’s d > 0.2). The increased C3DC levels in this group correlated with a higher false-positive rate in newborn screening for malonic acidemia (p-value < 0.001), while no significant difference in screening performance was seen for the other markers. Maternal age is associated with inborn metabolic differences and should be considered together with other clinical variables in genetic disease screening.

Van der Waals (vdW) interfaces can be formed via layer stacking regardless of the lattice constant or symmetry of the individual building blocks. Herein, we constructed a vdW interface of layered Ta2NiS5 and CrOCl, which exhibited remarkably enhanced in-plane anisotropy via polarized Raman spectroscopy and electrical transport measurements. Compared with pristine Ta2NiS5, the anisotropy ratio of the Raman intensities for the B2g, 2Ag, and 3Ag modes increased in the heterostructure. More importantly, the anisotropy ratios of conductivity and mobility in the heterostructure increased by one order of magnitude. Specifically speaking, the conductivity ratio changed from ~2.1 (Ta2NiS5) to ~15 (Ta2NiS5/CrOCl), while the mobility ratio changed from ~2.7 (Ta2NiS5) to ~32 (Ta2NiS5/CrOCl). Such prominent enhancement may be attributed to the symmetry reduction caused by lattice mismatch at the heterostructure interface and the introduction of strain into the Ta2NiS5. Our research provides a new perspective for enhancing artificial anisotropy physics and offers feasible guidance for future functionalized electronic devices.

Hg2+, a highly toxic heavy metal, poses significant environmental and health risks, necessitating rapid detection methods. In this study, we employed an electrochemical aptasensor for rapid and sensitive detection of Hg2+ based on DNA strands (H2 and H3) immobilized graphene aerogels-Au nanoparticles (GAs-AuNPs) hybrid recognition interface and exonuclease III (Exo III)-mediated cyclic amplification. Firstly, Gas-AuNPs were modified on the surface of the ITO electrode to form a sensing interface to increase DNA loading and accelerate electron transfer. Then, DNA helper was generated with the addition of Hg2+ via Exo III-mediated cycling. Finally, the hairpin structures of H2 and H3 were opened with the DNA helper, and then the methylene blue (MB) functionalized DNA (A1 and A2) combined with the H2 and H3 to form an H-shaped structure. The current response of MB as an electrochemical probe was proportional to the concentration of Hg2+. Under optimal conditions, the aptasensor showed excellent performance for Hg2+, achieving a linear range from 1 fM to 10 nM and a detection limit of 0.16 fM. Furthermore, the aptasensor was used to detect Hg2+ in spiked milk samples, achieving a high recovery rate and demonstrating promising application prospects.

Dual control of energy consumption is an effective method proposed in China to launch and deepen the transition in energy use. It has obtained favorable results; however, the resource consumption and pollution emissions per unit of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) remain high. This article quantitatively studies the current policies’ effects to promote the advancement of dual control of energy consumption and develop future policies. Green production and consumption policies promote the development of dual control of energy consumption; therefore, this paper examines these policies through text mining and a quantitative evaluation system. The results suggest strong state demand for developing green production and consumption and the necessity for scientific evaluation; however, the state’s focus on the relevant policy tools is imbalanced. Constraint policy tools have the highest proportion of restricting pollutant emissions but lack comprehensiveness. Incentive and guidance policy tools have the problems of poor targets and low volume. Additionally, by constructing policy modeling consistency (PMC) index models for evaluating green production and consumption policies, six selected policies indicate solid performance, but some still have problems regarding policy timeframe, policy function, and green process. Based on the conclusions, this paper provides some targeted recommendations.

In the context of the rapid development of the global digital economy, it is of great significance to explore the greening transformation of the manufacturing industry from the micro-perspective of enterprise digital development. This paper empirically examines the impact and mechanism of enterprise digital development on the greening transformation of the manufacturing industry using the 2010-2020 data of Chinese A-share listed companies in the manufacturing industry as a sample. The study shows that enterprise digital development can significantly promote the greening transformation of China's manufacturing industry, and this conclusion still holds after a series of robustness tests. Technological innovation and financing constraints are important mediating mechanisms. Further research found that the impact of enterprise digital development on the greening transformation of China's manufacturing industry has a positive nonlinear effect, and its marginal effect shows a weakening trend. Heterogeneity analysis shows that, from the perspective of micro characteristics, digital development is more able to promote the green transformation of state-owned and large enterprises. From a macro-regional perspective, digital development can better promote the green transformation of the manufacturing industry in eastern cities, key city clusters, and high-level cities. The findings of this paper can provide corresponding insights for "revitalizing the manufacturing industry", and also provide decision-making references for countries aiming to make the manufacturing industry bigger and stronger.

BackgroundLow-grade gliomas (LGG) are one of the most prevalent types of brain cancers. The efficacy of immunotherapy in LGG is limited compared to other cancers. Immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of LGG is one of the main reasons for the low efficacy of immunotherapy. Recent studies have identified 33 positive regulators of T cell functions (TPRs) that play a critical role in promoting the proliferation, activity, and functions of multiple immunocytes. However, their role in the TME of LGG has not been investigated. This study aimed to construct a risk model based on these TPRs and to detect the significance of immunotypes in predicting LGG prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy.MethodsA total of 688 LGGs and 202 normal brain tissues were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA), and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases. The NMF R package was used to identify TRP-related subtypes. The TPR prognostic model was established using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm to predict the overall survival of LGG samples.ResultsThe Subtype 2 patients had worse survival outcomes, suppressed immune function, and higher immune cell infiltration. A risk regression model consisting of 14 TPRs was established, and its performance was validated in CGGA325 cohorts. The low-risk group exhibited better overall survival, immune microenvironment, and immunotherapy response, as determined via the TIDE algorithm, indicating that increasing the level of immune infiltration can effectively improve the response to immunotherapy in the low-risk group. The risk score was determined to be an independent hazard factor (p

Abstract In the field of intelligent manufacturing, robot grasping and sorting is important content. However, there are some disadvantages in the traditional single-view-based manipulator grasping methods by using a 2D camera, where the efficiency and the accuracy of grasping are both low when facing the scene of stacking and occlusion for the reason that there is information missing by single-view 2D camera-based methods while acquiring scene information, and the methods of grasping only can’t change the difficult-to-grasp scene which is stack and occluded. Regarding the issue above, a pushing-grasping collaborative method based on the deep Q-network in dual viewpoints is proposed in this paper. This method in this paper adopts an improved deep Q-network algorithm, with an RGB-D camera to obtain the information of objects’ RGB images and point clouds from two viewpoints, which solved the problem of lack of information missing. What’s more, it combines the pushing and grasping actions with the deep Q-network, which make it have the ability of active exploration, so that the trained manipulator can make the scenes less stacking and occlusion, and with the help of that, it can perform well in more complicated grasping scenes. In addition, we improved the reward function of the deep Q-network and propose the piecewise reward function to speed up the convergence of the deep Q-network. We trained different models and tried different methods in the V-REP simulation environment, and it drew a conclusion that the method proposed in this paper converges quickly and the success rate of grasping objects in unstructured scenes raises up to 83.5%. Besides, it shows the generalization ability and well performance when novel objects appear in the scenes that the manipulator has never grasped before.

This article studies the convolutional kernel function of fractal operators in bone fibers. On the basis of the micro-nano composite structure of compact bone, we abstracted the physical fractal space of bone fibers and derived the fractal operators. The article aims to construct the convolutional analytical expression of bone fractal operators and proves that the error function is the core component of the convolution kernel function in the fractal operators. In other words, bone mechanics is the fractional mechanics controlled by error function.

In recent years, the concept of physical fractal space has been abstracted from muscle/ligament fibers, nerve fibers and blood flows. In the physical fractal space, bio-fractal mechanics may be set up. Surprisingly, the concepts and methods developed in the above bio-fractal mechanics are of universalities, i.e., the physical fractal spaces, fractal operators and fractional-order mechanics universally exist in various biological systems such as bones. This paper will focus on the bones in which the physical fractal space is abstracted, the fractal operators are derived and the fractional-order mechanics is established.

In this work, a novel electrochemical aptasensor for the detection of ochratoxin A (OTA) was developed using a three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) reduced graphene oxide–Au nanoparticles–molybdenum disulfide (RGO-AuNPs-MoS2) composite material as the sensing interface and Au nanoparticles–carbon-coated ferroferric oxide (AuNPs-Fe3O4@C) composite as the signal amplifier. The 3DOM RGO-AuNPs-MoS2 composite exhibited excellent conductivity and catalytic activity. The 3DOM RGO-AuNPs-MoS2 film was electrodeposited onto the Au electrode surface to immobilize DNA capture probe (CP), which was then hybridized with DNA helper strands (HS) and OTA aptamer (OPT) to form a Y-shaped structure. In the presence of OTA, the OPT was released from the electrode and then combined with AuNPs-Fe3O4@C containing the signal DNA1-metheylene blue (S1-MB) and DNA2-metheylene blue (S2-MB). The current response coming from MB was proportional with the OTA concentration. Under optimal conditions, the linear range of the aptasensor was 1 fg/mL to 0.1 μg/mL, with a detection limit as low as 0.56 fg/mL. The aptasensor was also used to detect OTA in rice and wheat samples, and the results were in agreement with those obtained by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS).

Unbiased genetic screens implicated a number of uncharacterized genes in hearing loss, suggesting some biological processes required for auditory function remain unexplored. Loss of Kiaa1024L/Minar2, a previously understudied gene, caused deafness in mice, but how it functioned in the hearing was unclear. Here, we show that disruption of kiaa1024L/minar2 causes hearing loss in the zebrafish. Defects in mechanotransduction, longer and thinner hair bundles, and enlarged apical lysosomes in hair cells are observed in the kiaa1024L/minar2 mutant. In cultured cells, Kiaa1024L/Minar2 is mainly localized to lysosomes, and its overexpression recruits cholesterol and increases cholesterol labeling. Strikingly, cholesterol is highly enriched in the hair bundle membrane, and loss of kiaa1024L/minar2 reduces cholesterol localization to the hair bundles. Lowering cholesterol levels aggravates, while increasing cholesterol levels rescues the hair cell defects in the kiaa1024L/minar2 mutant. Therefore, cholesterol plays an essential role in hair bundles, and Kiaa1024L/Minar2 regulates cholesterol distribution and homeostasis to ensure normal hearing.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the one of the most prevalent and fatal form of malignant tumors worldwide. Recently, immunotherapy is widely used in the treatment of patients with LUAD and has proved to be clinically effective in improve the prognosis of patients. But there still has been a tremendous thrust to further improve the efficacy of immunotherapy in individual patients with LUAD. The suppression of T cells and their effector functions in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of LUAD is one of the primary reasons for the low efficacy of immunotherapy in some patients with LUAD. Therefore, identifying positive regulators of T cell proliferation (TPRs) may offer novel avenues for LUAD immunotherapy. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated the infiltration patterns of TPRs in 1,066 patients with LUAD using unsupervised consensus clustering and identified correlations with genomic and clinicopathological characteristics. Three infiltrating TPR clusters were defined, and a TPR-related risk signature composed of nine TPRs was constructed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator-Cox regression algorithms to classify the individual TPR infiltration patterns. Cluster 1 exhibited high levels of T cell infiltration and activation of immune-related signaling pathways, whereas cluster 2 was characterized by robust T cell immune infiltration and enrichment of pathways associated with carcinogenic gene sets and tumor immunity. Cluster 3 was characterized as an immune-desert phenotype. Moreover, the TPR signature was confirmed as an independent prognostic biomarker for drug sensitivity in patients with LUAD. In conclusion, the TPR signature may serve as a novel tool for effectively characterizing immune characteristics and evaluating the prognosis of patients with LUAD.

BackgroundPatients with Lynch syndrome are at an increased risk of developing simultaneous or metachronous tumors, while sarcomas have been occasionally reported. Sarcomas are generally not considered part of the common Lynch syndrome tumor spectrum. However, more and more studies and case reports suggested that sarcoma could be a rare clinical manifestation of Lynch syndrome, leading to new treatment strategies for sarcoma.Case summaryWe report the case of a 74-year-old male patient with Lynch syndrome who had rectal mucinous adenocarcinoma and prostate adenocarcinoma and then developed undifferentiated sarcoma of the left neck two years later. Mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) was confirmed by immunohistochemical staining for the mismatch repair proteins MSH2, MSH6, MLH1 and PMS2. The result of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) microsatellite instability (MSI) testing of sarcoma showed high-level microsatellite instability (MSI-H). Additionally, a pathogenic germline mutation in MSH2 (c.2459-12A>G) was detected by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Taking into account HE morphology, immunohistochemical phenotype, MSI status, NGS result, medical history and germline MSH2 gene mutation, the pathological diagnosis of left neck biopsy tissue was Lynch syndrome related undifferentiated sarcoma with epithelioid morphology. The patient has been receiving immunotherapy (sintilimab) combined with chemotherapy (tegafur, gimeracil and oteracil potassium capsules) and currently has stable disease. We also reviewed the literature to understand the association between sarcoma and Lynch syndrome.ConclusionSarcoma may now be considered a rare clinical manifestation of Lynch syndrome. Attention and awareness about the association between Lynch syndrome and sarcoma need to be increased. Therefore, timely detection of MMR proteins and validation at the gene level for suspicious patients are the keys to avoiding missed or delayed diagnosis and to identifying patients suited for immunotherapy, which may also help to provide appropriate genetic counseling and follow-up management for patients.

In this study, we investigated the metabolism of white matter by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in stroke complicated with diabetes mellitus in combination with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbAlc) detection and clinical neurological deficit score (NIHSS). Fifty-three patients with stroke within 24 h after onset were collected and scanned by MRS. The biochemical, clinical and imaging characteristics of patients were analyzed. Patients were divided into three groups according to HbAlc levels: Good glycemic control (A): < 6.5%; satisfactory glycemic control (B): 6.5–7.5% and poor glycemic control (C): > 7.5%. The results showed that HbA1c levels were positively correlated with NIHSS in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). There is significant difference in NAA/Cr between the infarcted site of the three groups and the mirror site. HbA1C level was negatively correlated with NAA/Cr in patients with AIS, and there was no significant correlation between NIHSS score and NAA/Cr. The data above demonstrated that the MRS imaging can be used to explain the adverse effects of hyperglycated hemoglobin on brain parenchyma from the perspective of imaging. This imaging technique and clinical NIHSS score have a high consistency in evaluating stroke.

BackgroundEpigenetic regulation and immunotherapy of tumor microenvironment (TME) is a hot topic in recent years. However, the potential value of tryptophan metabolism genes in regulating TME and immunotherapy is still unclear.Materials and methodsA comprehensive study of glioma patients was carried out based on 40 tryptophan metabolic genes. Subsequently, these prognostic tryptophan metabolic genes are systematically associated with immunological characteristics and immunotherapy. A risk score model was constructed and verified in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) cohorts to provide guidance for prognosis prediction and immunotherapy of glioma patients.ResultsWe described the changes of tryptophan metabolism genes in 966 glioma samples from genetic and transcriptional fields and evaluated their expression patterns from two independent data sets. We identified two different molecular subtypes and found that two subtypes were associated with clinicopathological features, prognosis, TME cell infiltration, and immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs). Then, four genes (IL4I1, CYP1A1, OGDHL, and ASMT) were screened out by univariate and multivariate cox regression analysis of tryptophan metabolism genes, and a risk score model for predicting the overall survival (OS) of glioma patients was constructed. And its predictive ability is verified using the CGGA database. At the same time, we verified the expression of IL4I1, CYP1A1, OGDHL, and ASMT four genes in glioma specimens and cell lines in GES4260 and GES15824. Therefore, we constructed a nomogram to improve the clinical applicability of the risk assessment model. The high risk score group, characterized by increased TMB and immune cell infiltration, was also sensitive to temozolomide immunotherapy. Our comprehensive analysis of tryptophan metabolic genes in gliomas shows that they play a potential role in tumor immune stromal microenvironment, clinicopathological features, and prognosis.ConclusionTryptophan metabolism genes play an indispensable role in the complexity, diversity, and prognosis of TME. This risk score model based on tryptophan metabolism gene is a new predictor of clinical prognosis and immunotherapy response of glioma, and guides a more appropriate immunotherapy strategy for glioma patients.

This study uses data from the China Family Panel Studies to analyze the possible impact of non-farming income on household energy choices. We use ordinary least squares and instrumental variable estimation methods to investigate the causal effect of non-farming income on household energy choices. We find that an increase in non-farming income assisted farmers in reducing their use of solid fuels in favor of clean energy. Our heterogeneity analysis, based on the average rural household income and geographical location of the village, shows that the energy upgrade effect of non-farming income is more obvious in high-income areas and suburbs closer to the county seat center. Further, we find that non-farming income has an impact on rural household energy choice mainly through the optimization of household energy-saving appliances and the enhancement of environmental awareness.

The entropy method measures the development level of green finance in 30 provinces and cities in China, and the spatial analysis method is used to describe the difference. Spatial pattern of the development level of green finance in China and empirically analyze the influencing factors of the development level of green finance. The results of the spatial econometric model show that the absolute difference in the development level of China’s green finance shows an overall increasing trend, and the relative difference shows a downward trend year by year. The level of financial development and environmental governance promote the development of green finance, while the level of economic growth and energy consumption inhibit the development of green finance. On this basis, we put forward countermeasures and suggestions from strengthening government functions and adjusting industrial structure according to economic growth, so as to promote the development of green finance in China.

In the perceptual learning of lexical tones, an automatic and robust attention-to-phonology system enables native tonal listeners to adapt to acoustically non-optimal speech, such as phonetic conflicts in daily communications. Previous tone research reveals that non-native listeners who do not linguistically employ lexical tones in their mother tongue may find it challenging to attend to the tonal dimension or integrate it with the segmental features. However, it is unknown whether the attentional interference initially caused by a maternal attentional system would continue influencing the non-optimal tone perception for simultaneous bilingual teenagers. From an endpoint in the age of language acquisition, we investigate whether the tone-specific attention mechanism developed by the Urdu-Cantonese simultaneous bilinguals is automatic enough to assist them in adapting to a phonetically-conflicting environment. Three groups of teenagers engaged in a four-condition ABX task: Urdu-Cantonese simultaneous bilinguals, Cantonese native listeners, and Urdu-speaking, late learners of Cantonese. The results showed that although the simultaneous bilinguals could phonologically process Cantonese tones in a Cantonese-like way under a conflict-free listening condition, they still failed in adapting to the phonetic conflicts, especially the segment-induced ones. It thus demonstrated that the simultaneous exposure and years of regular education in Hong Kong local schools still could not automatically guarantee simultaneous bilingual processing of Cantonese tones. In interpreting the findings, it hypothesized that, except for simultaneous exposure, the development of a tone-specific attention mechanism is also likely to be L1-inhibitory, tone experience-driven, and language-specific for simultaneous bilinguals.

WTe2, a low-symmetry transition metal dichalcogenide, has broad prospects in functional device applications due to its excellent physical properties. When WTe2 flake is integrated into practical device structures, its anisotropic thermal transport could be affected greatly by the substrate, which matters a lot to the energy efficiency and functional performance of the device. To investigate the effect of SiO2/Si substrate, we carried out a comparative Raman thermometry study on a 50 nm-thick supported WTe2 flake (with κzigzag = 62.17 W·m−1·K−1 and κarmchair = 32.93 W·m−1·K−1), and a suspended WTe2 flake of similar thickness (with κzigzag = 4.45 W·m−1·K−1, κarmchair = 4.10 W·m−1·K−1). The results show that the thermal anisotropy ratio of supported WTe2 flake (κzigzag/κarmchair ≈ 1.89) is about 1.7 times that of suspended WTe2 flake (κzigzag/κarmchair ≈ 1.09). Based on the low symmetry nature of the WTe2 structure, it is speculated that the factors contributing to thermal conductivity (mechanical properties and anisotropic low-frequency phonons) may have affected the thermal conductivity of WTe2 flake in an uneven manner when supported on a substrate. Our findings could contribute to the 2D anisotropy physics and thermal transport study of functional devices based on WTe2 and other low-symmetry materials, which helps solve the heat dissipation problem and optimize thermal/thermoelectric performance for practical electronic devices.

The feeding of high-energy and low-protein diets often induces fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) in laying hens. However, the mechanism of hepatic fat accumulation in hens with FLHS remains uncertain. In this research, a comprehensive hepatic proteome and acetyl-proteome analysis was performed in both normal and FLHS-affected hens. The results indicated that the upregulated proteins were primarily associated with fat digestion and absorption, the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, and glycerophospholipid metabolism, while the downregulated proteins were mainly related to bile secretion and amino acid metabolism. Furthermore, the significant acetylated proteins were largely involved in ribosome and fatty acid degradation, and the PPAR signaling pathway, while the significant deacetylated proteins were related to valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation in laying hens with FLHS. Overall, these results demonstrate that acetylation inhibits hepatic fatty acid oxidation and transport in hens with FLHS, and mainly exerts its effects by affecting protein activity rather than expression. This study provides new nutritional regulation options to alleviate FLHS in laying hens.

For the existing visual–inertial SLAM algorithm, when the robot is moving at a constant speed or purely rotating and encounters scenes with insufficient visual features, problems of low accuracy and poor robustness arise. Aiming to solve the problems of low accuracy and robustness of the visual inertial SLAM algorithm, a tightly coupled vision-IMU-2D lidar odometry (VILO) algorithm is proposed. Firstly, low-cost 2D lidar observations and visual–inertial observations are fused in a tightly coupled manner. Secondly, the low-cost 2D lidar odometry model is used to derive the Jacobian matrix of the lidar residual with respect to the state variable to be estimated, and the residual constraint equation of the vision-IMU-2D lidar is constructed. Thirdly, the nonlinear solution method is used to obtain the optimal robot pose, which solves the problem of how to fuse 2D lidar observations with visual–inertial information in a tightly coupled manner. The results show that the algorithm still has reliable pose-estimation accuracy and robustness in many special environments, and the position error and yaw angle error are greatly reduced. Our research improves the accuracy and robustness of the multi-sensor fusion SLAM algorithm.

Abstract Background Oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) analysis has been used for detecting somatic copy number alterations (CNAs) in various types of tumors. This study aimed to assess the clinical utility of aCGH for cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to evaluate the correlation between CNAs and clinicopathologic findings. Methods aCGH was performed on 75 HCC cases with paired DNA samples from tumor and adjacent nontumor tissues. Survival outcomes from these cases were analyzed based on Barcelona-Clinic Liver Cancer Stage (BCLC), Edmondson-Steiner grade (E-S), and recurrence status. Correlation of CNAs with clinicopathologic findings was analyzed by Wilcoxon rank test and clustering vs. K means. Results The survival outcomes indicated that BCLC stages and recurrence status could be predictors and E-S grades could be a modifier for HCC. The most common CNAs involved gains of 1q and 8q and a loss of 16q (50%), losses of 4q and 17p and a gain of 5p (40%), and losses of 8p and 13q (30%). Analyses of genomic profiles and clusters identified that losses of 4q13.2q35.2 and 10q22.3q26.13 seen in cases of stage A, grade III and nonrecurrence were likely correlated with good survival, while loss of 1p36.31p22.1 and gains of 2q11.2q21.2 and 20p13p11.1 seen in cases of stage C, grade III and recurrence were possibly correlated with worst prognosis. Conclusions These results indicated that aCGH analysis could be used to detect recurrent CNAs and involved key genes and pathways in patients with HCC. Further analysis on a large case series to validate the correlation of CNAs with clinicopathologic findings of HCC could provide information to interpret CNAs and predict prognosis.

Abstract Background An increasing number of studies have shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in the regulation of tumor progression. Therefore, we explored the expression characteristics, function, and related mechanism of the newly identified circNALCN in glioma. Methods RNA sequencing was used to analyze the expression profiles of circRNAs in brain tissue from five glioma cases and four normal controls. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was implemented to examine the levels of circNALCN, miR-493-3p, and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). Cell counting kit 8 assays were performed to analyze cell proliferation, and cell migration was assessed by the wound healing test and Transwell assay. Dual-luciferase reporter, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and RNA pulldown assays were performed to confirm the role of circNALCN as an miR-493-3p sponge, weakening the inhibitory effect of miR-493-3p on target PTEN expression. Results The downregulated expression of circNALCN was observed in both glioma tissues and cell lines. CircNALCN expression was negatively correlated with World Health Organization grade and overall survival in patients with glioma. Functionally, the overexpression of circNALCN significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of glioma cells, whereas miR-493-3p mimics counteracted these effects. The mechanistic analysis demonstrated that circNALCN acted as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-493-3p to relieve the repressive effects of miR-493-3p on its target, PTEN, suppressing glioma tumorigenesis. Conclusions CircNALCN inhibits the progression of glioma through the miR-493-3p/PTEN axis, providing a developable biomarker and therapeutic target for glioma patients.

Tumor mutation burden (TMB) is a useful biomarker for predicting the prognosis and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICIs). In this study, we aimed to explore the prognostic value of TMB and TMB-related PRLHR immune genes as prognostic markers in patients with gliomas. We downloaded MAF files, RNA-seq data, and clinical information from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The TMB of glioma was calculated and its correlation with clinical features and prognosis was analyzed. We found that TMB was statistically correlated with the grade and age of patients with gliomas. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that low TMB was associated with better clinical outcome in patients with gliomas. Additionally, a predictive model based on five HUB genes (FABP5, VEGFA, SAA1, ADM, and PRLHR) was constructed to predict OS in patients with gliomas. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis shows that the model is reliable in predicting the risk of survival and prognosis. Immune microenvironment analysis revealed a correlation between TMB and infiltrating immune cells. The clinical-related immune gene, PRLHR, can be used as an independent prognostic factor for patients with brain glioma, and it is negatively correlated with the grade of glioma and age of patients with glioma. We found that the higher the tumor grade and the older the age, the lower the PRLHR expression, which was verified by CGGA database and independent experimental data. These results suggest that PRLHR may be a tumor suppressor for the progression of glioma and might provide a new therapeutic target for the treatment and improvement of survival rate in patients with glioma.

Abstract Background Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) who are receiving radiotherapy commonly face detrimental complications, including oral issues. However, oral symptoms are not well understood given the lack of available specific assessment instruments. The Vanderbilt Head and Neck Symptom Survey version (VHNSS) 2.0 is an instrument specifically developed to identify oral symptoms in HNC patients receiving radiotherapy in the United States. Objective To perform the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the original English version of VHNSS 2.0 into a Chinese version (Mainland China). Methods The translation and cultural adaptation process involved translation by independent translators, construction of a consensus version, back translation into the original English version, analysis by the expert committee and a pretest. The pretest was administered to 90 patients with HNC to assess the feasibility and practicality of the tool. Results The final Chinese version approved by the expert committee was well understood by all participants in the study. The instrument had satisfactory content validity, with indexes of 0.83 for semantic and idiomatic equivalence, 0.90 for cultural equivalence, and 0.91 for conceptual equivalence. Furthermore, this version had good internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.74 to 0.95. Conclusion The Chinese version of VHNSS 2.0 was translated and cross-culturally adapted for use in China. This translation is a feasible instrument to assess oral health-related quality of life in HNC patients undergoing radiotherapy and will be useful for symptom management by clinicians and researchers in China.

Objective To explore the molecular mechanisms of fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) in laying hens, an experiment was conducted to reveal the differences in histopathological observation and gene expression between FLHS group and normal group. Methods We compared the histopathological difference using hematoxylin and eosin staining and proceeded with RNA sequencing of adipose tissue to search differentially expressed genes and enriched biological processes and pathways. Then we validated the mRNA expression levels by real-time polymerase chain reaction and quantified protein levels in the circulation by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results We identified 100 differentially expressed transcripts corresponding to 66 genes (DEGs) were identified between FLHS-affected group and normal group. Seven DEGs were significantly enriched in the immune response process and lipid metabolic process, including phospholipase A2 group V, WAP kunitz and netrin domain containing 2, delta 4-desaturase sphingolipid 2, perilipin 3, interleukin-6 (IL-6), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3). And these genes could be the targets of immune response and be involved in metabolic homeostasis during the process of FLHS in laying hens. Based on functional categories of the DEGs, we further proposed a model to explain the etiology and pathogenesis of FLHS. IL-6 and SOCS3 mediate inflammatory responses and the satiety hormone of leptin, induce dysfunction of Jak-STAT signaling pathway, leading to insulin resistance and lipid metabolic disorders. Conversely, CNTF may reduce tissue destruction during inflammatory attacks and confer protection from inflammation-induced insulin resistance in FLHS chickens. Conclusion These findings highlight the therapeutic implications of targeting the JAK-STAT pathway. Inhibition of IL6 and SOCS3 and facilitation of CNTF could serve as a favorable strategy to enhance insulin action and improve glucose homoeostasis, which are of importance for treating obesity-related disorders for chickens.

Since orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems are very susceptible to symbol timing offset (STO) and carrier frequency offset (CFO), which cause inter-symbol interference (ISI) and inter-carrier interference (ICI), accurate STO and CFO estimations are very important. In this study, first, a new preamble structure based on the Zadoff–Chu (ZC) sequences was designed. On this basis, we proposed a new timing synchronization algorithm, called the continuous correlation peak detection (CCPD) algorithm, and its improved algorithm: the accumulated correlation peak detection (ACPD) algorithm. Next, the correlation peaks that were obtained during the timing synchronization were used for the frequency offset estimation. For this, the quadratic interpolation algorithm was adopted as the frequency offset estimation algorithm, which was better than the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm. The simulation results showed that when the correct timing probability reached 100%, under the parameters of m = 8 and N = 512, the performance of the CCPD algorithm was 4 dB higher than that of Du’s algorithm, and that of the ACPD algorithm was 7 dB. Under the same parameters, the quadratic interpolation algorithm also had a great performance improvement in both small and large frequency offsets, when compared with the FFT algorithm.

Globally, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an acute clinical event and an important cause of death and long-term disability. However, the underlying mechanism of the pathophysiological has not been fully elucidated and the lack of effective treatment a huge burden to individuals, families, and society. Several studies have shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) might play a crucial role in TBI; they are abundant in the central nervous system (CNS) and participate in a variety of pathophysiological processes, including oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, blood-brain barrier protection, angiogenesis, and neurogenesis. Some lncRNAs modulate multiple therapeutic targets after TBI, including inflammation, thus, these lncRNAs have tremendous therapeutic potential for TBI, as they are promising biomarkers for TBI diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis prediction. This review discusses the differential expression of different lncRNAs in brain tissue during TBI, which is likely related to the physiological and pathological processes involved in TBI. These findings may provide new targets for further scientific research on the molecular mechanisms of TBI and potential therapeutic interventions.

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) −521 C/T single-nucleotide polymorphism on brain function among children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and to evaluate whether brain function is associated with behavioral performance among this demographic.Methods: Using regional homogeneity, fractional amplitude low-frequency fluctuation, and functional connectivity as measurement indices, we compared differences in resting-state brain function between 34 boys with ADHD in the TT homozygous group and 37 boys with ADHD in the C-allele carrier group. The Conners' Parent Rating Scale, the SNAP-IV Rating Scale, the Stroop Color Word Test, the go/no-go task, the n-back task, and the working memory index within the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition were selected as comparative indicators in order to test effects on behavioral performance.Results: We found that TT homozygotes had low behavioral performance as compared with C-allele carriers. The regional homogeneity for TT homozygotes decreased in the right middle occipital gyrus and increased in the right superior frontal gyrus as compared with C-allele carriers. In addition, the right middle occipital gyrus and the right superior frontal gyrus were used as the seeds of functional connectivity, and we found that the functional connectivity between the right middle occipital gyrus and the right cerebellum decreased, as did the functional connectivity between the right superior frontal gyrus and the angular gyrus. No statistically significant differences were observed in the respective brain regions when comparing the fractional amplitudes for low-frequency fluctuation between the two groups. Correlation analyses demonstrated that the fractional amplitude low-frequency fluctuation in the precentral gyrus for TT homozygotes were statistically significantly correlated with working memory.Conclusions: We found differing effects of DRD4 −521 C/T polymorphisms on brain function among boys with ADHD. These findings promote our understanding of the genetic basis for neurobiological differences observed among children with ADHD, but they must be confirmed in larger samples.

Abstract Background In isolated premature thelarche (IPT) girls, bone age (BA) is considered consistent with chronological age. However, some IPT girls confirmed by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test could show another trend. We analysed BA and possible potentiating factors in a selected group of girls aged 4–8 years with IPT. Methods IPT girls confirmed by GnRH stimulation test aged 4–8 years hospitalized from January 2015 to April 2018 at Shenzhen Children’s Hospital were included in this retrospective study. They were divided into two groups with advanced BA of 2 years as the cut-off. Body mass index (BMI) and hormone levels were the main outcome measures, and regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors. IPT girls were divided into subgroups according to the levels of BMI standard deviation score (SDS), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) SDS and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) SDS for comparisons of advanced BA. Results Overall, 423 subjects were included and classified into the advanced BA group (48.7%, n = 206) and control group (51.3%, n = 217). The advanced BA group had significantly higher BMI SDS, serum DHEAS SDS, IGF-1 SDS, androstenedione and fasting insulin and significantly lower sex hormone binding globulin (all p