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Abstract The main cause of corneal blindness worldwide is keratitis, especially the infectious form caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, and Acanthamoeba. The key to effective management of infectious keratitis hinges on prompt and precise diagnosis. Nevertheless, the current gold standard, such as cultures of corneal scrapings, remains time-consuming and frequently yields false-negative results. Here, using 23,055 slit-lamp images collected from 12 clinical centers nationwide, this study constructed a clinically feasible deep learning system, DeepIK, that could emulate the diagnostic process of a human expert to identify and differentiate bacterial, fungal, viral, amebic, and noninfectious keratitis. DeepIK exhibited remarkable performance in internal, external, and prospective datasets (all areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves > 0.96) and outperformed three other state-of-the-art algorithms (DenseNet121, InceptionResNetV2, and Swin-Transformer). Our study indicates that DeepIK possesses the capability to assist ophthalmologists in accurately and swiftly identifying various infectious keratitis types from slit-lamp images, thereby facilitating timely and targeted treatment.

Data-driven material research for property prediction and material design using machine learning methods requires a large quantity, wide variety, and high-quality materials data. For battery materials, which are commonly polycrystalline, ceramics, and composites, multiscale data on substances, materials, and batteries are required. In this work, we develop a data network composed of three interlinked databases, from which we can obtain comprehensive data on substances such as crystal structures and electronic structures, data on materials such as chemical composition, structure, and properties, and data on batteries such as battery composition, operation conditions, and capacity. The data are extracted from research papers on solid electrolytes and cathode materials, selected by screening more than 330 thousand papers using natural language processing tools. Data extraction and curation are carried out by editors specialized in material science and trained in data standardization.

ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the feasibility of employing artificial intelligence models for the detection and localization of cervical lesions by leveraging deep semantic features extracted from colposcopic images.MethodsThe study employed a segmentation-based deep learning architecture, utilizing a deep decoding network to integrate prior features and establish a semantic segmentation model capable of distinguishing normal and pathological changes. A two-stage decision model is proposed for deep semantic feature mining, which combines image segmentation and classification to categorize pathological changes present in the dataset. Furthermore, transfer learning was employed to create a feature extractor tailored to colposcopic imagery. Multi-scale data were bolstered by an attention mechanism to facilitate precise segmentation of lesion areas. The segmentation results were then coherently mapped back onto the original images, ensuring an integrated visualization of the findings.ResultsExperimental findings demonstrated that compared to algorithms solely based on image segmentation or classification, the proposed approach exhibited superior accuracy in distinguishing between normal and lesioned colposcopic images. Furthermore, it successfully implemented a fully automated pixel-based cervical lesion segmentation model, accurately delineating regions of suspicious lesions. The model achieved high sensitivity (96.38%), specificity (95.84%), precision (97.56%), and f1 score (96.96%), respectively. Notably, it accurately estimated lesion areas, providing valuable guidance to assisting physicians in lesion classification and localization judgment.ConclusionThe proposed approach demonstrates promising capabilities in identifying normal and cervical lesions, particularly excelling in lesion area segmentation. Its accuracy in guiding biopsy site selection and subsequent localization treatment is satisfactory, offering valuable support to healthcare professionals in disease assessment and management.

Abstract Emerging diagnostic scenarios, such as population surveillance by pooled testing and on‐site rapid diagnosis, highlight the importance of advanced microfluidic systems for in vitro diagnostics. However, the widespread adoption of microfluidic technology faces challenges due to the lack of standardized design paradigms, posing difficulties in managing macro‐micro fluidic interfaces, reagent storage, and complex macrofluidic operations. This paper introduces a novel modular‐based mesoscopic design paradigm, featuring a core “needle‐plug/piston” structure with versatile variants for complex fluidic operations. These structures can be easily coupled with various microfluidic platforms to achieve truly self‐contained microsystems. Incorporated into a “3D extensible” design architecture, the mesoscopic design meets the demands of function integration, macrofluid manipulations, and flexible throughputs for point‐of‐care nucleic acid testing. Using this approach, an ultra‐sensitive nucleic acid detection system is developed with a limit of detection of ten copies of SARS‐CoV‐2 per mL. This system efficiently conducts large‐scale pooled testing from 50 pharyngeal swabs in a tube with an uncompromised sensitivity, enabling a truly “sample‐in‐answer‐out” microsystem with exceptional performance.

In response to the task of vocational education reform in the new era, in order to cultivate innovative skilled talents, it is necessary to improve traditional evaluation methods to enhance their efficiency. This study proposes an evaluation model for vocational education construction that combines grey relational analysis and approximate ideal point method (TOPSIS). By selecting indicators and combining subjective analytic hierarchy process and objective entropy weight method for weight allocation, the weights of the indicators are determined using subjective analytic hierarchy process and objective entropy weight method. Through experimental analysis, the results showed that among the 11 analysis indicators, the weight of policy environment indicators was the highest at 0.124, while the weight of employment rate and contract signing rate indicators was the lowest at 0.050. The above results indicate that the TOPSIS comprehensive evaluation system based on grey correlation analysis has better application effects in practical scenarios and is more suitable for the development requirements of vocational education.

Chinese herbal tea is a beverage made of one or more kinds of traditional Chinese medicines or herbs, which is a branch of traditional Chinese medicine culture and a Chinese intangible cultural heritage. It has long been utilized for beneficial intentions in many national areas. Drinking herbal tea is popular in most provinces and cities in China, such as Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian, and it is also produced in Japan, the United States, Europe, Southeast Asia, and other regions, and gradually expand to the world. Herbal tea contains flavonoids, organic acids, alkaloids, polysaccharides and glycosides, etc., which supply herbal tea with anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-tumor, anti-aging and hepatoprotective effects. With the continuous expansion of the herbal tea market, the efficacy and safety of herbal tea has garnered great attention. This article reviews the research progress of chemical composition, pharmacological activity, and security of herbal tea in China.

Abstract Background The global BOLERO-2 trial established the efficacy and safety of combination everolimus (EVE) and exemestane (EXE) in the treatment of estrogen receptor positive (ER +), HER2-, advanced breast cancer (ABC). BOLERO-5 investigated this combination in a Chinese population (NCT03312738). Methods BOLERO-5 is a randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo controlled, phase II trial comparing EVE (10 mg/day) or placebo (PBO) in combination with EXE (25 mg/day). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) per investigator assessment. Secondary endpoints included PFS per blinded independent review committee (BIRC), overall survival (OS), overall response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate (CBR), pharmacokinetics, and safety. Results A total of 159 patients were randomized to EVE + EXE (n = 80) or PBO + EXE (n = 79). By investigator assessment, treatment with EVE + EXE prolonged median PFS by 5.4 months (HR 0.52; 90% CI 0.38, 0.71), from 2.0 months (PBO + EXE; 90% CI 1.9, 3.6) to 7.4 months (EVE + EXE; 90% CI 5.5, 9.0). Similar results were observed following assessment by BIRC, with median PFS prolonged by 4.3 months. Treatment with EVE + EXE was also associated with improvements in ORR and CBR. No new safety signals were identified in BOLERO-5, with the incidence of adverse events in Chinese patients consistent with the safety profile of both drugs. Conclusion The efficacy and safety results of BOLERO-5 validate the findings from BOLERO-2, and further support the use of EVE + EXE in Chinese post-menopausal women with ER + , HER2- ABC. NCT03312738, registered 18 October 2017.

Abstract Coffin-Siris syndrome (CSS) is a rare autosomal dominant inheritance disorder characterized by distinctive facial features, hypoplasia of the distal phalanx or nail of the fifth and additional digits, developmental or cognitive delay of varying degree, hypotonia, hirsutism/hypertrichosis, sparse scalp hair and varying kind of congenital anomalies. CSS can easily be misdiagnosed as other syndromes or disorders with a similar clinical picture because of their genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity. We describde the genotype-phenotype correlation of one patient from a healthy Chinese family with a novel genotype underlying CSS, who was first diagnosed in the ophthalmology department as early-onset high myopia (eoHM). Comprehensive ophthalmic tests as well as other systemic examinations were performed on participants to confirm the phenotype. The genotype was identified using whole exome sequencing, and further verified the results among other family members by Sanger sequencing. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) technology was used to detect the relative mRNA expression levels of candidate genes between proband and normal family members. The pathogenicity of the identified variant was determined by The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines. STRING protein-protein interactions (PPIs) network analysis was used to detect the interaction of candidate gene-related proteins with high myopia gene-related proteins. The patient had excessive eoHM, cone-rod dystrophy, coarse face, excessive hair growth on the face, sparse scalp hair, developmental delay, intellectual disability, moderate hearing loss, dental hypoplasia, patent foramen ovale, chronic non-atrophic gastritis, bilateral renal cysts, cisterna magna, and emotional outbursts with aggression. The genetic assessment revealed that the patient carries a de novo heterozygous frameshift insertion variant in the ARID1B c.3981dup (p.Glu1328ArgfsTer5), which are strongly associated with the typical clinical features of CSS patients. The test results of RT-qPCR showed that mRNA expression of the ARID1B gene in the proband was approximately 30% lower than that of the normal control in the family, suggesting that the variant had an impact on the gene function at the level of mRNA expression. The variant was pathogenic as assessed by ACMG guidelines. Analysis of protein interactions in the STRING online database revealed that the ARID1A protein interacts with the high myopia gene-related proteins FGFR3, ASXL1, ERBB3, and SOX4, whereas the ARID1A protein antagonizes the ARID1B protein. Therefore, in this paper, we are the first to report a de novo heterozygous frameshift insertion variant in the ARID1B gene causing CSS with excessive eoHM. Our study extends the genotypic and phenotypic spectrums for ARID1B-CSS and supplies evidence of significant association of eoHM with variant in ARID1B gene. As CSS has high genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity, our findings highlight the importance of molecular genetic testing and an interdisciplinary clinical diagnostic workup to avoid misdiagnosis as some disorders with similar manifestations of CSS.

Abstract Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) serves as a pivotal regulator in orchestrating cellular cycle dynamics and gene transcriptional activity. Elevated expression levels of CDK7 have been ubiquitously documented across a spectrum of malignancies and have been concomitantly correlated with adverse clinical outcomes. This review delineates the biological roles of CDK7 and explicates the molecular pathways through which CDK7 exacerbates the oncogenic progression of breast cancer. Furthermore, we synthesize the extant literature to provide a comprehensive overview of the advancement of CDK7-specific small-molecule inhibitors, encapsulating both preclinical and clinical findings in breast cancer contexts. The accumulated evidence substantiates the conceptualization of CDK7 as a propitious therapeutic target in breast cancer management.

Volvariella volvacea is a mushroom known for its high palatability and nutritional value. However, it is susceptible to spoilage thus making it challenging to preserve and keep fresh after harvest, resulting in constraints in long-distance transportation and long-term storage. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using irradiation and sodium dehydrogenate (SD) as a preservative in the preservation process of V. volvacea. The effects of three treatments of 0.8 kGy 60Coγ irradiation (B), 0.04% SD (C), combined with 0.04% SD and 0.8 kGy 60Coγ irradiation (A) on the postharvest freshness of V. volvacea were investigated. The assessment indices for V. volvacea, including appearance, browning rate, weight loss, respiration rate, MDA content, antioxidant enzyme activities, vitamin C (Vc), and soluble protein content, were measured and compared. The three treatments were compared to determine the changes in storage time over 7 days post-harvest. The results demonstrated that the hardness of the fruiting body exhibited a significant increase of 81.19%, 97.96% and 168.81% in comparison to the control, B and C, respectively, following the application of the treatment A. Compared to the control group, the soluble protein content was significantly increased by 20.28%. Respiration intensity and browning rate were significantly lower in the control treatment, decreasing by 35.07% and 45.49% respectively. On the 6th day of storage, the activities of SOD and POD increased by 81.06% and 73.71%, respectively, compared to the control, which significantly delayed the senescence of the fruiting bodies. The Vc content was significantly increased by 50.27%, 133.90%, and 101.39% in treatment B, which received 0.8 kGy 60Coγ irradiation alone, compared to the control, treatment A, and treatment C, respectively. The treatment C alone significantly reduced respiratory intensity and MDA variables by 39.55% and 31.01%, respectively, compared to the control. The findings can provide theoretical references and technical support for extending the preservation period of V. volvacea after harvesting by using irradiation and sodium dehydrogenate as a preservative.

Abstract Background The MONALEESA‐7 and ‐2 phase 3 randomized trials demonstrated a statistically significant progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) benefit with initial ribociclib + endocrine therapy (ET) versus placebo + ET in pre‐ and postmenopausal patients with hormone receptor–positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative (HER2−) advanced breast cancer (ABC), respectively. Similar trends were observed in Asian subgroup analyses. This phase 2 bridging study of initial ET + ribociclib enrolled pre‐ and postmenopausal patients with HR+/HER2– ABC from China and was conducted to demonstrate consistency of PFS results in a Chinese population relative to the global MONALEESA‐7 and ‐2 studies. Methods Patients were randomized (1:1) to ET (nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor + goserelin for premenopausal patients; letrozole for postmenopausal patients) + either ribociclib or placebo. The primary endpoint was investigator‐assessed PFS. Results As of April 25, 2022, the median follow‐up was 34.7 months in both cohorts. In the premenopausal cohort, median PFS was 27.6 months in the ribociclib arm (n = 79) versus 14.7 months in the placebo arm (n = 77) (hazard ratio 0.67 [95% CI: 0.45, 1.01]). In the postmenopausal cohort, median PFS was not reached in the ribociclib arm versus 18.5 months in the placebo arm (n = 77 in each arm) (hazard ratio 0.40 [95% CI: 0.26, 0.62]). Data also suggested improvements in secondary efficacy endpoints, although OS data were not mature. The safety profile in this population was consistent with that in global studies. Conclusions These data demonstrate a favorable benefit–risk profile for ribociclib + ET in Chinese patients.

Abstract Background Helsmoortel–Van der Aa syndrome (HVDAS) is a rare genetic disorder caused by variants in the activity-dependent neuroprotector homeobox (ADNP) gene; hence, it is also called ADNP syndrome. ADNP is a multitasking protein with the function as a transcription factor, playing a critical role in brain development. Furthermore, ADNP variants have been identified as one of the most common single-gene causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability. Methods We assembled a cohort of 15 Chinese pediatric patients, identified 13 variants in the coding region of ADNP gene, and evaluated their clinical phenotypes. Additionally, we constructed the corresponding ADNP variants and performed western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis to examine their protein expression and subcellular localization in human HEK293T and SH-SY5Y cells. Results Our study conducted a thorough characterization of the clinical manifestations in 15 children with ADNP variants, and revealed a broad spectrum of symptoms including global developmental delay, intellectual disability, ASD, facial abnormalities, and other features. In vitro studies were carried out to check the expression of ADNP with identified variants. Two cases presented missense variants, while the remainder exhibited nonsense or frameshift variants, leading to truncated mutants in in vitro overexpression systems. Both overexpressed wildtype ADNP and all the different mutants were found to be confined to the nuclei in HEK293T cells; however, the distinctive pattern of nuclear bodies formed by the wildtype ADNP was either partially or entirely disrupted by the mutant proteins. Moreover, two variants of p.Y719* on the nuclear localization signal (NLS) of ADNP disrupted the nuclear expression pattern, predominantly manifesting in the cytoplasm in SH-SY5Y cells. Limitations Our study was limited by a relatively small sample size and the absence of a longitudinal framework to monitor the progression of patient conditions over time. Additionally, we lacked in vivo evidence to further indicate the causal implications of the identified ADNP variants. Conclusions Our study reported the first cohort of HVDAS patients in the Chinese population and provided systematic clinical presentations and laboratory examinations. Furthermore, we identified multiple genetic variants and validated them in vitro. Our findings offered valuable insights into the diverse genetic variants associated with HVDAS.

This paper provides an overview of the study of optical resonant cavity stability, focusing on the relevant principles, key technological advances, and applications of optical resonant cavities in a variety of high-precision measurement techniques and modern science and technology. Firstly, the vibration characteristics, thermal noise, and temperature characteristics of the reference cavity are presented. Subsequently, the report extensively discusses the advances in key technologies such as mechanical vibration isolation, thermal noise control, and resistance to temperature fluctuations. These advances not only contribute to the development of theory but also provide innovative solutions for practical applications. Typical applications of optical cavities in areas such as laser gyroscopes, high-precision measurements, and gravitational wave detection are also discussed. Future research directions are envisioned, emphasising the importance of novel material applications, advanced vibration isolation technologies, intelligent temperature control systems, multifunctional integrated optical resonator design, and deepening theoretical models and numerical simulations.

IntroductionEndogenous retroviruses (ERVs), which originated from exogenous retroviral infections of germline cells millions of years ago and were inherited by subsequent generations as per Mendelian inheritance patterns, predominantly comprise non-protein-coding sequences due to the accumulation of mutations, insertions, deletions, and truncations. Nevertheless, recent studies have revealed that ERVs play a crucial role in diverse biological processes by encoding various proteins.MethodsIn this study, we successfully identified an ERV envelope (env) gene in a mink species. A phylogenetic tree of mink ERV-V env and reference sequences was constructed using Bayesian methods and maximum-likelihood inference.ResultsPhylogenetic analyses indicated a significant degree of sequence conservation and positive selection within the env-surface open reading frame. Additionally, qRT-PCR revealed diverse patterns of mink ERV-V env expression in various tissues. The expression of mink ERV-V env gene in testicular tissue strongly correlated with the seasonal reproductive cycles of minks.DiscussionOur study suggests that the ERV-V env gene in mink may have been repurposed for host functions.

Pleurotus ostreatus is one of the most consumed mushroom species, as it serves as a high-quality food, favors a rich secondary metabolism, and has remarkable adaptability to the environment and predators. In this study, we investigated the function of two key reactive oxygen species producing enzyme NADPH oxidase (PoNoxA and PoNoxB) in P. ostreatus hyphae growth, metabolite production, signaling pathway activation, and immune responses to different stresses. Characterization of the Nox mutants showed that PoNoxB played an important role in the hyphal formation of the multicellular structure, while PoNoxA regulated apical dominance. The ability of P. ostreatus to tolerate a series of abiotic stress conditions (e.g., osmotic, oxidative, membrane, and cell-wall stresses) and mechanical damage repair was enhanced with PoNoxA over-expression. PoNoxB had a greater responsibility in regulating the polysaccharide composition of the cell wall and methyl jasmonate and gibberellin GA1 biosynthesis, and improved mushroom resistance against Tyrophagus putrescentiae. Moreover, mutants were involved in the jasmonate and GA signaling pathway, and toxic protein defense metabolite production. Our findings shed light on how the oyster mushroom senses stress signals and responds to adverse environments by the complex regulators of Noxs.

Abstract Background Cyclin‐dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor plus endocrine therapy (ET) become standard‐of‐care for patients with hormone receptor‐positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor‐2 negative (HR+/HER2−) metastatic breast cancer (MBC). However, the optimal therapeutic paradigm after progression on CDK4/6 inhibitor remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of abemaciclib with switching ET versus chemotherapy after progression on prior palbociclib‐based ET in Chinese patients with HR+/HER2− MBC. Methods From 414 consecutive patients with HR+/HER2− MBC who had been treated with palbociclib plus ET from September 2018 to May 2022 in Peking University Cancer Hospital, we identified 80 patients who received abemaciclib plus switching ET or chemotherapy after progression on palbociclib, matched for age, original stage at diagnosis, disease‐free interval, and tumor burden at 1:1 ratio. The primary endpoint was progression‐free survival (PFS) compared using the Kaplan–Meier method. A Cox proportional hazard model was performed to identify clinical factors associated with PFS in the abemaciclib group. Results The median PFS was 6.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.94–8.06) in abemaciclib group and 4.0 months (95% CI, 2.52–5.49) in chemotherapy group (p = 0.667). And, there was no difference in median PFS between the sequential and nonsequential arm (6.0 vs. 6.0 months) in the abemaciclib group though fewer lines of prior systemic therapy and longer PFS from prior palbociclib in the sequential arm. However, patients with prior palbociclib as the first‐line therapy had a significantly longer median PFS versus prior palbociclib as ≥2nd‐line therapy (11.0 vs. 5.0 months, p = 0.043). Based on multivariable analysis, ER+/PR+ was an independent factor associated with longer PFS. There was no significant difference in overall survival between the abemaciclib and chemotherapy groups (p = 0.069). Conclusion Our findings indicate that abemaciclib plus switching ET might be one of feasible treatment options for Chinese patients with HR+/HER2− MBC after progression on prior palbociclib‐based therapy in addition to chemotherapy.

Abstract The role of pyrotinib in the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) has been well-established. This multicenter, single-arm phase II trial (NCT03876587) aimed to assess the benefit of pyrotinib plus docetaxel as a first-line treatment for HER2-positive MBC. Women with HER2-positive MBC who had not undergone HER2 blockade or chemotherapy for metastatic disease were enrolled in the study and received daily oral pyrotinib 400 mg plus intravenous docetaxel 75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR), secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), duration of response (DoR), clinical benefit rate (CBR), overall survival (OS) and safety. From June 2019 to June 2021, 79 patients were enrolled. The confirmed ORR was 79.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 70.8-88.6), and the CBR was 87.3% (95%CI, 80.0-94.6) in the intention-to-treat population. The pre-specified primary endpoint was met. The median DoR was 15.9 months (interquartile range, 8.3-19.5); the median PFS was 16.0 months (95% CI, 11.2-20.8), and the median OS was not reached. The most common grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events observed were leukopenia (29.1%), neutropenia (27.8%), and diarrhea (21.5%). This study demonstrates that pyrotinib plus docetaxel show an acceptable safety profile and promising antitumor activity as a first-line treatment option for patients with HER2-positive MBC.

Abstract Background We aim to examine the association between ultra-processed foods (UPF) consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and to identify plasma proteins associated with UPF. Methods This prospective cohort study included 26,369 participants from the Swedish Malmö Diet and Cancer Study, established in 1991–1996. Dietary intake was assessed using a modified diet history method, and UPF consumption was estimated using the NOVA classification system. A total of 88 selected CVD-related proteins were measured among 4475 subjects. Incident CVD (coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke) was defined as a hospital admission or death through registers. Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed to analyze the associations of UPF intake with risks of CVD. Linear regression models were used to identify the plasma proteins associated with UPF intake. Results During 24.6 years of median follow-up, 6236 participants developed CVD, of whom 3566 developed coronary heart disease and 3272 developed ischemic stroke. The adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) in the 4th versus 1st quartile of UPF was 1.18 (1.08, 1.29) for CVD, 1.20 (1.07, 1.35) for coronary heart disease, and 1.17 (1.03, 1.32) for ischemic stroke. Plasma proteins interleukin 18, tumor necrosis factor receptor 2, macrophage colony-stimulating factor 1, thrombomodulin, tumor necrosis factor receptor 1, hepatocyte growth factor, stem cell factor, resistin, C–C motif chemokine 3, and endothelial cell-specific molecule 1 were positively associated with UPF after correcting for multiple testing. Conclusions Our study showed that high UPF intake increased the risk of CVD and was associated with several protein biomarkers. Future studies are warranted to validate these findings and assess the potential pathways between UPF intake and CVD.

Abstract Background Caring behavior among nurses would have an impact on patient outcomes. External organizational job resources and personal internal psychological resources are correlated to nurses’ caring behavior. Authentic leadership and psychological capital were shown to be correlated with nurses’ caring behavior in previous studies. However, the relationships among the three are nevertheless unclear. This study aimed to examine if psychological capital could act as a mediator between nursing managers’ authentic leadership and nurses’ caring behavior. Methods In December 2021, a total of 3,662 nurses were recruited from 37 hospitals in Anhui Province, China. They filled out online surveys, including general demographic information, the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire, the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, and the Caring Behavior Inventory. Structural Equation Modeling and the bootstrapping procedure were used to examine the mediating role of psychological capital. Results The scores of authentic leadership, psychological capital, and caring behavior of 3,495 nurses were 52.04 ± 13.24, 96.89 ± 17.78, and 104.28 ± 17.01, respectively. Psychological capital significantly mediated the relationship between authentic leadership and nurses’ caring behavior (β = 0.378, p

Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA) is a contagious lung tumour caused by the Jaagsiekte Sheep Retrovirus (JSRV). Histopathological diagnosis is the gold standard for OPA diagnosis. However, interpretation of traditional pathology images is complex and operator dependent. The mask regional convolutional neural network (Mask R-CNN) has emerged as a valuable tool in pathological diagnosis. This study utilized 54 typical OPA whole slide images (WSI) to extract 7167 typical lesion images containing OPA to construct a Common Objects in Context (COCO) dataset for OPA pathological images. The dataset was categorized into training and test sets (8:2 ratio) for model training and validation. Mean average specificity (mASp) and average sensitivity (ASe) were used to evaluate model performance. Six WSI-level pathological images (three OPA and three non-OPA images), not included in the dataset, were used for anti-peeking model validation. A random selection of 500 images, not included in the dataset establishment, was used to compare the performance of the model with assessment by pathologists. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and concordance rate were evaluated. The model achieved a mASp of 0.573 and an ASe of 0.745, demonstrating effective lesion detection and alignment with expert annotation. In Anti-Peeking verification, the model showed good performance in locating OPA lesions and distinguished OPA from non-OPA pathological images. In the random 500-image diagnosis, the model achieved 92.8% accuracy, 100% sensitivity, and 88% specificity. The agreement rates between junior and senior pathologists were 100% and 96.5%, respectively. In conclusion, the Mask R-CNN-based OPA diagnostic model developed for OPA facilitates rapid and accurate diagnosis in practical applications.

Background: Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are a group of diseases that severely affect the physical and mental health of children. The PPP2R5D gene encodes B56δ, the regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). NDDs related to the PPP2R5D gene have recently been defined as Houge–Janssens syndrome 1. Methods: Clinical/whole exome sequencing was performed on approximately 3000 patients with NDDs from 2017 to 2023. In vitro experiments were performed to assess the impairment of variants to protein expression and the assembly of PP2A holoenzyme. The genetic information and phenotypes of the reported patients, as well as patients in this study, were summarized, and the genotype–phenotype relationship was analyzed. The probability of pathogenic missense variants in PPP2R5D was predicted using AlphaMissense (AM), and the relationship between certain phenotype and 3D protein structural features were analyzed. Results: Thirteen new patients carrying twelve PPP2R5D gene variants were detected, including five novel missense variants and one novel frameshift variant. In vitro experiments revealed that the frameshift variant p.H463Mfs*3 resulted in a ~50 kDa truncated protein with lower expression level. Except for E420K and T536R, other missense variants impaired holoenzyme assembly. Furthermore, we found that pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants that have been reported so far were all missense variants and clustered in three conserved regions, and the likelihood of P/LP mutations located in these conserved regions was extremely high. In addition, the macrocephaly phenotype was related to negatively charged residues involved in substrate recruitment. Conclusions: We reported thirteen new patients with PPP2R5D gene variants and expanded the PPP2R5D variant spectrum. We confirmed the pathogenicity of novel variants through in vitro experiments. Our findings in genotype–phenotype relationship provide inspiration for genetic counseling and interpretation of variants. We also provide directions for further research on the mechanism of macrocephaly phenotype.

Abstract Background The effect of the combination of an anti-angiogenic agent with a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor in cancer treatment is unclear. We assessed the oral combination of fuzuloparib, a PARP inhibitor, and apatinib, a VEGFR2 inhibitor for treating advanced ovarian cancer (OC) or triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Methods This dose-escalation and pharmacokinetics-expansion phase 1 trial was conducted in China. We used a standard 3 + 3 dose-escalation design, with 7 dose levels tested. Patients received fuzuloparib orally twice daily, and apatinib orally once daily. The study objectives were to determine the safety profile, recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D), pharmacokinetics, preliminary efficacy, and efficacy in relation to germline BRCA mutation (gBRCA mut). Results Fifty-two pre-treated patients were enrolled (30 OC/22 TNBC). 5 (9.6%) patients had complete response, 14 (26.9%) had partial response, and 15 (28.8%) had stable disease. Objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate were 36.5% (95% CI 23.6–51.0) and 65.4% (95% CI 50.9–78.0), respectively. At the highest dose level of fuzuloparib 100 mg plus apatinib 500 mg, the ORR was 50.0% (4/8; 95% CI 15.7–84.3); this dose was determined to be the RP2D. Patients with gBRCA mut had higher ORR and longer median progression-free survival (PFS) than those with gBRCA wt, both in OC (ORR, 62.5% [5/8] vs 40.9% [9/22]; PFS, 9.4 vs 6.7 months) and TNBC (ORR, 66.7% [2/3] vs 15.8% [3/19]; PFS, 5.6 vs 2.8 months). Two dose-limiting toxicities occurred: grade 4 febrile neutropenia (fuzuloparib 100 mg plus apatinib 250 mg) and thrombocytopenia (fuzuloparib 100 mg plus apatinib 375 mg). Maximum tolerated dose was not reached. The most common treatment-related grade ≥ 3 toxicities in all patients were hypertension (19.2%), anaemia (13.5%), and decreased platelet count (5.8%). Exposure of apatinib increased proportionally with increasing dose ranging from 250 to 500 mg, when combined with fuzuloparib 100 mg. Conclusions Fuzuloparib plus apatinib had acceptable safety in patients with advanced OC or TNBC. Fuzuloparib 100 mg bid plus apatinib 500 mg qd was established as the RP2D. With the promising clinical activity observed, this combination is warranted to be further explored as a potential alternative to chemotherapy. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03075462 (Mar. 9, 2017).

In this paper, Fe−8.5Mn−1.5Al light−weight medium Mn steel is used as the research object, and the hot compression test is conducted by Gleeble−3500 thermal simulation tester. The dynamic reversion and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) processes are analyzed according to the true stress−strain curve; the θ−σ work−hardening rate curve is plotted by P−J double differential method to analyze the influence law between work−hardening and dynamic reversion and recrystallization softening effect of the material; the DRX critical strain model is established to analyze the influence law of deformation parameters on DRX; Based on the dynamic material model theory, the hot working diagram and three−dimensional power dissipation diagram are constructed, and the best hot working area is determined by combining the microstructure of the material. Finally, based on the above research content, a systematic overview of the dynamic softening effects of DRX and dynamic recovery (DRV) will be provided.

Background: Preterm birth is the leading cause of death in children under the age of five. One of the major factors contributing to the high risk of diseases and deaths in premature infants is the incomplete development of the intestinal immune system. The gut microbiota has been widely recognized as a critical factor in promoting the development and function of the intestinal immune system after birth. However, the gut microbiota of premature infants is at high risk of dysbiosis, which is highly associated with adverse effects on the development and education of the early life immune system. Early intervention can modulate the colonization and development of gut microbiota and has a long-term influence on the development of the intestinal immune system. Aim of Review: This review aims to summarize the characterization, interconnection, and underlying mechanism of gut microbiota and intestinal innate immunity in premature infants, and to discuss the status, applicability, safety, and prospects of different intervention strategies in premature infants, thus providing an overview and outlook of the current applications and remaining gaps of early intervention strategies in premature infants. Key Scientific Concepts of Review: This review is focused on three key concepts. Firstly, the gut microbiota of premature infants is at high risk of dysbiosis, resulting in dysfunctional intestinal immune system processes. Secondly, contributing roles of early intervention have been observed in improving the intestinal environment and promoting gut microbiota colonization, which is significant in the development and function of gut immunity in premature infants. Thirdly, different strategies of early intervention, such as probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and nutrients, show different safety, applicability, and outcome in premature infants, and the underlying mechanism is complex and poorly understood.

Abstract Aim To explore the acquisition behaviours for nutrition‐related information of older adults in a long‐term care facility. Design A qualitative descriptive design was used in this study. Methods Sixteen older adults in a long‐term care facility were recruited using purposive sampling between March and May 2021. Data were collected via face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews, based on open questions regarding acquisition behaviours for nutrition‐related information and flexible question formulation, and the data were analysed using an inductive–deductive method. A health promotion model was used as a conceptual framework to regulate the refinement of themes. Results Three themes were identified in this study. The first theme discussed the individual characteristics and experiences of older adults that contributed to their acquisition behaviours for nutrition‐related information. The second theme described behaviour‐specific cognitions of and the effects on the participants regarding the influencing factors involving various internal individual elements and external physical environment. The third theme explored the positive behavioural outcomes of the participants resulting from these acquisition behaviours. Conclusion Acquisition behaviours for nutrition‐related information of older adults in long‐term care facilities were affected by both individual characteristics and external physical environment factors. Access to nutritional information can help older adults cultivate a healthy diet. Although they exhibited a significant interest in nutrition, the participants still encountered several difficulties. Based on the actual care needs of the older people, appropriate nutritional information interventions should be provided by healthcare providers working in long‐term care facilities so as to improve the ability of the older people to acquire information independently. Patient or public contribution All 16 participants actively participated in the interview process and the preliminary preparation of the article.

Abstract Introduction Eribulin is currently recommended for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) pre‐treated with taxanes and anthracyclines. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of eribulin and its impact on health‐related quality of life in heavily pre‐treated patients with MBC. Methods Data from MBC patients who had received eribulin‐based therapy at Beijing Cancer Hospital between January 2020 and July 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. Progression‐free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), adverse effects (AEs) and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) were assessed. Results Data from 118 patients who had received eribulin to treat MBC were included. Median PFS was 4.2 months and median OS had not been reached. The ORR was 13.6% (16/118) and DCR was 75.4% (89/118). The median PFS in patients who received eribulin in second‐line (26/118), third‐line (29/118), or fourth‐line or later (63/118) was 4.5, 4.2, and 3.9 months, respectively. The median OS in patients who received eribulin in third‐ or later line (n = 92) was 14.1 months. Patients who received eribulin combination therapy had a significantly longer median PFS compared with those who received eribulin monotherapy (4.5 vs. 3.4 months, p = 0.007) and there was a trend towards a longer median OS (not reached vs. 12.1 months). The most common grade 3–4 adverse events were neutropenia (22.9%), leukocytopenia (13.6%) and asthenia/fatigue (8.5%), without significant differences in safety between eribulin monotherapy and combination therapy. Quality of life was similar in patients who received eribulin monotherapy and combination therapy, except for cognitive function and nausea and vomiting symptoms, which were better with combination therapy. Conclusions The present study suggests that eribulin‐based therapy is an effective treatment option and well tolerated for heavily pre‐treated patients with MBC. Eribulin combination therapy might improve PFS and HRQoL compared with eribulin monotherapy.

Abstract Background Patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced breast cancer and primary resistance to trastuzumab have a poor clinical outcome and lack good evidence to inform clinical decision. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib plus capecitabine in this population. Methods This phase 2 trial was conducted at 16 sites in China. Patients received oral pyrotinib 400 mg once daily and capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 twice a day on days 1–14 of each 21-day cycle until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS). Results Between June 2019 and September 2021, 100 patients were enrolled with a median age of 51 years (range, 24–69). All patients had been treated with trastuzumab and 21 (21.0%) patients had prior use of pertuzumab. As of August 31, 2022, the median follow-up duration was 20.1 months (range, 1.3–38.2). The median PFS was 11.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.4–15.1), which crossed the pre-specified efficacy boundary of 8.0 months. The objective response rate was 70.0% (70/100), with a median duration of response of 13.8 months (95% CI, 10.2–19.3). The disease control rate was 87.0% (87/100). The median overall survival was not reached. The most common grade ≥ 3 treatment-emergent adverse event was diarrhea (24 [24.0%]). No treatment-related deaths occurred. Conclusions Pyrotinib plus capecitabine can be considered to be a treatment option in HER2-positive advanced breast cancer patients who have shown primary resistance to trastuzumab. Even in the era of modern anti-HER2 treatments, this clinical setting warrants more investigations to meet unmet needs. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04001621. Retrospectively registered on June 28, 2019.

Abstract Background To compare the clinical value of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) and pegylated rhG-CSF(PEG-rhG-CSF) in early-stage breast cancer (EBC) patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, compare the efficacy of PEG-rhG-CSF with different dose and explore the timing of rhG-CSF rescue treatment. Methods Patients in two PEG-rhG-CSF subgroups were given 3 mg or 6 mg PEG-rhG-CSF within 24 ~ 48 h after chemotherapy for preventing myelosuppression, while patients in the rhG-CSF group were given rhG-CSF. Observation indicators include the incidence of febrile neutropenia (FN) and grade 3/4 chemotherapy-induced-neutropenia (CIN), the overall levels and nadir values of white blood cells (WBC) and absolute neutrophil count (ANC), comparison of WBC and ANC curves over time, the incidence of CIN-related complications, the incidence of adverse events in each group and the timing of rescue treatment for rhG-CSF. Results There was no significant difference in the incidence of FN in the first cycle among the groups (P = 0.203). But the incidence of ≥ 3 grade CIN in two PEG-rhG-CSF subgroups was significantly lower than that in the rhG-CSF group (P

Abstract Aim To explore the mediating role of psychological capital between authentic leadership and innovative behaviour among Chinese nurses. Design A cross‐sectional study. Methods In December 2021, online surveys were delivered among nurses from 37 hospitals in Anhui Province by convenience sampling approach. The data was collected using the Chinese version of the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire, Nurse Psychological Capital Questionnaire and Nurse Innovative Behaviour Scale. The structural equation model and bootstrap test examined the mediating role of psychological capital between authentic leadership and innovative behaviour. Results 3495 Chinese nurses from 37 Anhui Province hospitals participated in this study. The mean item score of authentic leadership was 3.25 (SD 0.83), psychological capital was 4.85 (SD 0.89), and innovative behaviour was 2.82 (SD 0.84). Authentic leadership perceived by nurses, psychological capital, and innovative behaviour were statistically significant and positively correlated with each other (r = 0.524 ~ 0.806, p

Advanced breast cancer (ABC) that is positive for hormone receptors (HRs) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a cancer subtype with distinctive characteristics. The primary treatment guidelines suggest that a combination therapy comprising anti-HER2 therapy and chemotherapy should be administered as the initial treatment for HR-positive/ HER2-positive (HR+/HER2+) ABC. However, crosstalk between the HR and HER2 pathways can partially account for the resistance of HR+/HER2+ disease to HER2-targeted therapy. This, in turn, provides a rationale for the concomitant administration of HER2-targeted therapy and endocrine therapy (ET). Many clinical studies have confirmed that the combination of HER2-targeted therapy and ET as a first-line treatment is not inferior to the combination of HER2-targeted therapy and chemotherapy, and support its use as a first-line treatment choice for HR+/HER2+ ABC. Other drugs, such as antibody–drug conjugates, cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase–protein kinase B (AKT)–mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors, and programmed cell death protein 1 or programmed cell death ligand 1 inhibitors, may also improve the prognosis of patients with breast cancer by blocking signaling pathways associated with tumor proliferation and break new ground for the treatment of HR+/HER2+ ABC.

Xp21 DNA microdeletion syndrome is a very rare disease characterized by retinitis pigmentosa (RP), chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), and McLeod syndrome (MLS). Due to the complex and diverse clinical manifestations, early diagnosis remains a challenge for many physicians. In this study, for the purpose of determining the pathogenic gene variants and definitive diagnosis in a patient medically backgrounded with RP and CGD from a normal Chinese family, whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed in this proband and copy number variation (CNV) was further verified in other family members by qPCR. A genetic evaluation revealed that the short arm of the X chromosome in the proband had a deletion CNV Xp21.1p11.4 (37431123–38186681) of approximately 0.755 Mb in size, and contained three contiguous OMIM genes as X-linked Kx blood group antigen (XK), cytochrome b-245 beta chain (CYBB), and RP GTPase regulator (RPGR). The qPCR results confirmed the copy number loss in Xp21.1p11.4 present in the proband and his unaffected mother. According to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines for the CNV interpretation, the deletion of this segment was a pathogenic variant. Our results provided evidence that CNV deletion of Xp21.1p11.4 in the short arm of the X chromosome was a pathogenic variant in such Chinese RP and CGD family, and the McLeod phenotype was not yet available. This study suggests that genetic testing is essential for a definitive diagnosis, which should better assist physicians in prediction, diagnosis, genetic counseling, and guidance for Xp21 DNA microdeletion syndrome.

【Objective】This study aimed to explore the correlation between the content of imperatorin and the expression of the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene (AdPAL1) of Angelica dahurica cv. Yubaizhi (YBZ). In addition, AdPAL1 was cloned and expressed in prokaryotes.【Method】The content of imperatorin in the roots and leaves of YBZ during its rapid growth stage and harvest stages was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the expression of the AdPAL1 gene in the roots and leaves during the same stages was detected using real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) to observe whether there was a correlation between imperatorin content and the expression of the AdPAL1 gene. Furthermore, the AdPAL1 gene was cloned from the root of YBZ based on its transcriptome using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology, and it was expressed in Escherichia coli.【Result】During the rapid growth period of YBZ, the content of imperatorin in the roots is much higher than that in the leaves, and the expression level of AdPAL1 in the roots is also much higher than that in the leaves. Compared with the rapid growth stage, the content of imperatorin in the roots slightly decreases during the har vest stag e, and the expression level of AdPAL1 gene in the roots also decreases at the same time. These results indicate a correlation between the expression of AdPAL1 gene and the content of imperatorin. In addition, bioinformatics analysis show that the AdPAL1 gene (GenBank accession number: OQ822236) of YBZ has an open reading frame length of 1 764 bp and encods 557 amino acids. The relative molecular weight of AdPAL1 protein is 61.10 kD, and its isoelectric point is 5.92. It has a conserved domain of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (IPR005922, 1-547), which belongs to the PAL protein family and it is located in the cytoplasm and is mainly composed of α- helixes and irregular coils. AdPAL1 has the closest genetic relationship with the KpPAL2 protein in Kitagawia praeruptora, with a local sequence similarity of up to 99.28%. The relative molecular weight of the recombinant protein of AdPAL1 gene expressed in E. coli is about 84.00 kD, which is consistent with the expected protein size.【Conclusion】The correlation between the content of imperatorin in roots and leaves of YBZ and the expression of AdPAL1 gene was preliminarily determined, and the AdPAL1 gene was cloned and successfully expressed in E. coli. These results provide a reference for further research on the mechanism of AdPAL1 gene in imperatorin biosynthesis.

Entinostat plus exemestane in hormone receptor-positive (HR+) advanced breast cancer (ABC) previously showed encouraging outcomes. This multicenter phase 3 trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of entinostat plus exemestane in Chinese patients with HR + ABC that relapsed/progressed after ≥1 endocrine therapy. Patients were randomized (2:1) to oral exemestane 25 mg/day plus entinostat (n = 235) or placebo (n = 119) 5 mg/week in 28-day cycles. The primary endpoint was the independent radiographic committee (IRC)-assessed progression-free survival (PFS). The median age was 52 (range, 28–75) years and 222 (62.7%) patients were postmenopausal. CDK4/6 inhibitors and fulvestrant were previously used in 23 (6.5%) and 92 (26.0%) patients, respectively. The baseline characteristics were comparable between the entinostat and placebo groups. The median PFS was 6.32 (95% CI, 5.30–9.11) and 3.72 (95% CI, 1.91–5.49) months in the entinostat and placebo groups (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.58–0.98; P = 0.046), respectively. Grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs) occurred in 154 (65.5%) patients in the entinostat group versus 23 (19.3%) in the placebo group, and the most common grade ≥3 treatment-related AEs were neutropenia [103 (43.8%)], thrombocytopenia [20 (8.5%)], and leucopenia [15 (6.4%)]. Entinostat plus exemestane significantly improved PFS compared with exemestane, with generally manageable toxicities in HR + ABC (ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT03538171).

To enhance the formability, production efficiency and mechanical properties of Al–Mg–Si alloy, the 6063 Al alloy was extruded from as-cast, furnace-cooling and air-cooling homogenized billets and followed by online quenching, respectively. The effects of initial billet states, extrusion parameters and online quenching process on the formability, microstructure and mechanical properties of the profile were investigated. It was found that the second phases in as-cast and furnace-cooling homogenized billets not only brought no brittle crack during extrusion, but also refined the grain size. The online quenching of the 6063 Al alloy profiles with complex sections prevented the abnormal grain growth occurring in offline solid solution treatment, so as to improve production efficiency. The strengths of the profiles extruded from as-cast and air-cooling homogenized billets were equivalent. Therefore, most of 6063 Al alloy profiles could be directly extruded from as-cast billet without homogenization treatment, which improved the production efficiency. The furnace-cooling homogenized billet had the lowest flow stress, indicating lower break-through force to activate extrusion. The strength of the profile extruded from furnace-cooling homogenized billet was higher than that of air-cooling homogenized billet. Therefore, the furnace-cooling homogenized billet was recommended for the profile with complex section or higher performance requirement.

Soil salinity is a major factor threatening the production of crops around the world. Smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis L.) is a high-quality grass in northern and northwestern China. Currently, selecting and utilizing salt-tolerant genotypes is an important way to mitigate the detrimental effects of salinity on crop productivity. In our research, salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive varieties were selected from 57 accessions based on a comprehensive evaluation of 22 relevant indexes, and their salt-tolerance physiological and molecular mechanisms were further analyzed. Results showed significant differences in salt tolerance between 57 genotypes, with Q25 and Q46 considered to be the most salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive accessions, respectively, compared to other varieties. Under saline conditions, the salt-tolerant genotype Q25 not only maintained significantly higher photosynthetic performance, leaf relative water content (RWC), and proline content but also exhibited obviously lower relative conductivity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content than the salt-sensitive Q46 (p < 0.05). The transcriptome sequencing indicated 15,128 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Q46, of which 7,885 were upregulated and 7,243 downregulated, and 12,658 DEGs in Q25, of which 6,059 were upregulated and 6,599 downregulated. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that the salt response differences between Q25 and Q46 were attributed to the variable expression of genes associated with plant hormone signal transduction and MAPK signaling pathways. Furthermore, a large number of candidate genes, related to salt tolerance, were detected, which involved transcription factors (zinc finger proteins) and accumulation of compatible osmolytes (glutathione S-transferases and pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductases), etc. This study offers an important view of the physiological and molecular regulatory mechanisms of salt tolerance in two smooth bromegrass genotypes and lays the foundation for further identification of key genes linked to salt tolerance.

Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) cooperation systems, such as flocking, consensus, formation control have a wide range of applications in monitoring, mapping, and target tracking. Optimal cooperative control of such systems is particularly important to increase their working efficiency. This paper studies the optimal trajectory tracking and formation control problems for multi-UAVs with a leader-follower structure, and the distributed model predictive control (MPC) scheme based formation control method is proposed. In particular, a novel MPC strategy is firstly designed for the leader modelled by the nonlinear Newton-Euler equations, to generate a feasible tracking trajectory for the formation systems. Then, by separating the system dynamics of the followers into the translation motion and the rotation motion, a two-layer distributed MPC formation control algorithm is designed to reduce the computation and communication loads, while only requiring limited information of the neighbors’ states. Finally, simulation and comparison studies verify the effectiveness of the designed algorithms.

Abstract Background Salivary amylase, encoded by the AMY1 gene, initiate the digestion of starch. Whether starch intake or AMY1 copy number is related to disease risk is currently rather unknown. The aim was to investigate the association between starch intake and AMY1 copy number and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality and whether there is an interaction. In addition, we aim to identify CVD-related plasma proteins associated with starch intake and AMY1 copy number. Methods This prospective cohort study used data from 21,268 participants from the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study. Dietary data were collected through a modified diet history method and incident CVD and mortality were ascertained through registers. AMY1 gene copy number was determined by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction, a risk score of 10 genetic variants in AMY1 was measured, and a total of 88 selected CVD-related proteins were measured. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyze the associations of starch intake and AMY1 copy number with disease risk. Linear regression was used to identify plasma proteins associated with starch intake and AMY1 copy number. Results Over a median of 23 years’ follow-up, 4443 individuals developed CVD event and 8125 died. After adjusting for potential confounders, a U-shape association between starch intake and risk of CVD (P-nonlinearity = 0.001) and all-cause mortality (P-nonlinearity = 0.03) was observed. No significant association was found between AMY1 copy number and risk of CVD and mortality, and there were no interactions between starch intake and AMY1 copy number (P interaction > 0.23). Among the 88 plasma proteins, adrenomedullin, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein, fatty acid-binding protein, leptin, and C-C motif chemokine 20 were associated with starch intake after adjusting for multiple testing. Conclusions In this large prospective study among Swedish adults, a U-shaped association between starch intake and risk of CVD and all-cause mortality was found. Several plasma proteins were identified which might provide information on potential pathways for such association. AMY1 copy number was not associated with CVD risk or any of the plasma proteins, and there was no interaction between starch intake and AMY1 copy number on disease risk.

Abstract Background Many cytogenetic changes and gene mutations are associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) survival outcomes. CD56 is related to poor prognosis when expressed in adult AML patients. However, the prognostic value of CD56 in children with AML has rarely been reported. In this research, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of CD56 in childhood AML. Methods The present retrospective study included 145 newly diagnosed pediatric patients with de novo AML (excluding AML-M3) in two hospitals between January 2015 and April 2021. Results The total median (range) age was 75 (8–176) months, and the median follow-up time was 35 months. No significant difference in the 3-year overall survival rate was noted between the CD56-positive and CD56-negative groups (67.0% vs. 79.3%, P = 0.157) who received chemotherapy. However, among high-risk patients, the CD56-positive group had a worse overall survival rate and event-free survival rate (P

Abstract Background Strategies to improve activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are needed. Preclinical studies showed that antiangiogenic agents and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors might sensitize tumors to immunotherapy. Here, we investigated the tolerability, safety, and preliminary antitumor activity of camrelizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, in combination with apatinib, a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 inhibitor, and fuzuloparib, a PARP inhibitor, in patients with recurrent or metastatic TNBC. Methods This phase Ib study included a dose-finding part and a dose-expansion part. In the dose-finding part, a 3 + 3 dose escalation scheme was introduced. Patients were given camrelizumab (200 mg every 2 weeks) plus apatinib (375 mg or 500 mg once daily) and fuzuloparib (starting dose 100 mg twice daily) every 28-day cycle. After evaluation of the tolerability and safety of the dosing regimens, a clinical recommended dose was determined for the dose-expansion part. The primary endpoint was dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). Results A total of 32 patients were enrolled. Three patients received camrelizumab 200 mg + apatinib 375 mg + fuzuloparib 100 mg, and 29 received camrelizumab 200 mg + apatinib 500 mg + fuzuloparib 100 mg (clinical recommended dose). No DLTs were observed in either group. The most common grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events were decreased white blood cell count (20.7%), hypertension (13.8%), decreased neutrophil count (10.3%), and increased aspartate aminotransferase (10.3%). Two patients discontinued study treatment due to immune-mediated hepatitis (n = 1) and anemia, decreased platelet count, decreased white blood cell count, increased alanine aminotransferase, increased aspartate aminotransferase, and increased γ-glutamyltransferase (n = 1). One patient died of unknown cause. Two (6.9% [95% CI, 0.9–22.8]) of 29 patients with camrelizumab 200 mg + apatinib 500 mg + fuzuloparib 100 mg had objective response. The disease control rate was 62.1% (95% CI, 42.3–79.3). The median progression-free survival was 5.2 months (95% CI, 3.6–7.3), and the 12-month overall survival rate was 64.2% (95% CI, 19.0–88.8). Conclusions Combination of camrelizumab plus apatinib and fuzuloparib showed manageable safety profile and preliminary antitumor activity in patients with recurrent or metastatic TNBC. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03945604 (May 10, 2019).

Lung adenocarcinoma, which is the second most prevalent cancer in the world, has a poor prognosis and a low 5-year survival rate. The MS4A protein family is crucial to disease development and progression, particularly for cancers, allergies, metabolic disorders, autoimmune diseases, infections, and neurodegenerative disorders. However, its involvement in lung adenocarcinoma remains unclear. In this study, we found that 11 MS4A family genes were upregulated or downregulated in lung adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, we described the genetic variation landscape of the MS4A family in lung adenocarcinoma. Notably, through functional enrichment analysis, we discovered that the MS4A family is involved in the immune response regulatory signaling pathway and the immune response regulatory cell surface receptor signaling pathway. According to the Kaplan–Meier curve, patients with lung adenocarcinoma having poor expression of MS4A2, MS4A7, MS4A14, and MS4A15 had a low overall survival rate. These four prognostic genes are substantially associated with immune-infiltrating cells, and a prognosis model incorporating them may more accurately predict the overall survival rate of patients with lung adenocarcinoma than current models. The findings of this study may offer creative suggestions and recommendations for the identification and management of lung adenocarcinoma.

The papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus, is an invasive pest species found all over the world. It is native to Mexico and Central America, but is now present in more than 50 countries and regions, seriously threatening the economic viability of the agricultural and forestry industry. In the current study, the global potential distribution of P. marginatus was predicted under current and future climatic conditions using MaxEnt. The results of the model assessment indicated that the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic ( ROC-AUC) was 0.949, while the TSS value was 0.820. The results also showed that the three variables with the greatest impact on the model were min temperature of coldest month (bio6), precipitation of wettest month (bio13), and precipitation of coldest quarter (bio19), with corresponding contributions of 46.8%, 31.1%, and 13.1%, respectively. The results indicated that the highly suitable areas were mainly located in tropical and subtropical regions, including South America, southern North America, Central America, Central Africa, Australia, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. Under four climate scenarios in the 2050s and 2070s, the area of suitability will change very little. Moreover, the results showed that the area of suitable areas in 2070s increased under all four climate scenarios compared to the current climate. In contrast, the area of suitable habitat increases from the current to the 2050s under the SSP370 and SSP585 climate scenarios. The current study could provide a reference framework for the future control and management of papaya mealybug and other invasive species.

This study aimed to examine the prognostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and other clinicopathological features in HER2+ MBC patients who received first-line anti-HER2 therapy. A total of 129 patients were assigned to NLR-low and NLR-high groups based on a cutoff value of 3.0 at baseline. Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and gene mutations in circulating tumor DNA were analyzed by flow cytometry and Next-generation sequencing, respectively. Survival was evaluated by the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression analysis. Of the 129 patients, 77 and 52 were assigned to the NLR-low (≤3) and NLR-high (>3) groups, respectively. Compared with NLR-high patients, the NLR-low patients had significantly longer median progression-free survival (PFS) (11.7 vs. 7.7 months) (p = 0.001, HR = 2.703 95% CI 1.543–4.736 and overall survival (OS) (37.4 vs. 28.7 months) (p = 0.044, HR = 2.254 95% CI 1.024–4.924). Furthermore, this association was independent of metastatic sites or estrogen receptor status. Peripheral blood CD3+ (p = 0.034) and CD4+ (p = 0.010) T cell numbers were significantly higher in the NLR-low group than the NLR-high group. The mutational profile of MBC was generally similar between the two groups. Baseline NLR was a prognostic factor of PFS and OS for patients with HER2+ MBC in the first-line setting. These results may facilitate the selection of patients who will benefit most from anti-HER2 treatment.

Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) and cardiovascular disease share many important risk factors, but some associations differ. However, there are no studies that have compared their shared and specific risk factors. The present study aimed to compare risk factors for PD, coronary events, or ischemic stroke. We prospectively analyzed data from 26,210 participants with lifestyle factors aged 45–73 years enrolled between 1991 and 1996. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of PD, coronary events, or ischemic stroke in relation to each factor. A modified Lunn-McNeil competing risk analysis was performed to compare the HR strength of the three outcomes. A total of 486 incident PD cases, 3288 coronary events cases and 2,972 ischemic stroke cases occurred during a mean follow-up of 21 years. In multivariable models, age (per additional year: HR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.09), diabetes (HR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.02, 2.26), neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (per SD increase: HR = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.19), and fasting blood glucose (per SD increase: HR = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.36) are the risk factors for PD, whereas female sex (HR = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.43, 0.67), smoking (current smoker [HR = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.43, 0.74] and former smoker [HR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.99]), HDL (per SD increase: HR = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.57, 0.95), and LDL (per SD increase: HR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.61, 0.96) are the protective factors. A comparison of risk factors for PD, coronary events, and ischemic stroke showed the three outcomes had concordant and discordant risk factors. Our results indicated the risk factor profiles for PD, coronary events, or ischemic stroke had many similarities, but also significant differences.

Abstract Self‐triggered control strategy has been widely applied in cyber–physical systems, which are unavoidable to suffer various malicious cyber‐attacks. This paper is aimed at solving the cyber security problem of self‐triggered model predictive control in cyber–physical systems under false data injection attack, and a resilient control strategy is proposed based on control signal reconstruction. Firstly, the continuous control signal is discretely sampled at the controller side, and the key data samples are determined and protected. Then, the discretised control samples are transmitted through the network channel, based on which the control signal is reconstructed at the controlled system side according to a preset mode. It is further theoretically proved that the control signals reconstructed from the critical control samples can guarantee the feasibility and stability of the control system against the FDI attacks. Finally, a simulation verification on a robot system is conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Al–Li alloy usually has quenching sensitivity, affecting the mechanical properties of its forming components. This paper investigated the effects of extrusion parameter and quenching cooling rate on precipitation of quench-induced phases, aging phases and quenching sensitivity of extruded 2196 Al–Li alloy profiles. The results showed that a band structure constituted by coarse quench-induced phases including T1 (Al2CuLi) and fine aging phases including σ (Al5Cu6Mg2), θ' (Al2Cu) and T1 was formed as the quenching cooling rate was lower than that of air-quenched. With the increase of quenching cooling rate, the precipitation of quench-induced T1 phases was suppressed, and the size and density of other quench-induced phases, the width of precipitation free zone as well as the quenching sensitivity were significantly reduced. The grains of the profiles in extrusion and solution state both exhibited a fibrous structure, with a strong //ED and //ED orientation. The profile extruded at 370 °C × 1.5 mm/s exhibited abnormal coarse grains and gained a higher proportion of recrystallization after solution. The higher proportion of recrystallization and high angle grain boundaries would increase the hardness quenching sensitivity of 2196 Al–Li alloy. By comparison, extrusion parameters have a stronger impact on the strength quenching sensitivity than on the hardness quenching sensitivity. The effect of extrusion parameters on quenching sensitivity was less than that of quenching cooling rate. The elongation of the profiles increased with the decrease of quenching cooling rate at low extrusion temperature or speed, while it exhibited an opposite trend at high extrusion temperature or speed.

Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) is an invasive wood borer pest that has caused considerable damage to forests. Gut bacteria are of great importance in the biology and ecology of herbivores, especially in growth and adaptation; however, change in the gut bacterial community of this pest feeding on different hosts is largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the gut bacterial communities of A. glabripennis larvae fed on different preferred hosts, Salix matsudana and Ulmus pumila, using 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing technology. A total of 15 phyla, 25 classes, 65 orders, 114 families, 188 genera, and 170 species were annotated in the gut of A. glabripennis larvae fed on S. matsudana or U. pumila using a 97% similarity cutoff level. The dominant phyla were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria and the core dominant genera were Enterococcus, Gibbsiella, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, and Klebsiella. There was significantly higher alpha diversity in the U. pumila group than in the S. matsudana group, and principal co-ordinate analysis showed significant differences in gut bacterial communities between the two groups. The genera with significant abundance differences between the two groups were Gibbsiella, Enterobacter, Leuconostoc, Rhodobacter, TM7a, norank, Rhodobacter, and Aurantisolimonas, indicating that the abundance of larval gut bacteria was affected by feeding on different hosts. Further network diagrams showed that the complexity of the network structure and the modularity were higher in the U. pumila group than in the S. matsudana group, suggesting more diverse gut bacteria in the U. pumila group. The dominant role of most gut microbiota was related to fermentation and chemoheterotrophy, and specific OTUs positively correlated with different functions were reported. Our study provides an essential resource for the gut bacteria functional study of A. glabripennis associated with host diet.

ObjectivesThis study evaluated the efficacy and safety of apatinib (an oral small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting VEGFR-2) 250 mg combined with chemotherapy in patients with pretreated metastatic breast cancer in a real-world setting.Patients and methodsA database of patients with advanced breast cancer who received apatinib between December 2016 and December 2019 in our institution was reviewed, and patients who received apatinib combined with chemotherapy were included. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), the objective response rate (ORR), the disease control rate (DCR), and treatment-related toxicity were analyzed.ResultsIn total, 52 evaluated patients with metastatic breast cancer previously exposed to anthracyclines or taxanes who received apatinib 250 mg combined with chemotherapy were enrolled in this study. Median PFS and OS were 4.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.2–6.4) and 15.4 months (95% CI = 9.2–21.6), respectively. The ORR and DCR were 25% and 86.5%, respectively. Median PFS for the previous line of treatment was 2.1 months (95% CI = 0.65–3.6), which was significantly shorter than that for the apatinib–chemotherapy combination (p < 0.001). No significant difference was identified in the ORR and PFS among the subgroups(subtypes, target lesion, combined regimens and treatment lines). The common toxicities related to apatinib were hypertension, hand-foot syndrome, proteinuria, and fatigue events.ConclusionApatinib 250 mg combined with chemotherapy provided favorable efficacy in patients with pretreated metastatic breast cancer regardless of molecular types and treatment lines. The toxicities of the regimen were well tolerated and manageable. This regimen could be a potential treatment option in patients with refractory pretreated metastatic breast cancers.

BackgroundPoor outcomes have been widely reported for younger vs. older breast cancer patients, but whether this is due to age itself or the enrichment of aggressive clinical features remains controversial. We have evaluated the clinicopathologic characteristics and genomic profiles of real-world hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/HER2-negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients to examine the determinants of outcome for younger vs. older patients in a single clinical subtype undergoing treatment in the same clinic.Patients and methodsThis study included patients presenting at the Peking University Cancer Hospital with primary stage IV or first-line metastatic HR+/HER2- breast cancer who consented to an additional blood draw for genomic profiling prior to treatment. Plasma samples were analyzed with a targeted 152-gene NGS panel to assess somatic circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) alterations. Genomic DNA (gDNA) extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells was analyzed for germline variants using a targeted 600-gene NGS panel. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to analyze disease free survival (DFS), progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in association with clinicopathologic and genomic variables.ResultsSixty-three patients presenting with HR+/HER2- MBC were enrolled in this study. Fourteen patients were < 40 years, 19 were 40-50 years, and 30 were > 50 years at the time of primary cancer diagnosis. No significant associations were observed between age and DFS, PFS or OS. Shorter OS was associated with de novo Stage IV disease (p = 0.002), Luminal B subtype (p = 0.006), high Ki67 index (p = 0.036), resistance to adjuvant endocrine therapy (p = 0.0001) and clinical stage (p = 0.015). Reduced OS was also observed in association with somatic alterations in FGFR1 (p = 0.008), CCND2 (p = 0.012), RB1 (p = 0.029) or TP53 (p = 0.029) genes, but not in association with germline variants.ConclusionIn this group of real-world HR+/HER2- MBC breast cancer patients younger age was not associated with poor outcomes. While current guidelines recommend treatment decisions based on tumor biology rather than age, young HR+ breast cancer patients are more likely to receive chemotherapy. Our findings support the development of biomarker-driven treatment strategies for these patients.

The storage mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, found worldwide in many habitats, is an important pest of edible mushrooms. Excessive chemical spraying for pest control has been linked to environmental pollution, health risks, insecticide resistance development, and food safety. Host resistance can be sustainable and cost-effective and provide effective and economical pest control. Previous studies have reported that the oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus has evolved effective defense mechanisms against T. putrescentiae attack, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we report that a lectin gene from P. ostreatus mycelia, Polec2, induced fungal resistance to mite grazing. Polec2 belongs to a galectin-like lectin classification, encoding a protein with β-sandwith-fold domain. Overexpression of Polec2 in P. ostreatus led to activation of the reactive oxygen species (ROS)/mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathway, salicylic acid (SA), and jasmonate (JA) biosynthesis. The activation resulted in bursts of antioxidant activities of catalases (CAT), peroxidases (POD), superoxide dismutases (SOD), and increased production of SA, JA, jasmonic acid-isoleucine (JA-Ile) and jasmonic acid methyl ester (MeJA), accompanied by reduced T. putrescentiae feeding and suppressed its population. We also provide an overview of the phylogenetic distribution of lectins across 22 fungal genomes. Our findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms of P. ostreatus’ defense against the mite predator and will be useful in investigating the molecular basis of fungi-fungivory interactions and gene mining for pest-resistance genes.