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Objective: To explore the relation between procrastination and physical activity in college students and test whether grit mediated, age and gender moderated the process. Participants: 610 college students (aged 20.07 ± 1.53; 45.2% males) in Shanghai. Methods: Procrastination, grit and physical activity were tested respectively by International Procrastination Scale, Grit-S scale and International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results: Correlation analysis showed that procrastination, grit and physical activity were related in pairs. Procrastination was negatively correlated with physical activity. Grit mediated between procrastination and physical activity. Females showed stronger moderation effect from grit to physical activity than males, while the effect between procrastination and grit was more significant for the younger. Conclusion: The moderated mediating model provided a new strategy of improving personality traits which contributed to lack of physical activity. More psychologically relevant measures should be taken in reducing procrastination to improve physical activity via improving grit.

Abstract Background Obesity and the forkhead box O1(FOXO1) affect the survival of breast cancer patients, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the role of FOXO1 in obesity-associated-breast cancer. Methods We screened 383 breast disease patients from the first affiliated hospital with Nanjing Medical University in 2020. We performed wound healing, transwell, matrigel assays to assess the metastatic ability of cancer cells. We adopted mRNAs sequencing to select the differentially expressed transcripts in breast cancer. We applied immunohistochemistry, western blot, tissue microarrays to assess the level of FOXO1 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathways. We conducted bioinformatic analysis to investigate interactions between FOXO1 and miR-135b. We used fluorescence in situ hybridization, RT-qPCR to confirm the characteristics of circCNIH4. We conducted luciferase reporter assay, rescue experiments to investigate interactions between circCNIH4 and miR-135b. Results Obesity was positively correlated with the incidence and progression of breast cancer. Adipocytes enhanced the migration of breast cancer and attenuated the effects of FOXO1. MiR-135b was a binding gene of FOXO1 and was regulated by circCNIH4. CircCNIH4 exhibited antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion Adipocytes might accelerate the progression of breast cancer by modulating FOXO1/miR-135b/ circCNIH4 /EMT axis and regulating copper homeostasis.

Abstract Dual inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathways offers the prospect of improving the effectiveness of EFGR-targeted therapy. In this phase 3 study (ClinicalTrial.gov: NCT04028778), 315 patients with treatment-naïve, EGFR-mutated, advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were randomized (1:1) to receive anlotinib or placebo plus gefitinib once daily on days 1–14 per a 3-week cycle. At the prespecified final analysis of progression-free survival (PFS), a significant improvement in PFS was observed for the anlotinib arm over the placebo arm (hazards ratio [HR] = 0.64, 95% CI, 0.48–0.80, P = 0.003). Particularly, patients with brain metastasis and those harboring EGFR amplification or high tumor mutation load gained significant more benefits in PFS from gefitinib plus anlotinib. The incidence of grade 3 or higher treatment-emergent adverse events was 49.7% of the patients receiving gefitinib plus anlotinib versus 31.0% of the patients receiving gefitinib plus placebo. Anlotinib plus gefitinib significantly improves PFS in patients with treatment-naïve, EGFR-mutated, advanced NSCLC, with a manageable safety profile.

Abstract Laminectomy is one of the most common posterior spinal operations. Since the lamina is adjacent to important tissues such as nerves, once damaged, it can cause serious complications and even lead to paralysis. In order to prevent the above injuries and complications, ultrasonic bone scalpel and surgical robots have been introduced into spinal laminectomy, and many scholars have studied the recognition method of the bone tissue status. Currently, almost all methods to achieve recognition of bone tissue are based on sensor signals collected by high‐precision sensors installed at the end of surgical robots. However, the previous methods could not accurately identify the state of spinal bone tissue. Innovatively, the identification of bone tissue status was regarded as a time series classification task, and the classification algorithm LSTM‐FCN was used to process fusion signals composed of force and cutting depth signals, thus achieving an accurate classification of the lamina bone tissue status. In addition, it was verified that the accuracy of the proposed method could reach 98.85% in identifying the state of porcine spinal laminectomy. And the maximum penetration distance can be controlled within 0.6 mm, which is safe and can be used in practice.

Abstract Background Disruptions in intracellular pH (pHi) homeostasis, causing deviations from the physiological range, can damage renal epithelial cells. However, the existence of an adaptive mechanism to restore pHi to normalcy remains unclear. Early research identified H+ as a critical mediator of ischemic preconditioning (IPC), leading to the concept of acidic preconditioning (AP). This concept proposes that short-term, repetitive acidic stimulation can enhance a cell’s capacity to withstand subsequent adverse stress. While AP has demonstrated protective effects in various ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury models, its application in kidney injury remains largely unexplored. Methods An AP model was established in human kidney (HK2) cells by treating them with an acidic medium for 12 h, followed by a recovery period with a normal medium for 6 h. To induce hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury, HK2 cells were subjected to hypoxia for 24 h and reoxygenation for 1 h. In vivo, a mouse model of IPC was established by clamping the bilateral renal pedicles for 15 min, followed by reperfusion for 4 days. Conversely, the I/R model involved clamping the bilateral renal pedicles for 35 min and reperfusion for 24 h. Western blotting was employed to evaluate the expression levels of cleaved caspase 3, cleaved caspase 9, NHE1, KIM1, FAK, and NOX4. A pH-sensitive fluorescent probe was used to measure pHi, while a Hemin/CNF microelectrode monitored kidney tissue pH. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to visualize the localization of NHE1, NOX4, and FAK, along with the actin cytoskeleton structure in HK2 cells. Cell adhesion and scratch assays were conducted to assess cell motility. Results Our findings demonstrated that AP could effectively mitigate H/R injury in HK2 cells. This protective effect and the maintenance of pHi homeostasis by AP involved the upregulation of Na+/H+ exchanger 1 (NHE1) expression and activity. The activity of NHE1 was regulated by dynamic changes in pHi-dependent phosphorylation of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) at Y397. This process was associated with NOX4-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Furthermore, AP induced the co-localization of FAK, NOX4, and NHE1 in focal adhesions, promoting cytoskeletal remodeling and enhancing cell adhesion and migration capabilities. Conclusions This study provides compelling evidence that AP maintains pHi homeostasis and promotes cytoskeletal remodeling through FAK/NOX4/NHE1 signaling. This signaling pathway ultimately contributes to alleviated H/R injury in HK2 cells.

Abstract Background Estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR) is a novel, clinically available, and cost-effective surrogate of insulin resistance. The current study aimed to assess the association between eGDR and prevalent heart failure (HF), and further evaluate the value of eGDR in detecting prevalent HF in a general population. Methods 25,450 subjects from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2018 were included. HF was recorded according to the subjects’ reports. Logistic regression was employed to analyze the association between eGDR and HF, the results were summarized as Per standard deviation (SD) change. Then, subgroup analysis tested whether the main result from logistic regression was robust in several conventional subpopulations. Finally, receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) and reclassification analysis were utilized to evaluate the potential value of eGDR in improving the detection of prevalent HF. Results The prevalence of reported HF was 2.96% (753 subjects). After adjusting demographic, laboratory, anthropometric, and medical history data, each SD increment of eGDR could result in a 43.3% (P 0.05). Additionally, ROC analysis displayed a significant improvement in the detection of prevalent HF (0.869 vs. 0.873, P = 0.008); reclassification analysis also confirmed the improvement from eGDR (All P

Abstract The increasing prevalence of myopia worldwide presents a significant public health challenge. A key strategy to combat myopia is with early detection and prediction in children as such examination allows for effective intervention using readily accessible imaging technique. To this end, we introduced DeepMyopia, an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled decision support system to detect and predict myopia onset and facilitate targeted interventions for children at risk using routine retinal fundus images. Based on deep learning architecture, DeepMyopia had been trained and internally validated on a large cohort of retinal fundus images (n = 1,638,315) and then externally tested on datasets from seven sites in China (n = 22,060). Our results demonstrated robustness of DeepMyopia, with AUCs of 0.908, 0.813, and 0.810 for 1-, 2-, and 3-year myopia onset prediction with the internal test set, and AUCs of 0.796, 0.808, and 0.767 with the external test set. DeepMyopia also effectively stratified children into low- and high-risk groups (p

Abstract Aims Both hypercapnia and hypocapnia are common in patients with acute heart failure (AHF), but the association between partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) and AHF prognosis remains unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the connection between PaCO2 within 24 h after admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and mortality during hospitalization and at 1 year in AHF patients. Methods and results AHF patients were enrolled from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV database. The patients were divided into three groups by PaCO2 values of 45 mmHg. The primary outcome was to investigate the connection between PaCO2 and in‐hospital mortality and 1 year mortality in AHF patients. The secondary outcome was to assess the prediction value of PaCO2 in predicting in‐hospital mortality and 1 year mortality in AHF patients. A total of 2374 patients were included in this study, including 457 patients in the PaCO2 45 mmHg group. The in‐hospital mortality was 19.5%, and the 1 year mortality was 23.9% in the PaCO2 45 mmHg group was associated with an increased risk of in‐hospital mortality (HR 1.387, 95% CI 1.050–1.832, P = 0.021); the 1 year mortality showed no significant difference (HR 1.286, 95% CI 0.995–1.662, P = 0.055) compared with the PaCO2 = 35–45 mmHg group. The Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed that the PaCO2

This work elucidates the interactions between Re and hydrogen at γ/γ′ interfaces, enhancing the hydrogen-embrittlement resistance of nickel-based single-crystal superalloy (Ni-SX). The H-charged Ni-SX exhibits severe embrittlement characterized by the appearance of parallel dislocation slip bands and micro-cracks, which could be effectively mitigated through improving the Re content. The segregation behaviors of hydrogen at γ/γ′ interfaces, as captured by hydrogen microprint technique, significantly diminish interfacial cohesion strength by reducing the local atomic bonding strength. Detailed characterizations of bonding charge density highlight that Re plays a crucial role in reducing hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility by suppressing the hydrogen-induced degradation of bonding strength.

Objective To explore the influence of different bone quality around the implant on the implantation accuracy, the computer-aided design of implant guide plate was used for patients with poor bone quality to evaluate its accuracy. Methods Retrospective analysis of relevant clinical data from 29 single-tooth implant patients with relatively poor bone quality meeting inclusion criteria was conducted. Using 3Shape Implant Studio software, implant plans were designed and fully guided digital templates were fabricated before surgery. Implantation was guided by the templates throughout, with torque and ISQ values recorded to evaluate the initial stability of the implant. Postoperative implant positions were reconstructed using CBCT images, and the three-dimensional deviation of implant placement was evaluated in conjunction with the preoperative design. Bone quality around the implants was also recorded and analyzed before and after surgery. Results In this study, digital guide plates were used in patients with poor bone quality, and the initial stability of implants was ≥ 20 N·cm except for three cases. In cases of poor bone quality, the accuracy of the fully guided digital templates was as follows: cervix deviation (0.94±0.59)mm, apex deviation (1.40±0.81)mm and angle deviation 4.10°±2.99°. Bone quality had a greater impact on angle deviation (P

In this paper, we study the following Kirchhoff-type equation:$ \begin{equation*} M\left(\displaystyle{\int}_{\mathbb{R}^2}(|\nabla u|^2 +u^2)\mathrm{d} x\right)(-\Delta u+u) + \mu V(x)u = K(x) f(u) \ \ \mathrm{in} \ \ \mathbb{R}^2, \end{equation*} $where $ M \in C(\mathbb{R}^+, \mathbb{R}^+) $ is a general function, $ V \geq 0 $ and its zero set may have several disjoint connected components, $ \mu > 0 $ is a parameter, $ K $ is permitted to be unbounded above, and $ f $ has exponential critical growth. By using the truncation technique and developing some approaches to deal with Kirchhoff-type equations with critical growth in the whole space, we get the existence and concentration behavior of solutions. The results are new even for the case $ M \equiv 1 $.

Abstract Financial restatements significantly measure financial reporting quality, introducing uncertainty, undermining trust, and triggering adverse reactions in financial markets. This paper examines how the supply of tax information affects financial restatements. The literature lacks compelling evidence about the relationship between tax information and financial restatements. From one perspective, enhancing the transparency of corporate tax information can diminish the occurrence of financial restatements. From another perspective, increasing the accessibility of tax information could lead to increased financial restatements. We reconcile these competing associations, exploiting a natural experiment induced by the rollout of Taxation Administration Information System III (CTAIS-3) in China. Using a difference-in-difference approach, we find that firms in areas implementing CTAIS-3 experience a significant decrease in financial restatements. Our results remain robust across various indicators of financial reporting quality. Furthermore, we demonstrate that information asymmetry is a driving factor behind our results, emphasizing the government’s proactive role in enhancing the quality of corporate financial disclosure.

OBJECTIVES: Fewer women have aortic dissection (AD) than men. This study was aimed to explore the clinical characteristics of AD in Chinese women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical manifestations, treatment methods, and prognosis of AD patients treated in the First Hospital of China Medical University from January 2010 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 931 patients (240 female patients) were included in the study. The mean age was 53.48 ± 12.66 years. There was a smaller body mass index in female patients compared with male patients (25.23 ± 3.79 vs. 26.32 ± 4.04, P < 0.001). The percentages of women who reported regular cigarette and alcohol consumption were lower than those of men (8.7% vs. 36.3% and 7.2% vs. 22.1%, respectively, P < 0.001 for both). In terms of computed tomography (CT) imaging, the proportion of women with Type III arches was lower (11.3% vs. 26.0%, P < 0.001). The degree of AD tear in female patients was more limited than that in male patients. about 24.6% of female patients had AD in the superior arch branch, whereas 48.9% of male patients had AD in the iliac artery. Descending aortic branch involvement was less common in female patients (60.4% vs. 40.3%, P < 0.001), whereas AD occurred more frequently in the coeliac trunk in male patients (28.1% vs. 20.0%, P = 0.014). The level of false lumen thrombosis was higher in female patients compared with male patients at all levels of the aorta (P < 0.001). In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in female patients with Type A AD than that in male patients (11.2% vs. 4.0%, P = 0.014), whereas stroke and myocardial ischemia were more common in female patients (8.8% vs. 4.6%, P = 0.018; 13.8% vs. 8.5%, P = 0.02). The all-cause and aorto-related mortality was lower in female patients (9.8% vs. 13.7%, P = 0.195; 5.8% vs. 11.4%, P = 0.034). However, there was no significant difference in the long-term survival rates between male and female patients (P = 0.762). Cox regression analysis showed that hypertension, smoking, alcohol consumption, advanced age, and degree of AD tear were the risk factors affecting the long-term survival rate, whereas the false lumen thrombosis was the protective factor. CONCLUSION: Female patients had more stable clinical manifestations and slighter imaging changes in contrast-enhanced CT. Gender only had a certain impact on perioperative mortality but had no impact on long-term survival. These important clinical features and prognoses should be considered to improve clinical outcomes in female patients.

Abstract The primary aim of this investigation was to leverage radiomics features derived from contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans to devise a predictive model to discern the benign and malignant nature of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs). Radiomic signatures were meticulously crafted to delineate benign from malignant IPMNs by extracting pertinent features from contrast-enhanced CT images within a designated training cohort (n = 84). Subsequent validation was conducted with data from an independent test cohort (n = 37). The discriminative ability of the model was quantitatively evaluated through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, with the integration of carefully selected clinical features to improve the comparative analysis. Arterial-phase images were utilized to construct a model comprising 8 features for distinguishing between benign and malignant cases. The model achieved an accuracy of 0.891 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.816–0.996] in the cross-validation set and 0.553 (95% CI 0.360–0.745) in the test set. Conversely, employing 9 features from the venous-phase resulted in a model with a cross-validation accuracy of 0.862 (95%CI 0.777–0.946) and a test set accuracy of 0.801 (95% CI 0.653–0.950).Integrating the identified clinical features with imaging features yielded a model with a cross-validation accuracy of 0.934 (95% CI 0.879–0.990) and a test set accuracy of 0.904 (95% CI 0.808–0.999), thereby further improving its discriminatory ability. Our findings distinctly illustrate that venous-phase radiomics features eclipse arterial-phase radiomic features in terms of predictive accuracy regarding the nature of IPMNs. Furthermore, the synthesis and meticulous screening of clinical features with radiomic data significantly increased the diagnostic efficacy of our model, underscoring the pivotal importance of a comprehensive and integrated approach for accurate risk stratification in IPMN management.

Abstract Background Accumulating evidence suggests that intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a stem cell-based disease, but information on the biology of cancer stem cells (CSC) in ICC is very limited. Methods ICC RNA-seq cohorts from three different public databases were integrated and the protein-coding genes were divided into different modules using "WGCNA" to screen the most relevant modules with CSC scores. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression were introduced to construct prognostic classification models. In addition, the extent of immune cell infiltration in patients in different risk groups was assessed based on the ESTIMATE, CIBERSORT, MCP-Counter, and single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithms. Finally, the correlation between different risk scores and common drugs was analyzed by pRRophetic package and Spearman method. Results In the present study, we found that a high CSC score was associated with a poorer prognosis in patients with ICC. The yellow module obtained by WGCNA was significantly positively correlated with the CSCs score, in which 8 genes were served to build a prognostic classification model, and the obtained risk score was negatively correlated with CSCs score and prognosis. The low-risk score was more suitable for immunotherapy, and the high-risk score was more suitable for treatment with 11 antitumor drugs. Conclusion This study revealed the regulatory role of CSC-mediated EMT, angiogenesis, and immunomodulatory biological processes in ICC, and applied a prognostic classification model to highlight the great potential of CSC for personalized risk assessment, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy intervention in ICC individuals.

Abstract The geodynamic processes that formed Earth’s earliest continents are intensely debated. Particularly, the transformation from ancient crustal nuclei into mature Archaean cratons is unclear, primarily owing to the paucity of well-preserved Eoarchaean–Palaeoarchaean ‘protocrust’. Here, we report a newly identified Palaeoarchaean continental fragment—the Baishanhu nucleus—in northeastern North China Craton. U–Pb geochronology shows that this nucleus preserves five major magmatic events during 3.6–2.5 Ga. Geochemistry and zircon Lu–Hf isotopes reveal ancient 4.2–3.8 Ga mantle extraction ages, as well as later intraplate crustal reworking. Crustal architecture and zircon Hf–O isotopes indicate that proto-North China first formed in a stagnant/squishy lid geodynamic regime characterised by plume-related magmatic underplating. Such cratonic growth and maturation were prerequisites for the emergence of plate tectonics. Finally, these data suggest that North China was part of the Sclavia supercraton and that the Archaean onset of subduction occurred asynchronously worldwide.

Abstract The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a valuable genetic resource pool, and the high-altitude adaptation of Tibetan pigs is a classic example of the adaptive evolution of domestic animals. Here, we report the presence of Darwinian positive selection signatures in Tibetan pigs (TBPs) using 348 genome-wide datasets (127 whole-genome sequence datasets (WGSs) and 221 whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip datasets). We characterized a high-confidence list of genetic signatures related response to high-altitude adaptation in Tibetan pigs, including 4,598 candidate SNPs and 131 candidate genes. Functional annotation and enrichment analysis revealed that 131 candidate genes are related to multiple systems and organs in Tibetan pigs. Notably, eight of the top ten novel genes, RALB, NBEA, LIFR, CLEC17A, PRIM2, CDH7, GK5 and FAM83B, were highlighted and associated with improved adaptive heart functions in Tibetan pigs high-altitude adaptation. Moreover, genome-wide association analysis revealed that 29 SNPs were involved in 13 candidate genes associated with at least one adaptive trait. In particular, among the top ten candidate genes, CLEC17A is related to a reduction in hemoglobin (HGB) in Tibetan pigs. Overall, our study provides a robust SNP/gene list involving genetic adaptation for Tibetan pig high-altitude adaptation, and it will be a valuable resource for future Tibetan pig studies.

Highlights The methods of preparing metal–organic framework (MOF)-based photodetectors and various types of MOFs are introduced. The applications of MOF photodetectors in the detection of X-ray, ultraviolet, and infrared radiation, biosensing, and circularly polarized light detection are summarized. Challenges in developing practical MOF photodetector and concepts to solve those critical challenges are discussed.

Titanium alloy is an important structural material with many advantages of high strength, excellent corrosion resistance, good biocompatibility, and good processing performance, which has been widely used in aerospace, medical devices, automobile manufacturing and various other fields. However, the presence of hydrogen in titanium alloys can lead to hydrogen embrittlement, which degrades the mechanical properties. Due to its high ionization energy, high reactivity, and high diffusivity, quantitative analysis of hydrogen in metal or alloy materials faces enormous challenge. Accurately and quickly detecting the hydrogen content in titanium alloys is of great significance for optimizing material design and controlling product quality. Traditional methods for determining the hydrogen in titanium alloys require complicated sample pretreatment, which greatly prolong the analysis time. The self-built high irradiance laser ablation and ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LAI-TOF MS) has many advantages such as high sensitivity, high resolution, multi-element simultaneous detection, and simple sample pretreatment. It introduces helium into the ion source as a buffer gas to cool the high kinetic energy ions and reduce the multi-charged ion interferences, and has been successfully applied to the determination of metallic and nonmetallic elements in solid samples. In this study, a direct quantitative analysis method of LAI-TOF MS was established for detecting hydrogen in titanium alloys. The calibration curve of intensities and contents for hydrogen has a correlation coefficient of 0.991 3, the limit of detection (LOD) is calculated to be 0.000 4%, and the atomization and ionization efficiency of hydrogen can reach 13.4%. This method was applied to the analysis of hydrogen in other titanium alloy samples. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of hydrogen signals are less than 14%. The relative errors of the quantitative results are less than 5% compared with values obtained by the pulsed heating-infrared method. The analysis time for a single titanium alloy sample is only a few minutes, significantly shorter than the 2-4 h required for the pulsed heating-infrared method. The spectrum obtained by LAI-TOF MS enables qualitative and semi-quantitative determination of trace elements of Be, C, Al, Si, P, Ca, Cr, Fe, Zr, Mo, Pd, In and Sn in the titanium alloy samples. Considering the advantages of less sample preparation, simplicity, rapidness, and high sensitivity, the method based on LAI-TOF MS can be used to the directly quantitative analysis of hydrogen in titanium alloys and can be further extended to the quantitative analysis of hydrogen in other materials, such as hydrogen storage materials, metal materials, ceramic materials and other related materials.

High entropy alloy (HEA) coatings of Fe0.5CoCrNi1.5Nb0.68Mo0.3 was prepared on 304 stainless steel using laser cladding and subsequently remelted multiple times. The effects of multiple thermal cycles on the phase composition, grain size, microstructure evolution, and corrosion resistance of the coatings are thoroughly investigated. The original coating consisted of face-centered cubic (FCC), Laves, and NbC phases, and the phase composition does not change obviously, but the distribution and microstructure of the phase change significantly after multiple remelting. As the number of remelting times increased, the bar-like eutectic structure decreased while the lamellar eutectic structure became more prominent. Laser remelting induced dynamic recrystallization in the coating, resulting in a transformation from columnar grains to equiaxed grains, and then back to columnar grains. The grain size also changes significantly with different remelting times. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impact spectroscopy measurements were conducted in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution to evaluate the corrosion resistance of the coating. The results revealed both the original coating and the once-remelted coating exhibited lower corrosion current density and higher corrosion potential, but the latter had a higher Faraday impedance. Additionally, immersion tests were performed in 10 wt% FeCl3 solution, which demonstrated that the once-remelted coating displayed fine and uniform corrosion pits with shallow depth. This study provides theoretical support for the regulation of microstructure and the optimization of coating performance. Furthermore, the microstructure evolution law discovered in this research is also applicable to additive manufacturing.

Abstract Background A favorable regenerative microenvironment is essential for peripheral nerve regeneration. Neural tissue-specific extracellular matrix (ECM) is a natural material that helps direct cell behavior and promote axon regeneration. Both bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) transplantation are effective in repairing peripheral nerve injury (PNI). However, there is no study that characterizes the in vivo microenvironmental characteristics of these two MSCs for the early repair of PNI when combined with neural tissue-derived ECM materials, i.e., acellular nerve allograft (ANA). Methods In order to investigate biological characteristics, molecular mechanisms of early stage, and effectiveness of ADSCs- or BMSCs-injected into ANA for repairing PNI in vivo, a rat 10 mm long sciatic nerve defect model was used. We isolated primary BMSCs and ADSCs from bone marrow and adipose tissue, respectively. First, to investigate the in vivo response characteristics and underlying molecular mechanisms of ANA combined with BMSCs or ADSCs, eighty-four rats were randomly divided into three groups: ANA group, ANA+BMSC group, and ANA+ADSC group. We performed flow cytometry, RT-PCR, and immunofluorescence staining up to 4 weeks postoperatively. To further elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms, changes in long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were systematically investigated using whole transcriptome sequencing. We then constructed protein–protein interaction networks to find 10 top ranked hub genes among differentially expressed mRNAs. Second, in order to explore the effectiveness of BMSCs and ADSCs on neural tissue-derived ECM materials for repairing PNI, sixty-eight rats were randomized into four groups: ANA group, ANA+BMSC group, ANA+ADSC group, and AUTO group. In the ANA+BMSC and ANA+ADSC groups, ADSCs/BMSCs were equally injected along the long axis of the 10-mm ANA. Then, we performed histological and functional assessments up to 12 weeks postoperatively. Results The results of flow cytometry and RT-PCR showed that ANA combined with BMSCs exhibited more significant immunomodulatory effects, as evidenced by the up-regulation of interleukin (IL)-10, down-regulation of IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) expression, promotion of M1-type macrophage polarization to M2-type, and a significant increase in the number of regulatory T cells (Tregs). ANA combined with ADSCs exhibited more pronounced features of pro-myelination and angiogenesis, as evidenced by the up-regulation of myelin-associated protein gene (MBP and MPZ) and angiogenesis-related factors (TGF-β, VEGF). Moreover, differentially expressed genes from whole transcriptome sequencing results further indicated that ANA loaded with BMSCs exhibited notable immunomodulatory effects and ANA loaded with ADSCs was more associated with angiogenesis, axonal growth, and myelin formation. Notably, ANA infused with BMSCs or ADSCs enhanced peripheral nerve regeneration and motor function recovery with no statistically significant differences. Conclusions This study revealed that both ANA combined with BMSCs and ADSCs enhance peripheral nerve regeneration and motor function recovery, but their biological characteristics (mainly including immunomodulatory effects, pro-vascular regenerative effects, and pro-myelin regenerative effects) and underlying molecular mechanisms in the process of repairing PNI in vivo are different, providing new insights into MSC therapy for peripheral nerve injury and its clinical translation.

Abstract The purpose of this work is to explore the properties of the lignin-derived amine-free photoinitiating systems (PISs) during the curing process. Four novel hydrogen donors (HD1, HD2, HD3, and HD4) derived from lignin α-O-4 structural were designed and synthesized by simple methods, and their low C–H bond dissociation energies on methylene were determined by molecular orbitals theory. Four experimental groups using CQ (camphorquinone)/HD PIs formulated with Bis-GMA/TEGDMA (70 w%/30 w%) were compared to CQ/EDB (ethyl 4-dimethylamino benzoate) system. The photopolymerization profiles and double bond conversion rate was tracked by FTIR experiments; the color bleaching ability of the samples and color aging test assay were performed using color indexes measurements; The cytotoxicity of the samples was also compared to EDB related systems. All of the experimental groups with new HDs were compared to the control group with EDB by statistical analysis. Compared to CQ/EDB system, new lignin-derived hydrogen donors combined with CQ showed comparable or even better performances in polymerization initiation to form resin samples, under a blue dental LED in air. Excellent color bleaching property was observed with the new HDs. Aging tests and cytotoxicity examination of the resin were performed, indicating the new lignin compounds to be efficient hydrogen donors for amine-free CQ-based photo-initiating system. Novel lignin α-O-4 derived hydrogen donors are promising for further usage in light-curing materials.

Abstract Hair follicle (HF) regeneration during wound healing continues to present a significant clinical challenge. Dermal papilla cell-derived exosomes (DPC-Exos) hold immense potential for inducing HF neogenesis. However, the accurate role and underlying mechanisms of DPC-Exos in HF regeneration in wound healing remain to be fully explained. This study, represents the first analysis into the effects of DPC-Exos on fibroblasts during wound healing. Our findings demonstrated that DPC-Exos could stimulate the proliferation and migration of fibroblasts, more importantly, enhance the hair-inducing capacity of fibroblasts. Fibroblasts treated with DPC-Exos were capable of inducing HF neogenesis in nude mice when combined with neonatal mice epidermal cells. In addition, DPC-Exos accelerated wound re-epithelialization and promoted HF regeneration during the healing process. Treatment with DPC-Exos led to increased expression levels of the Wnt pathway transcription factors β-catenin and Lef1 in both fibroblasts and the dermis of skin wounds. Specifically, the application of a Wnt pathway inhibitor reduced the effects of DPC-Exos on fibroblasts and wound healing. Accordingly, these results offer evidence that DPC-Exos promote HF regeneration during wound healing by enhancing the hair-inducing capacity of fibroblasts and activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. This suggests that DPC-Exos may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for achieving regenerative wound healing.

Abstract Backgroud Type II congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) is a rare pulmonary microcystic developmental malformation. Surgical excision is the primary treatment for CPAM, although maternal steroids and betamethasone have proven effective in reducing microcystic CPAM. Disturbed intercellular communication may contribute to the development of CPAM. This study aims to investigate the expression profile and analyze intercellular communication networks to identify genes potentially associated with type II CPAM pathogenesis and therapeutic targets. Methods RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on samples extracted from both the cystic area and the adjacent normal tissue post-surgery in CPAM patients. Iterative weighted gene correlation network analysis (iWGCNA) was used to identify genes specifically expressed in type II CPAM. Single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) was integrated to unveil the heterogeneity in cell populations and analyze the communication and interaction within epithelial cell sub-populations. Results A total of 2,618 differentially expressed genes were identified, primarily enriched in cilium-related biological process and inflammatory response process. Key genes such as EDN1, GPR17, FPR2, and CHRM1, involved in the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathway and playing roles in cell differentiation, apoptosis, calcium homeostasis, and the immune response, were highlighted based on the protein-protein interaction network. Type II CPAM-associated modules, including ciliary function-related genes, were identified using iWGCNA. By integrating scRNA-seq data, AGR3 (related to calcium homeostasis) and SLC11A1 (immune related) were identified as the only two differently expressed genes in epithelial cells of CPAM. Cell communication analysis revealed that alveolar type 1 (AT1) and alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells were the predominant communication cells for outgoing and incoming signals in epithelial cells. The ligands and receptors between epithelial cell subtypes included COLLAGEN genes enriched in PI3K-AKT singaling and involved in epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Conclusions In summary, by integrating bulk RNA-seq data of type II CPAM with scRNA-seq data, the gene expression profile and critical signaling pathways such as GPCR signaling and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways were revealed. Abnormally expressed genes in these pathways may disrupt epithelial-mesenchymal transition and contribute to the development of CPAM. Given the effectiveness of prenatal treatments of microcystic CPAM using maternal steroids and maternal betamethasone administration, targeting the genes and signaling pathways involved in the development of CPAM presents a promising therapeutic strategy.

Abstract Beverages with nutritional functional properties constitute one of the fastest‐growing segments in the food industry. Beverages produced with berries as raw materials, owing to their richness in various beneficial substances (such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive phytochemicals), have emerged as integral components of nutritional functional beverages. In this review, we summarize the bioactive polyphenols present in berry beverages and discuss the potential properties of berries from an antidiabetic perspective. The application and impact of new technologies in the processing and production of berry beverages are also explored. Additionally, the review addresses the challenges and prospects faced by industrial development in berry beverage production. Our objective is to provide valuable information for food researchers and the berry beverage production industry, facilitating the production of highly nutritious drinks that appeal to consumers.

Abstract The technique of matrix acidification or acid fracturing is commonly utilized to establish communication with natural fractures during reservoir reconstruction. However, this process often encounters limitations due to filtration, which restricts the expansion of the primary acid-etching fracture. To address this issue, a computational model has been developed to simulate the expansion of an acid-etching wormhole by considering various factors such as formation process, injection duration, pressure build-up, and time-varying acid percolation rate. By analyzing the pumping displacement of acid-etching wormholes, this model provides valuable insights into the time-dependent quantities of acid percolation. It has been revealed that the filtration rate of acid-etching wormholes is strongly influenced by pumping displacement, viscosity, and concentration of the acid fluid used in stimulation as well as physical properties of the reservoir itself. Notably, viscosity plays a significant role in determining the effectiveness of acid fracturing especially in low-viscosity conditions. Acid concentration within 15% to 20% exhibits maximum impact on successful acid fracturing while concentrations below 15% or above 20% show no obvious effect. Furthermore, it was found that pumping displacement has a major influence on effective fracturing. However, beyond a certain threshold (> 5.0 m3/min), increased pumping displacement leads to slower etching distance for acids used in construction purposes. The simulation also provides real-time distribution analysis for acidity levels within eroded fractures during matrix-acidification processes and quantifies extent of chemical reactions between acids and rocks within these fractures thereby facilitating optimization efforts for design parameters related to matrix-acidification.

Abstract Aims Surveys and research on the applications of the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) are important for understanding the current status and future development of this technology in China. This article aimed to investigate the status of hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement in China in 2022. Methods We investigated the overall status of HVPG technology in China—including hospital distribution, hospital level, annual number of cases, catheters used, average cost, indications, and current challenges by using online questionnaire. By counting the number and percentages of cases of these results, we hope to clarify the current status of HVPG measurements in China. Results According to the survey, 85 hospitals in China used HVPG technology in 2022 distributed across 29 provinces. A total of 4989 HVPG measurements were performed in all of the surveyed hospitals in 2022, of which 2813 cases (56.4%) were measured alone. The average cost of HVPG measurement was 5646.8 ± 2327.9 CNY. Of the clinical teams who performed the measurements (sometimes multiple per hospital), 94.3% (82/87) used the balloon method, and the majority of the teams (72.4%, 63/87) used embolectomy catheters. Conclusions This survey clarified the clinical application status of HVPG in China and confirmed that some medical institutions in China have established a foundation for this technology. It is still necessary to continue promoting and popularizing this technology in the future.

Abstract Laser-scanning confocal microscopy serves as a critical instrument for microscopic research in biology. However, it suffers from low imaging speed and high phototoxicity. Here we build a novel deep compressive confocal microscope, which employs a digital micromirror device as a coding mask for single-pixel imaging and a pinhole for confocal microscopic imaging respectively. Combined with a deep learning reconstruction algorithm, our system is able to achieve high-quality confocal microscopic imaging with low phototoxicity. Our imaging experiments with fluorescent microspheres demonstrate its capability of achieving single-pixel confocal imaging with a sampling ratio of only approximately 0.03% in specific sparse scenarios. Moreover, the deep compressive confocal microscope allows single-pixel imaging at the single-photon level, thus reducing the excitation light power requirement for confocal imaging and suppressing the phototoxicity. We believe that our system has great potential for long-duration and high-speed microscopic imaging of living cells.

Abstract Porous frameworks constructed via noncovalent interactions show wide potential in molecular separation and gas adsorption. However, it remains a major challenge to prepare these materials from low-symmetry molecular building blocks. Herein, we report a facile strategy to fabricate noncovalent porous crystals through modular self-assembly of a low-symmetry helicene racemate. The P and M enantiomers in the racemate first stack into right- and left-handed triangular prisms, respectively, and subsequently the two types of prisms alternatively stack together into a hexagonal network with one-dimensional channels with a diameter of 14.5 Å. Remarkably, the framework reveals high stability upon heating to 275 °C, majorly due to the abundant π-interactions between the complementarily engaged helicene building blocks. Such porous framework can be readily prepared by fast rotary evaporation, and is easy to recycle and repeatedly reform. The refined porous structure and enriched π-conjugation also favor the selective adsorption of a series of small molecules.

Abstract Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is an emerging public health burden with a high rate of disability and mortality. Gasdermin D (GSDMD) has been reported to exert pyroptosis and play a critical role in the pathophysiology of many cardiovascular diseases. We ought to determine the role of GSDMD in the regulation of perfusion recovery after hindlimb ischemia (HLI). Our study revealed that GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis occurred in HLI. GSDMD deletion aggravated perfusion recovery and angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. However, how GSDMD regulates angiogenesis after ischemic injury remains unclear. We then found that GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis exerted the angiogenic capacity in macrophages rather than endothelial cells after HLI. GSDMD deletion led to a lower level of CCL11 in mice serum. GSDMD knockdown in macrophages downregulated the expression and decreased the releasing level of CCL11. Furthermore, recombinant CCL11 improved endothelial functions and angiogenesis, which was attenuated by CCL11 antibody. Taken together, these results demonstrate that GSDMD promotes angiogenesis by releasing CCL11, thereby improving blood flow perfusion recovery after hindlimb ischemic injury. Therefore, CCL11 may be a novel target for prevention and treatment of vascular ischemic diseases.

Abstract With the development of green buildings, people pay more attention to the quality of the indoor sound environment. The air sound insulation performance of floors and exterior walls plays a key role in today's green buildings. The thermal performance of the enclosure structure's floor and exterior wall heat transfer resistance is an important factor in reducing building carbon emissions in green buildings. The aim of this paper is to study the efficiency of the acoustic and thermal insulation of a foaming system with porous carbon balls and the combination of different structural ways of construction boards and external walls. The acoustic and thermal parameters of different sound insulation and thermal insulation systems designed with porous carbon sphere foam and inserted into the floors and exterior walls are compared to highlight the optimal structure. The theoretical and experimental tests showed that to improve the sound insulation performance of the floor, a sound insulation system needs to be placed on the surface of the floor in contact with the impact object and inlaid in the vertical gap in contact with the floor and the wall. Furthermore, it has been determined that the surface of the foam particle acoustic ball with micropores has good sound absorption performance. Finally, the high-quality building thermal insulation material with low thermal conductivity in any combination with the floor slabs and the external wall structure improves the thermal insulation performance.

Abstract Background Patients receiving PD-(L)1 inhibitors frequently encounter unusual side effects known as immune-related adverse events (irAEs). However, the correlation of irAEs development with clinical response in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is unknown. Method This retrospective study enrolled 244 stage IV SCLC patients who receiving PD-(L)1 inhibitors from 3 cancer centers. The correlation of irAEs with objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. Results 140 in 244 (57%) patients experienced irAEs, with 122 (87.1%) experiencing one and 18 (12.9%) experiencing two or more. Compared to patient without irAEs, those developing irAEs had higher ORR (73.6% vs. 52.9%, P

Abstract Targeted and immunotherapy combined with interventional therapy can improve the prognosis of advanced cancer patients, and it has become a hot spot to find the new therapeutic schemes, but most of which are not satisfactory. Single-cell RNA sequencing was performed in PDX mouse models with or without TCC therapy. 2-’O-Methylation modification and multiplex immunofluorescence staining were used to explore the function and mechanism of SAMD4B in the immune context of HCC. Here, we propose for the first time a synergistic immunochemotherapy that exerts a potent antitumour effect for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in clinical practice based on three common antitumour drugs and found that HCC patients with new synergistic immunochemotherapy had better three-year overall survival (p = 0.004) and significantly higher survival ratio (increased by 2.3 times) than the control group. We further reveal the immunoregulatory mechanism of synergistic immunochemotherapy through 2’-O-Methylation modification mediated by SAMD4B, a tumour suppressor gene. Mechanistically, SAMD4B, increased by the reduced mutations of upstream genes NOTCH1 and NOTCH2, affected the instability of APOA2 mRNA by 2-’O-Methylation modification of the C-terminus. The decreased APOA2 further attenuated programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) level with a direct interaction pattern. The high-SAMD4B tumour tissues contained fewer native CD29+CD8+ T cells, which improved immune microenvironment to achieve the effect of antitumour effect. Overall, we developed a potent synergistic immunochemotherapy strategy that exerts an efficient anti-HCC effect inducing SAMD4B-APOA2-PD-L1 axis to inhibit tumour immune evasion.

Abstract Background The therapeutic resistance to ionizing radiation (IR) and angiogenesis inhibitors is a great challenge for clinicians in the treatment of glioblastoma, which is associated with Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/MET, VEGF/VEGFR signaling pathway, and the crosstalk between them. In this study, we developed a novel recombinant fusion protein, rE27HGFK1, via HGFK1 tandem with 27 N-terminal residues of Endostatin (E27) and produced a polymeric nanoparticle formed by the co-polymer of PEGylated H1 cationic polymer (PH1) with a plasmid encoding the secreted rE27HGFK1 protein (PH1/pE27HGFK1). We further investigated the anti-tumor effects of rE27HGFK1 and PH1/pE27HGFK1 nanoparticles both in vivo and in vitro. Methods We expressed and purified the rE27HGFK1 protein via E. coli. Then, we performed cellular experiments to determine the antitumoral effects and IR radio-sensitivities of the rE27HGFK1 protein in vitro. Finally, we performed animal studies to determine the tumor-targeted abilities and antitumoral activities of the polymeric nanoparticles, PH1/pE27HGFK1, in an orthotopic U118-Luc-bearing xenografted mouse model. Results We showed that rE27HGFK1 inhibited the proliferation and the angiogenesis and enhanced the senescence and radiosensitivity of GBM via both MET and VEFGR2 signaling mediated-p16 over-expression and the down-regulation of cyclin D1-CDK4-Rb axis activities in vitro. Next, we displayed that systemic administration of the PEGylated H1 cationic polymer (PH1) effectively delivered the reporter genes to the brain tumor of an orthotopic U118-bearing xenografted mouse model. Finally, we showed that PH1/pE27HGFK1 significantly produced antitumor effects with radiosensitivity in the orthotopic U118-Luc-bearing xenografted Blab/c mouse model through inhibiting angiogenesis and tumor cell proliferation, as well as inducing the necrosis of tumor cells in vivo. Conclusions The PH1/pE27HGFK1 nano-drug combined with radiotherapy can be used as a potentially effective therapeutic strategy for Glioblastoma multiforme.

Abstract The traditional diagnostic process for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is subjective, where early and accurate diagnosis significantly affects treatment outcomes and life quality. Thus, improving ASD diagnostic methods is critical. This paper proposes ASD-SWNet, a new shared-weight feature extraction and classification network. It resolves the issue found in previous studies of inefficiently integrating unsupervised and supervised learning, thereby enhancing diagnostic precision. The approach utilizes functional magnetic resonance imaging to improve diagnostic accuracy, featuring an autoencoder (AE) with Gaussian noise for robust feature extraction and a tailored convolutional neural network (CNN) for classification. The shared-weight mechanism utilizes features learned by the AE to initialize the convolutional layer weights of the CNN, thereby integrating AE and CNN for joint training. A novel data augmentation strategy for time-series medical data is also introduced, tackling the problem of small sample sizes. Tested on the ABIDE-I dataset through nested ten-fold cross-validation, the method achieved an accuracy of 76.52% and an AUC of 0.81. This approach surpasses existing methods, showing significant enhancements in diagnostic accuracy and robustness. The contribution of this paper lies not only in proposing new methods for ASD diagnosis but also in offering new approaches for other neurological brain diseases.

Abstract Thermal comfort studies are usually employed to find subjective thermal responses [indicated by neutral temperature (NT), i.e. the temperature with no thermal stress] of residents from a region towards thermal environments. According to the recently published works in the literature, NTs are affected by many factors, such as geographical location and microenvironments. To elucidate the origins of these effects, the impact of microenvironment elements around a water surface on pedestrians’ thermal perceptions was systematically investigated in this work. The Fujiang River (FJR) in Mianyang City was taken as the sample site. The municipal meteorology station is located next to the site by around 2.5 km. By performing meteorology measurements combining questionnaires, it was found that the riverside NT (indicated by physiologically equivalent temperature, PET) of Mianyang in the summer of 2023 was 21.4 °C. The relationship between the distance from the water (DFW) and NT was quadratic linear. The same phenomenon took place by using either PET or Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) indexes. Meanwhile, the meteorological contexts also affected NTs, including relative humidity (RH) and air velocity (Va). Regarding RH, the NPET increased from 15.2 °C (RH = 50%) to 26.9 °C (RH = 90%). In contrast, the NPET dropped from 23.0 to − 50.6 °C when the Va increased from 0.2 to 2.5 m/s, respectively. From our analysis, it was demonstrated that human thermal responses are significantly affected by both the microenvironmental and meteorological backgrounds around the water surface. Our work provides valuable insights for the proper use of water surfaces in urban design for adjusting thermal comfort.

Abstract Background Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is globally prevalent and associated with an increased risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM). The role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in PTC remains unclear. Methods We collected postoperative pathological hematoxylin–eosin (HE) slides from 984 included patients with PTC to analyze the density of CAF infiltration at the invasive front of the tumor using QuPath software. The relationship between CAF density and LNM was assessed. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from GSE193581 and GSE184362 datasets were integrated to analyze CAF infiltration in PTC. A comprehensive suite of in vitro experiments, encompassing EdU labeling, wound scratch assays, Transwell assays, and flow cytometry, were conducted to elucidate the regulatory role of CD36+CAF in two PTC cell lines, TPC1 and K1. Results A significant correlation was observed between high fibrosis density at the invasive front of the tumor and LNM. Analysis of scRNA-seq data revealed metastasis-associated myoCAFs with robust intercellular interactions. A diagnostic model based on metastasis-associated myoCAF genes was established and refined through deep learning methods. CD36 positive expression in CAFs can significantly promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of PTC cells, while inhibiting the apoptosis of PTC cells. Conclusion This study addresses the significant issue of LNM risk in PTC. Analysis of postoperative HE pathological slides from a substantial patient cohort reveals a notable association between high fibrosis density at the invasive front of the tumor and LNM. Integration of scRNA-seq data comprehensively analyzes CAF infiltration in PTC, identifying metastasis-associated myoCAFs with strong intercellular interactions. In vitro experimental results indicate that CD36 positive expression in CAFs plays a promoting role in the progression of PTC. Overall, these findings provide crucial insights into the function of CAF subset in PTC metastasis.

Edible fungi is a group of large fungi for culinary purpose and medicinal use, which used as folk medicine and healthy food from ancient times. Multiple bioactive components such as proteins, polysaccharides, terpenes, and lipids exist in them and therefore recently sparked much attention due to their therapeutic properties such as anti-cancer, immunomodulatory, anti-hypercholesterolemia, antiviral, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory effects. With the rapid development of global economy and growing concept of green and healthy diet, they are gaining popularity among consumers, putting forward higher requirements for the processed products. This article reviews the research progress on the nutrition, active substances, and processed products of edible fungi in recent years, in order to provide ideas for the high-quality and sustainable development of the edible fungi industry.

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.) is a medicinal and food homologous cereal that is rich in nutrients. The nutritional ingredients of finger millet mainly include starch, minerals, amino acids, dietary fiber and polyphenols, which have effects of anti-oxidation, lowering blood sugar, improving intestinal health and lowering blood pressure. At present, finger millet is mainly used to make various traditional foods with replacing a small amount of flour or other grains. The product is single and the nutritional value of finger millet cannot been fully utilized. The functional properties of finger millet are gradually noticed and utilized with the pursuit of food nutrition and health function. However, the research on the functional ingredients contained in finger millet is only at the experimental stage, and few functional products are developed. This review summarizes the nutritional and functional ingredients, functional properties and product development status of finger millet in recent years, and aims to provide a theoretical basis for the in-depth study and applications of finger millet.

Abstract The secretagogin (SCGN) was originally identified as a secreted calcium-binding protein present in the cytoplasm. Recent studies have found that SCGN has a close relationship with cancer. However, its role in the occurrence, progression, and prognosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unclear. In this study, we utilized a mutual authentication method based on public databases and clinical samples to determine the role of SCGN in the progression and prognosis of ccRCC. Firstly, we comprehensively analyzed the expression characteristics of SCGN in ccRCC in several public databases. Subsequently, we systematically evaluated SCGN expression on 252 microarrays of ccRCC tissues from different grades. It was found that SCGN was absent in all the normal kidney tissues and significantly overexpressed in ccRCC tumor tissues. In addition, the expression level of SCGN gradually decreased with an increase in tumor grade, and the percentage of SCGN staining positivity over 50% was 86.7% (13/15) and 73.4% (58/79) in Grade1 and Grade2, respectively, while it was only 8.3% (12/144) in Grade3, and the expression of SCGN was completely absent in Grade4 (0/14) and distant metastasis group (0/4). Additionally, the expression of SCGN was strongly correlated with the patient's prognosis, with the higher the expression levels of SCGN being associated with longer overall survival and disease-free survival of patients. In conclusion, our results suggest that reduced expression of SCGN in cancer cells is correlated with the progression and prognosis of ccRCC.

Abstract Biochar-based sulfidized nano-sized zero-valent iron (SNZVI/BC) can effectively immobilize cadmium (Cd) in contaminated paddy soils. However, the synergistic effects between biochar and SNZVI on Cd immobilization, as well as the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, a soil microcosm incubation experiment was performed to investigate the immobilization performance of SNZVI/BC towards Cd in the contaminated paddy soil. Results indicated that the addition of SNZVI/BC at a dosage of 3% significantly lessened the concentration of available Cd in the contaminated soil from 14.9 (without addition) to 9.9 mg kg−1 with an immobilization efficiency of 33.3%, indicating a synergistic effect. The sequential extraction results indicated that the proportion of the residual Cd in the contaminated soil increased from 8.1 to 10.3%, manifesting the transformation of the unstable Cd fractions to the steadier specie after application of SNZVI/BC. Also, the addition of SNZVI/BC increased soil pH, organic matter, and dissolved organic carbon, which significantly altered the bacterial community in the soil, enriching the relative abundances of functional microbes (e.g., Bacillus, Clostridium, and Desulfosporosinus). These functional microorganisms further facilitated the generation of ammonium, nitrate, and ferrous iron in the contaminated paddy soil, enhancing nutrients’ availability. The direct interaction between SNZVI/BC and Cd2+, the altered soil physicochemical properties, and the responded bacterial community played important roles in Cd immobilization in the contaminated soil. Overall, the biochar-based SNZVI is a promising candidate for the effective immobilization of Cd and the improvement of nutrients’ availability in the contaminated paddy soil. Graphical Abstract