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Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to characterize the microbiome of multiple mucosal organs in cervical cancer (CC) patients. Methods We collected oral, gut, urinary tract, and vaginal samples from enrolled study participants, as well as tumor tissue from CC patients. The microbiota of different mucosal organs was identified by 16S rDNA sequencing and correlated with clinical-pathological characteristics of cervical cancer cases. Results Compared with controls, CC patients had reduced α-diversity of oral and gut microbiota (p Oral_Sob < 0.001, p Oral_Shannon = 0.049, p Oral_Simpson = 0.013 p Fecal_Sob = 0.030), although there was an opposite trend in the vaginal microbiota (p Vaginal_Pielou = 0.028, p Vaginal_Simpson = 0.006). There were also significant differences in the β-diversity of the microbiota at each site between cases and controls (p Oral = 0.002, p Fecal = 0.037, p Urine = 0.001, p Vaginal = 0.001). The uniformity of urine microbiota was lower in patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (p Urine = 0.036) and lymph node metastasis (p Urine_Sob = 0.027, p Urine_Pielou = 0.028, p Urine_Simpson = 0.021, p Urine_Shannon = 0.047). The composition of bacteria in urine also varied among patients with different ages (p = 0.002), tumor stages (p = 0.001) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.002). In CC cases, Pseudomonas were significantly enriched in the oral, gut, and urinary tract samples. In addition, Gardnerella, Anaerococcus, and Prevotella were biomarkers of urinary tract microbiota; Abiotrophia and Lautropia were obviously enriched in the oral microbiota. The microbiota of tumor tissue correlated with other mucosal organs (except the gut), with a shift in the microflora between mucosal organs and tumors. Conclusions Our study not only revealed differences in the composition and diversity of the vaginal and gut microflora between CC cases and controls, but also showed dysbiosis of the oral cavity and urethra in cervical cancer cases.

Abstract Objectives The relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and gynecologic cancers is controversial. We aimed to evaluate the risk of gynecologic cancers associated with HBV infection using a meta-analysis. Methods Two independent reviewers identified publications in the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases that reported an association between HBV and the risk of gynecologic malignancy from inception to December 31, 2022. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of the included articles. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a fixed effects model or random effects model. Results We collected data from 7 studies that met the inclusion criteria, including 2 cohort studies and 5 case-control studies. HBV was significantly associated with the risk of cervical cancer in the general population (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.09–1.38, P = 0.001), although the same trend was not found in endometrial cancer (OR 1.30, 95% CI 0.95–1.77, P = 0.105) and ovarian cancer (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.79–1.35, P = 0.813). Subgroup analysis showed that HBV infection was positively associated with the risk of cervical cancer (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.13–1.44, P = 0.000) in case-control studies. Asian women infected with HBV have a significantly increased risk of cervical cancer (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.10–1.40, P = 0.001) and endometrial cancer (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.07–1.99, P = 0.018). Hospital-based studies were found to be associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.14–1.47, P = 0.000) and endometrial cancer (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.04–2.49, P = 0.032). The results of Begg’s and Egger’s tests showed no publication bias. Conclusions This meta-analysis shows a positive association between HBV infection and cervical cancer. HBV is positively correlated with the risk of cervical cancer and endometrial cancer in Asian women and hospital-based populations. More multicenter prospective studies are required to confirm the findings.

A thermodynamic model to predict the stacking fault energy (SFE) of Fe–Mn and Fe–Mn–C austenite steels based on the two-sublattice method has been developed. The calculated Gibbs free energy change, phase transformation temperature, and SFE are basically coincident with the experiment values. The interfacial energy during face center cubic to hexagonal close packed transformation was determined by a parabolic function of Gibbs free energy change in the concerned systems. The interstitial segregation and the resulting SFE in Fe–Mn–C steels have been clearly revealed. The carbon segregated concentration in the stacking faults is in good agreement with the measured value. Low SFE regions were observed to be located at 12 wt% manganese in the Fe–Mn binary system and at 14 wt% manganese in the Fe–Mn–C ternary system, respectively. The carbon- and manganese-dependent SFE maps were consequentially plotted under different temperatures and grain sizes. For the steels with manganese and carbon range between 10–30 and 0–1.2 wt%, the SFE increases monotonously with temperature increasing. The SFE of Fe–Mn–C steels decreases as grain size increases from 1 to 70 μm. However, for the alloys with more coarse-grained structures, the SFE sensitivity to grain size was not obvious.

Abstract Objective To establish the population pharmacokinetics (PPK) of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4)in women with preeclampsia (PE), and to determine the key covariates having an effect in magnesium pharmacokinetics in Chinese PE. Methods Pregnant women with PE prescribed MgSO4 were enrolled in this prospective study from April 2021 to April 2023. On the initial day of administration, the patients were administered a loading dose of 5 g in conjunction with 10 g of magnesium sulfate as a maintenance dose. On the second day, only the maintenance dose was administration, and maternal blood samples were taken at 0, 4, 5, and 12 h after the second day’s 10 g maintenance dose. The software Phoenix was used to estimate PPK parameters of MgSO4, such as clearance (CL) and volume of distribution (V), and to model PPK models with patient demographic, clinical, and laboratory covariates. Results A total of 199 blood samples were collected from 51 women with PE and PPK profiles were analyzed. The PPK of MgSO4 is consistent with to a one-compartment model. The base model adequately described the maternal serum magnesium concentrations after magnesium administration. The population parameter estimates were as follows: CL was 2.98 L/h, V was 25.07 L. The model predictions changed significantly with covariates (BMI, creatinine clearance, and furosemide). Furosemide statistically influences V. The creatinine clearance, BMI and furosemide jointly affects CL. Monte Carlo simulation results showed that a loading dose combined with a maintenance dose would need to be administered daily to achieve the therapeutic blood magnesium concentrations. For the non-furosemide group, the optimal dosing regimen was a 5 g loading dose combined with a 10 g maintenance dose of MgSO4. For the furosemide group, the optimal dosing regimen was a 2.5 g loading dose combined with a 10 g maintenance dose of MgSO4. Conclusions The magnesium PPK model was successfully developed and evaluated in Chinese preeclampsia population, and the dose optimization of MgSO4 was completed through Monte Carlo simulation.

Plant hydraulic traits are essential for understanding and predicting plant drought resistance. Investigations into the mechanisms of the xylem anatomical traits of desert shrubs in response to climate can help us to understand plant survival strategies in extreme environments. This study examined the xylem anatomical traits and related functional traits of the branches of seven Calligonum mongolicum populations along a precipitation gradient, to explore their adaptive responses to climatic factors. We found that (1) the vessel diameter (D), vessel diameter contributing to 95% of hydraulic conductivity (D95), hydraulic weighted vessel diameter (Dh), vessel density (VD), percentage of conductive area (CA), thickness-to-span ratio of vessels ((t/b)2), and theoretical hydraulic conductivity (Kth) varied significantly across sites, while the vessel group index (Vg), wood density (WD), and vulnerability index (VI) showed no significant differences. (2) Principal component analysis revealed that efficiency-related traits (Kth, Dh, D95) and safety-related traits (VI, VD, inter-wall thickness of the vessel (t)) were the primary factors driving trait variation. (3) Precipitation during the wettest month (PWM) had the strongest influence, positively correlating with (t/b)2 and negatively with D, D95, Dh, CA, and Kth. (4) Structural equation modeling confirmed PWM as the main driver of Kth, with indirect effects through CA. These findings indicate that C. mongolicum displays high plasticity in xylem traits, enabling adaptation to changing environments, and providing insight into the hydraulic strategies of desert shrubs under climate change.

Abstract Background Pulmonary fibrosis is a growing clinical problem that develops as a result of abnormal wound healing, leading to breathlessness, pulmonary dysfunction and ultimately death. However, therapeutic options for pulmonary fibrosis are limited because the underlying pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. Circular RNAs, as key regulators in various diseases, remain poorly understood in pulmonary fibrosis induced by silica. Methods We performed studies with fibroblast cell lines and silica-induced mouse pulmonary fibrosis models. The expression of circZNF609, miR-145-5p, and KLF4 was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays and m6A RNA immunoprecipitation assays (MeRIP), Western blotting, immunofluorescence assays, and CCK8 were performed to investigate the role of the circZNF609/miR-145-5p/KLF4 axis and circZNF609-encoded peptides in fibroblast activation. Results Our data showed that circZNF609 was downregulated in activated fibroblasts and silica-induced fibrotic mouse lung tissues. Overexpression of circZNF609 could inhibit fibroblast activation induced by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Mechanically, we revealed that circZNF609 regulates pulmonary fibrosis via miR-145-5p/KLF4 axis and circZNF609-encoded peptides. Furthermore, circZNF609 was highly methylated and its expression was controlled by N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification. Lastly, in vivo studies revealed that overexpression of circZNF609 attenuates silica-induced lung fibrosis in mice. Conclusions Our data indicate that circZNF609 is a critical regulator of fibroblast activation and silica-induced lung fibrosis. The circZNF609 and its derived peptides may represent novel promising targets for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

In this study, four absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF)-based approaches are utilized in order to predict the buckling load of Lee’s frame under concentrated load. The first approach employs the standard two-dimensional shear deformable ANCF beam element based on the general continuum mechanics (GCM). The second approach adopts the standard ANCF beam element modified by the locking alleviation technique known as the strain-split method. The third approach has the standard ANCF beam element with strain energy modified by the enhanced continuum mechanics formulation. The fourth approach utilizes the higher-order ANCF beam element based on the GCM. Two buckling load estimation methods are used, i.e., by tracing the nonlinear equilibrium path of the load–displacement space using the arc-length method and applying the energy criterion, which requires tracking eigenvalues through the dichotomy scheme. Lee’s frame with different boundary conditions including pinned–pinned, fixed-pinned, pinned-fixed, and fixed–fixed are studied. The complex nonlinear responses in the form of snap-through, snap-back, and looping phenomena during nonlinear postbuckling analysis are simulated. The critical buckling loads and buckling mode shapes obtained through the energy criterion-based buckling method are obtained. After the comparison, higher-order beam element is found to be more accurate, stable, and consistent among the studied approaches.