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Abstract Ubiquitination is a post-translational modification (PTM), which is critical to maintain cell homeostasis. Ubiquitin-specific protease 24 (USP24) plays roles in various diseases, the mechanisms by which USP24 regulates hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain poorly understood. In this study, USP24 is found to be significantly downregulated in HCC. Knocking down USP24 promotes HCC proliferation and migration, whereas USP24 overexpression inhibits HCC in vitro and in vivo. The endogenous interaction between USP24 and Beclin1 is confirmed. Mechanically, USP24 delays Beclin1 degradation by reducing its K48-linked ubiquitination, the effects of overexpressing USP24 on HCC proliferation can be partially reversed by silencing Beclin1. We find that increased autophagy is accompanied by ferroptosis in USP24 overexpressed HCC cells and USP24 increases the susceptibility of HCC to sorafenib. Collectively, this study highlights the critical role of USP24 in regulating autophagy-dependent ferroptosis by decreasing Beclin1 ubiquitination, suggesting that targeting USP24 may be a strategy for treating HCC.

This paper proposes an improvement in the test method for determining the flexural dynamic modulus of elasticity of strawboard with two triangular prisms as supports, for quality control and classification. Free-plate modal and free-plate transient excitation methods were used to test the elastic modulus of 1/4-plate and whole-plate strawboards. The dynamic test results were verified with the four-point bending method and tensile method. The results show that the elastic moduli of strawboards is approximately 2 GPa. The dynamic test method proposed is efficient, simple, repeatable, and accurate. This method is more suitable for factory applications than existing dynamic testing methods. The framed cases produced by the strawboard all meet the performance requirements in GB/T 7284 (2016).

Abstract. Background. Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score was used for screening the preoperative nutritional status. The correlation between the CONUT score and the prognosis of patients with prostate cancer (PCa) has yet to be elucidated. Herein, we analyzed the prognostic value of CONUT scores in patients with PCa who underwent laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. Materials and methods. Data of 244 patients were retrospectively evaluated. Perioperative variables and follow-up data were analyzed. The patients were categorized into 2 groups according to their preoperative CONUT scores. Postoperative complication and incontinence rates were also compared. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the median biochemical recurrence-free survival (BCRFS) between the 2 groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify the potential prognostic factors for BCRFS. Results. Patients were categorized into the low-CONUT group (CONUT score

Electronic monitoring systems (EMSs) have been widely used in global fishing vessels as an effective tool to obtain reliable information about catches and fishing operations in order to verify compliance with national and international regulations. Though EMS implementation in tuna vessels has not yet been made a mandatory requirement by tuna regional fisheries management organizations, many Chinese longliners have the system on board for traceability and safety purposes. Based on interviews with managers and skippers on Chinese tuna longliners, this paper firstly identifies the challenges in electronic monitoring management that have hindered fishermen’s confidence to implement EMS at a larger scale. Then this paper proposes a work plan to facilitate EMS implementation from the perspective of Chinese tuna longliners, in which the adoption of EM standards, specifications, and procedures, and identification of EM data fields are the top priorities. To fully address concerns raised by tuna longliners, a cloud computing platform for EMS data storage, transmission, and review could help to protect data safety and confidentiality. Artificial intelligence technology is recommended to increase cost-efficiency in data review procedures, in addition to compliance incentives and financial incentives from policy makers.

Abstract Gene delivery is the process by which foreign DNA is transferred to host cells, released from intracellular vesicles, and transported to the nuclei for transcription. This process is frequently inefficient and difficult to control spatiotemporally. We developed a gene delivery strategy that uses ultrasound to directly deliver plasmid DNA into nuclei via gas vesicles (GVs)-based intracellular cavitation. pDNA-binding GVs can be taken up by cells and cause intracellular cavitation when exposed to acoustic irradiation and delivering their pDNA payloads into nuclei. Importantly, GVs can remain stable in the cytoplasm in the absence of acoustic irradiation, allowing for temporally controlled nuclear gene delivery. We were able to achieve spatiotemporal control of E-cadherin nuclear gene delivery in this manner, demonstrating its efficacy in tumor invasion and metastasis inhibition. Interestingly, we discovered that nuclear gene delivery of E-cadherin during the G2/M phase of the cell cycle in C6 tumor cells inhibited tumor invasion and metastasis more effectively than during the G1 and S phases. The gene delivery of E-cadherin at the G2/M phase resulted in significantly lower expression of Fam50a, which reduced Fam50a/Runx2 interaction and led to reduced transactivation of MMP13, an important factor for epithelial-mesenchymal transition, as observed in a molecular mechanism assay. Thus, using remote acoustic control of intracellular cavitation of pDNA-GVs, we developed a high spatiotemporally controllable gene delivery strategy and achieved stronger tumor invasion and metastasis inhibition effects by delivering the E-cadherin gene at the G2/M phase.

Aiming at the problems of large statistical error and the poor real-time performance of catch weight in the ocean fishing tuna industry, an algorithm based on improved YOLOv8-Pose for albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) fork length extraction and weight estimation is proposed, with reference to the human body’s pose estimation algorithm. Firstly, a lightweight module constructed using a heavy parameterization technique is used to replace the backbone network, and secondly, a weighted bidirectional feature pyramid network BIFPN is utilized. Finally, the upper and lower jaw and tail feature points of the albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) were extracted using the key point detection algorithm, and the weight of the albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) was estimated based on the fitted relationship between fork length and weight. The experimental results show that the improved YOLOv8-Pose algorithm reduces the number of model parameters by 13.63% and the number of floating-point operations by 14.03% compared with the baseline model without decreasing the accuracy of the target detection and key point detection and improves the model inference speed by 374%. At the same time, it reduces the drift of the key point detection, and the error of the comparison with the actual albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) body weight is not more than 10%. The improved key point detection algorithm has high detection accuracy and inference speed, which provides accurate yield data for pelagic fishing and is expected to solve the existing statistical problems and improve the accuracy and real-time performance of data in the fishing industry.

We introduce a novel method that combines satellite data, advanced clustering techniques, machine learning feature extraction, and statistical models to enhance fishery forecasting accuracy. Focusing on jumbo flying squid in the southeast Pacific Ocean near Peru, we utilize MODIS-Aqua and MODIS-Terra satellite data on sea surface temperature (SST) to construct a deep convolutional embedded clustering (DCEC) model and extract the monthly SST features (FM) based on an optimized number of clusters determined by the Davies–Bouldi index (DBI). We use the extracted FM to construct a series of Generalized Additive Models (GAM) to forecast the catch per unit effort (CPUE) of jumbo flying squid within a spatial resolution of 0.5° × 0.5°. Our results demonstrate the following findings: (1) The SST feature clusters obtained through the DCEC model could capture the SST monthly variations; (2) The GAM models with FM outperform the models with the traditional monthly average SST in terms of predictive accuracy; (3) Using both FM and average SST together can further improve model performance. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the DCEC combined with DBI in extracting marine environmental features and highlights the ocean environment feature extraction method to enhance the precision and reliability of fishery forecasting models.

Visualising the fishing behaviour of vessels and quantifying the spatial distribution of fishing effort is the scientific basis for assessing and managing fisheries resources. The information on the dynamics of fishing vessel voyages provided by the automatic identification system (AIS) of vessels serves as high-precision fishery data and provides a means of quantifying fishing effort with high spatial and temporal resolution in the tuna longline fishery. Based on the AIS data of five tuna longliners operating in the waters near the Marshall Islands from 2020 to 2021, this study used three methods, namely the threshold screening method, the construction of a BP neural network and the support vector machine (SVM) to identify the fishing and non-fishing status of the tuna longliners, respectively. This study investigates the status identification and fishing effort estimation of the tuna longliner (VESSEL A) in 2021 based on the constructed optimal model, and spatial correlation analyses are performed between the fishing effort estimated in hours based on AIS data and in hooks based on fishing logbook data, by month. The results showed (1) the recognition accuracy of the threshold screening method is 89.9%, the recognition accuracy of the BP neural network classification model is 95.11%, the kappa coefficient is 0.51, the recognition accuracy of the SVM classification model is 95.74% and the kappa coefficient is 0.52; (2) in comparison, the SVM classification model performs better than the other two status identification methods for tuna longliners; and (3) the correlation coefficients between the two types of effort of VESSEL A were greater than 0.79 on all fishing months, indicating that there was no significant difference in the spatial and temporal distribution between the two types of effort. This study suggests that the SVM model can be used to identify the status and estimate the fishing effort of longliners.

Cinobufacini injection (CI), an aqueous extract of Cutis Bufonis, is clinically used for cancer therapy in China, but its molecular mechanism for the treatment of osteosarcoma (OS) remains unclear. We constructed U2OS ectopic subcutaneous tumor model to verify the anti-OS effect of CI in vivo. Meanwhile, cell proliferation of U2OS and MG63 cells was monitored in vitro using the CCK-8 assay, colony formation and morphological changes. Cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry and western blot, which showed that CI significantly inhibited proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human OS cells. The further RNA-seq results identified that the Hippo signaling pathway was involved in the anti-OS effect of CI. YAP/TAZ are two major components of the Hippo pathway in breast cancer and are positively regulated by prolyl isomerase PIN1, we assessed their role in OS using both clinicopathological sections and western blots. CI also inhibited PIN1 enzyme activity in a dose-dependent manner, which resulted in impaired PIN1, YAP, and TAZ expression in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, 15 potential compounds of CI were found to occupy the PIN1 kinase domain and inhibit its activity. In summary, CI plays an anti-OS role by down-regulating the PIN1-YAP/TAZ pathway.

Summary: Purpose: To compare perioperative results of intracorporeal ileal conduit (ICIC) and intracorporeal orthotopic neobladder (ICONB) following laparoscopic radical cystectomy. Materials and methods: A total of 51 ICIC patients and 32 ICONB patients were included. Propensity score matching was performed based on: age, body mass index, gender, age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index, history of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, history of abdominal surgery, history of smoking and enhanced recovery protocols. Primary outcomes were length of stay and 30-day complications. Secondary outcomes were operative time and estimated blood loss. Results: ICONB was more likely to be performed in younger patients (P 0.05). ICIC showed shorter length of stay (11 days vs. 14 days, P = 0.031) and faster pelvic drainage tube removal (6 days vs. 9 days, P = 0.014). Operative time, estimated blood loss, 30-day complications were similar in the 2 groups (P > 0.05). However, postoperative fever was significantly lower in ICIC group (19.6% vs. 62.5%, P

The purpose was to assess the profile of subconjunctival oblique limbus incision (SCOLI) design by using anterior-segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) and try to emphasize the proper technique of wound construction. The structural dimensions and integrity of the wound were acquired from the patients, who had undergone manual small-incision cataract surgery with SCOLI techniques, using a Canon OCT anterior-segment imaging system on the first postoperative day. The use of AS-OCT allowed for an in vivo evaluation of SCOLI in high definition. The radial OCT scan image showed three staggered incisions, including conjunctiva incision, scleral entrance, and inner corneal lip. A tangential scan demonstrated that the internal lip is parallel to the curvature of the peripheral cornea. The en face image showed an asymmetric 4 arc-shaped configuration rather than a symmetrical one. In conclusion, AS-OCT could be used to analyze SCOLI to determine optimal wound construction and geometry. The results of this study indicated that an asymmetric 4 arc-shaped limbus tunnel incision was superior to the conventional linear equivalent in stability and nucleus delivery.

Quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs), which carry time features and plasma characteristics of flare emissions, are frequently observed in light curves of solar/stellar flares. In this study, we investigated non-stationary QPPs associated with recurrent jets during an M1.2 flare on 2022 July 14. A quasi-period of ∼45±10 s, determined by the wavelet transform technique, is simultaneously identified at wavelengths of soft/hard X-ray and microwave emissions, which are recorded by the Gravitational Wave High-Energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor, Fermi and the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters, respectively. A group of recurrent jets with an intermittent cadence of about 45 ± 10 s are found in the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) image series at 304 Å, but they are 180 s earlier than the flare QPP. All observational facts suggest that the flare QPPs could be excited by recurrent jets, and they should be associated with non-thermal electrons that are periodically accelerated by a repeated energy release process, such as repetitive magnetic reconnection. Moreover, the same quasi-period is discovered at double footpoints connected by a hot flare loop in AIA 94 Å, and the phase speed is measured to be ∼1,420 km s−1. Based on the differential emission measure, the average temperatures, number densities, and magnetic field strengths at the loop top and footpoint are estimated to be ∼7.7/6.7 MK, ∼7.5/3.6 × 1010 cm−3, and ∼143/99 G, respectively. Our measurements indicate that the 45-s QPP is probably modulated by the kink-mode wave of the flare loop.

Stick-held dip (SHD) net is an effective fishing gear target for catching the Pacific saury. In this study, the hydrodynamic performance of an SHD net in current was investigated by means of numerical simulation and experimental test, and a mathematical model based on the lumped-mass method and principle of rigid body kinematics was developed to predict the net shape and tension of the cable. A series of physical model tests based on Tauti’s law and full-scale measurements at sea were conducted to evaluate the applicability of the numerical model. The results showed that the prediction performance of the numerical model was good, with a mean relative error of approximately 20% among the numerical, experimental, and field measured data. The dynamic shooting behavior of the SHD net at different current velocities and the effects of the length of the hauling rope and the mesh size on the net shape and tension of the cable were analyzed using the numerical simulation approach. When the current velocity increased from 0.12 to 0.46 m/s, the enclosed volume of the SHD net decreased by 62.9%. The height of net opening increased by 9.29% to 13.53% for every 10% increase in the length of the hauling rope from 0.96 to 1.44 m. With the increase in mesh size from 24 to 30 and 35 mm, the sinking depth and speed of the net increased, and the tension force of the cables decreased by 9.02% and 12.10%, respectively. The results suggested that (1) the numerical model could realistically represent the hydrodynamic characteristics of the SHD net; (2) the suitable operation current velocity is below 0.60 m/s; (3) the reasonable length of the hauling rope is about 30 m; and (4) the mesh size of the main netting could be increased to 30 mm.

The ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAFM) is considered one of the key management approaches for addressing global resource decline and promoting the health and resilience of ecosystems. This paper explores how the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), which manages tuna fisheries, has incorporated the ecosystem approach into its management and decision-making system. This study finds that (1) the WCPFC lacks incentives to adopt EAFM as a whole due to its management priorities on target species and some key bycatch species; (2) inadequate scientific information on associated species and the environment hinders ecosystem risk assessments, leading to delays in EAFM-related decisions; and (3) the organization has given little consideration to human factors. The authors suggest developing an EAFM vision with a clear roadmap to guide the implementation of EAFM and applying area-based management tools in cases where there is limited data and scientific information. The proposed coordination mechanism aims to address growing concerns about labor issues by involving multiple stakeholders in the development of a management measure on labor standards.

A real-time tuna detection network on mobile devices is a common tool for accurate tuna catch statistics. However, most object detection models have multiple parameters, and normal mobile devices have difficulties in satisfying real-time detection. Based on YOLOv3, this paper proposes a Tuna-YOLO, which is a lightweight object detection network for mobile devices. Firstly, following a comparison of the performance of various lightweight backbone networks, the MobileNet v3 was used as a backbone structure to reduce the number of parameters and calculations. Secondly, the SENET module was replaced with a CBAM attention module to further improve the feature extraction ability of tuna. Then, the knowledge distillation was used to make the Tuna-YOLO detect more accurate. We created a small dataset by deframing electronic surveillance video of fishing boats and labeled the data. After data annotation on the dataset, the K-means algorithm was used to get nine better anchor boxes on the basis of label information, which was used to improve the detection precision. In addition, we compared the detection performance of the Tuna-YOLO and three versions of YOLO v5-6.1 s/m/l after image enhancement. The results show that the Tuna-YOLO reduces the parameters of YOLOv3 from 234.74 MB to 88.45 MB, increases detection precision from 93.33% to 95.83%, and increases the calculation speed from 10.12 fps to 15.23 fps. The performance of the Tuna-YOLO is better than three versions of YOLO v5-6.1 s/m/l. Tuna-YOLO provides a basis for subsequent deployment of algorithms to mobile devices and real-time catch statistics.

Evolution of accretion disk and corona during outbursts in black hole binary systems is still unclear. Here, the authors show spectral analysis of MAXI J1820+070 and propose a scenario of a dynamical corona to explain the evolution of the reflection fraction observed by Insight-HXMT.

We studied the broadband X-ray timing and spectral behaviors of the newly confirmed accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar MAXI J1816−195 during its 2022 outburst. We used data from the Insight-HXMT Medium Energy (ME) and High Energy (HE) telescopes, NICER, and NuSTAR that cover the energy range between 0.8 and 210 keV. A coherent timing analysis of solely the Insight-HXMT HE data across the full outburst revealed a complex behavior of the timing residuals, also prominently visible in the independent Insight-HXMT ME and NICER data, particularly at the rising part of the outburst and at the very end in the NICER data. Therefore, we broke down the full outburst into a (noisy) rising part, covering only about five days, from MJD 59737.0 to 59741.9, and a decaying part, lasting for 19 days across MJD 59741.9–59760.6. Fitting for the decaying part, a timing model including a frequency ν and frequency time derivative $\dot{\nu }$ component yielded a value of (+9.0 ± 2.1) × 10 ^−14 Hz s ^−1 for $\dot{\nu }$ , which could be interpreted as a spinup under our model assumptions. We detected X-ray pulsations up to ∼95 keV in a combination of Insight-HXMT HE observations. The pulse profiles were quite stable over the whole outburst and could be well described by a truncated Fourier series using two harmonics, the fundamental and the first overtone. Both components kept alignment in the range 0.8–64 keV. The joint and time-averaged NICER and Insight-HXMT spectra in the energy range 1–150 keV were well fitted by the absorbed Comptonization model compps plus disk blackbody with two additional Gaussian components. Using the bolometric flux and spinup values both evaluated during the decay phase, we determined a magnetic field strength of (0.2–2) × 10 ^8 G for MAXI J1816−195.

Under the condition of fully mechanized top coal caving in close-distance coal seams, the surrounding rock of the stopping space easily loses stability during the withdrawal of mining equipment in the working face because the lower coal seam working face is located under the goaf and the overburden rock has a large range of complex interaction. Field investigation, theoretical analysis, laboratory experiment, similar simulation experiment, numerical simulation, and field industrial tests are used to carry out the research on the stability and control of the surrounding rock in the large section stopping space under the goaf in this paper. The research conclusions are as follows. (1) It is determined that the lower coal seam working face can only stop mining under the goaf, and the reasonable stopping position under the goaf should ensure that the key block fracture line of the main roof is behind the support. (2) The interaction law between the main roof’s key blocks of the upper and lower coal seams is analyzed, and the catastrophic conditions for sliding instability and rotary instability of the main roof’s key blocks of the upper and lower coal seams are obtained. (3) “Anchorage with push and pull equipment-Embedded anchorages and trays” integral anchoring technology is developed. The dimensions of the push and pull equipment are determined. (4) Through numerical simulation of the distribution characteristics of the anchor cable pre-stress field, the asymmetric control scheme of “Partition long and short anchor cables + Integral polyurethane mesh + Embedded anchorages and trays for roof protection” is determined. The rock pressure observation shows that the withdrawal of the working face equipment is implemented safely.

PurposeIn recent years, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is increasingly used in adaptive radiation therapy (ART). However, compared with planning computed tomography (PCT), CBCT image has much more noise and imaging artifacts. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the image quality and HU accuracy of CBCT. In this study, we developed an unsupervised deep learning network (CycleGAN) model to calibrate CBCT images for the pelvis to extend potential clinical applications in CBCT-guided ART.MethodsTo train CycleGAN to generate synthetic PCT (sPCT), we used CBCT and PCT images as inputs from 49 patients with unpaired data. Additional deformed PCT (dPCT) images attained as CBCT after deformable registration are utilized as the ground truth before evaluation. The trained uncorrected CBCT images are converted into sPCT images, and the obtained sPCT images have the characteristics of PCT images while keeping the anatomical structure of CBCT images unchanged. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed CycleGAN, we use additional nine independent patients for testing.ResultsWe compared the sPCT with dPCT images as the ground truth. The average mean absolute error (MAE) of the whole image on testing data decreased from 49.96 ± 7.21HU to 14.6 ± 2.39HU, the average MAE of fat and muscle ROIs decreased from 60.23 ± 7.3HU to 16.94 ± 7.5HU, and from 53.16 ± 9.1HU to 13.03 ± 2.63HU respectively.ConclusionWe developed an unsupervised learning method to generate high-quality corrected CBCT images (sPCT). Through further evaluation and clinical implementation, it can replace CBCT in ART.

Abstract Background Bladder cancer is a complex disease associated with high morbidity and mortality. Management of bladder cancer before radical cystectomy continues to be controversial. We compared the long-term efficacy of one-shot neoadjuvant intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) versus no IAC (NIAC) before radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer. Methods We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent either one-shot IAC or NIAC before RC between October 2006 and November 2015. A propensity-score matching (1:3) was performed based on key characters. The Kaplan-Meier method was utilized to estimate survival probabilities, and the log-rank test was used to compare survival outcomes between different groups. A multivariable Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate survival outcomes. Results Twenty-six patients were treated using IAC before RC, and 123 NIAC patients also underwent RC. After matching, there was no significant difference between groups in baseline characteristics, perioperative variables, complication outcomes or tumor characteristics. Compared with clinical tumor stages, pathological tumor stages demonstrated a significant decrease (P = 0.002) in the IAC group. There was no significant difference in overall survival (OS, p = 0.354) or cancer-specific survival (CSS, p = 0.439) between the groups. Among all patients, BMI significantly affected OS (p = 0.004), and positive lymph nodes (PLN) significantly affected both OS (p

Abstract Purpose To compare the peri-operative outcomes of females undergoing laparoscopic intracorporeal urinary diversions (ICUD) and extracorporeal urinary diversions (ECUD) after laparoscopic radical cystectomies (LRC). Patients and methods Thirty-eight females who underwent LRCs and urinary diversions from February 2008 to October 2018 were divided into two groups: the ECUD group (19 patients) and the ICUD group (19 patients). We retrospectively analysed the patients in terms of patients’ demographics, peri-operative outcomes, and oncological follow-ups. Results There were significant differences in the mean operative times between ECUDs and ICUDs (364.6 vs. 297.1 min, p = 0.007), transfusion rates (37% vs. 5%, p = 0.042), time to flatus (5 vs. 3 days, p = 0.020), time to ambulation (2 vs. 1 days, p = 0.022), and duration of postoperative hospital stays (22 vs. 13 days, p = 0.002). The mean lymph node yield was 12.9 in the ECUD group and 18.6 in the ICUD group (p = 0.140). Seven out of 19 patients (37%) in the ECUD group and 6 out of 19 patients (32%) in the ICUD group had positive lymph nodes (p > 0.9). Two out of 19 ECUD patients (11%) and 4 of 19 ICUD patients (21%) had positive surgical margins (p = 0.660). Although there were no differences in major complications at 30 days and in all complications at 90 days, the Clavien grade II complications were significantly different at 30 days (ECUD 8, ICUD 2; p = 0.026). The mean follow-up times were 48.7 months (ECUD group) and 26.4 months (ICUD group). There were no statistically significant differences in estimated glomerular filtration rates postoperatively (p = 0.516). Seven patients had disease metastases (ECUD 2 out of 19, ICUD 5 out of 19; p = 0.405) and 5 died (ECUD 3 out of 19, ICUD 2 out of 19; p > 0.9). Conclusions ICUDs benefit females by having smaller incisions, faster recoveries, and decreased complication rates.

Abstract In this work, the hierarchical tin oxide nanoflowers have been successfully synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method followed by calcination. The as-obtained samples were investigated as a kind of gas sensing material candidate for methanol. A series of examinations has been performed to explore the structure, morphology, element composition, and gas sensing performance of as-synthesized product. The hierarchical tin oxide nanoflowers exhibit sensitivity to 100 ppm methanol and the response is 58, which is ascribed to the hierarchical structure. The response and recovery time are 4 s and 8 s, respectively. Moreover, the as-prepared sensor has a low working temperature of 200 °C which is lower than that for other gas sensors of such type has been reported elsewhere. The excellent sensitivity of the sensor is caused by its complex phase mixture of SnO, SnO2, Sn2O3, and Sn6O4 revealed by XRD analysis. The proposed hierarchical tin oxide nanoflowers gas sensing material is promising for development of methanol gas sensor. Graphical Abstract The as-obtained hierarchical tin oxide nanoflower (HTONF) gas sensor shows excellent gas-sensing performance at low working temperature (200 °C) and high annealing temperature (400 °C).

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process in which epithelial cells undergo a series of biochemical changes to acquire a mesenchymal phenotype, has been linked to tumor metastasis. Here, we present a novel strategy for knocking out the EMT-related Cdh2 gene, which encodes N-cadherin through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing by an ultrasound combined with biosynthetic nanobubbles (Gas Vesicles, GVs). Polyethyleneimine were employed as a gene delivery vector to deliver sgRNA into 4T1 cells that stably express the Cas9 protein, resulting in the stable Cdh2 gene- knockout cell lines. The Western blotting assay confirmed the absence of an N-cadherin protein in these Cdh2 gene-knockout 4T1 cell lines. Significantly reduced tumor cell migration was observed in the Cdh2 gene-knockout 4T1 cells in comparison with the wild-type cells. Our study demonstrated that an ultrasound combined with GVs could effectively mediate CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing of a Cdh2 gene to inhibit tumor invasion and metastasis.

Purpose To present our surgical techniques and experiences of retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephroureterectomy for the treatment of tuberculous nonfunctioning kidneys. Materials and Methods From March 2005 to March 2013, a total of 51 patients with tuberculous nonfunctioning kidney underwent retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephroureterectomy at our medical center. The techniques included early control of renal vessels and dissection of the diseased kidney along the underlying layer outside the Gerato’s fascia. The distal ureter was dissected through a Gibson incision and the entire specimen was removed en bloc from the incision. Patient demographics, perioperative characteristics and laboratory parameters as well as postoperative outcome were retrospectively reviewed. Results Retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephroureterectomy was successfully performed in 50 patients, whereas one case required conversion to open surgery due to non-progression of dissection. The mean operating time was 123.0 minutes (107-160 minutes) and the mean estimated blood loss was 134 mL (80-650 mL).The mean postoperative hospital stay was 3.6 days (3-5days) and the mean return to normal activity was 11.6 days (10-14days). Most intra-operative and post-operative complications were minor complications and can be managed conservatively. After 68 months (12-96 months) follow-up, the outcome was satisfactory, and ureteral stump syndrome did not occur. Conclusions Retroperitoneal laparoscopic nephroureterectomy as a minimally invasive treatment option is feasible for treatment of tuberculous nonfunctioning kidneys.

Quercetin and 2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME) are promising anti-cancer substances. Our previous in vitro study showed that quercetin synergized with 2-Methoxyestradiol exhibiting increased antiproliferative and proapoptotic activity in both androgen-dependent LNCaP and androgen-independent PC-3 human prostate cancer cell lines. In the present study, we determined whether their combination could inhibit LNCaP and PC-3 xenograft tumor growth in vivo and explored the underlying mechanism. Human prostate cancer LNCaP and PC-3 cells were inoculated subcutaneously in male BALB/c nude mice. When xenograft tumors reached about 100 mm3, mice were randomly allocated to vehicle control, quercetin or 2-Methoxyestradiol singly treated and combination treatment groups. After therapeutic intervention for 4 weeks, combination treatment of quercetin and 2-ME i) significantly inhibited prostate cancer xenograft tumor growth by 46.8% for LNCaP and 51.3% for PC-3 as compared to vehicle control group, more effective than quercetin (28.4% for LNCaP, 24.8% for PC3) or 2-ME (32.1% for LNCaP, 28.9% for PC3) alone; ii) was well tolerated by BALB/c mice and no obvious toxic reactions were observed; iii) led to higher Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, cleaved caspase-3 protein expression and apoptosis rate; and iv) resulted in lower phosphorylated AKT (pAKT) protein level, vascular endothelial growth factor protein and mRNA expression, microvascular density and proliferation rate than single drug treatment. These effects were more remarkable compared to vehicle group. Therefore, combination of quercetin and 2-ME can serve as a novel clinical treatment regimen owning the potential of enhancing antitumor effect on prostate cancer in vivo and lessening the dose and side effects of either quercetin or 2-ME alone. These in vivo results will lay a further solid basis for subsequent researches on this novel therapeutic regimen in human prostate cancer.

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of simultaneous treatment of parapelvic renal cysts and stones by flexible ureterorenoscopy with a novel four-step cyst localization strategy in selected patients. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 11 consecutive cases of parapelvic renal cysts with concomitant calculi treated by flexible ureterorenoscopy and laser lithotripsy (FURSL). Marsupialization was performed subsequently with holmium: YAG laser in our institution. Fragmentation was used to manage renal stones and a novel four-step cyst localization strategy was applied in each case for marsupialization. Results: There were no intraoperative complications. Two cases of cystitis were reported postoperatively. The mean operative times of FURSL and marsupialization were 23.6 ± 3.9 minutes and 29.1 ± 9.7 minutes, respectively. During marsupialization, seven patients underwent the first two steps of the new strategy, two patients underwent three steps and two patients underwent all four steps. The mean reduction in hemoglobin level was 4.7 ± 1.7 g / L (range 3-8 g / L). The mean length of hospital stay was 1.2 ± 0.4 days. During a mean follow-up duration of 18 months, all cases remained stone-free and there was no stone recurrence. Parapelvic cysts became undetectable in eight cases and decreased in size by at least half in three cases. Conclusion: With appropriate patient selection, FURSL and marsupialization with a four-step cyst localization strategy is feasible, safe, and effective in treating parapelvic renal cysts with concomitant calculi.