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Abstract Resection of thoracic wall tumors results in significant defects in the chest wall, leading to various complications. In recent years, the use of three-dimensional (3D) printed titanium alloy prostheses in clinical practice has demonstrated enhanced outcomes in chest wall reconstruction surgery. A cohort of seven patients with sternal tumors was identified for this study. Following a helical CT scan, a digital model was generated for the design of the prosthesis. Subsequently, the tumors were then removed together with the affected sternum and ribs. The chest wall was then reconstructed using 3D-printed titanium alloy prosthesis for bone reconstruction, mesh for pleural reconstruction, and flap for soft tissue reconstruction. Patients were monitored for a period of one year post-surgery. In the seven cases examined, the tumors were found in various locations with varying degrees of invasion. Based on the scope of surgical resection and the size of the defect, 3D-printed titanium alloy prosthesis was custom-designed for chest wall reconstruction. Prior to bone reconstruction, pleural reconstruction was achieved with Bard Composix E/X Mesh, while soft tissue repair involved muscle flap and musculocutaneous flap procedures. A one-year follow-up assessment revealed that the utilization of the 3D-printed titanium alloy prosthesis led to secure fixation, favorable histocompatibility, and enhanced lung function. The findings demonstrate that the utilization of 3D printed titanium alloy prostheses represents a significant advancement in the field of chest wall reconstruction and thoracic surgical procedures.

Abstract Background Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a common phenomenon and contributes to the severe light pollution suffered by more than 80% of the world's population. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between outdoor ALAN exposure and cardiovascular health (CVH) in patients with diabetes and the influence of various modifiable factors. Methods A survey method based on the China Diabetes and Risk Factor Monitoring System was adopted. Study data were extracted for 1765 individuals with diabetes in Anhui Province. Outdoor ALAN exposure (nW/cm2/sr) within 1000 m of each participant's residential address was obtained from satellite imagery data, with a resolution of ~1000 m. Health risk behaviors (HRBs) were measured via a standardized questionnaire. A linear regression model was employed to estimate the relationship between outdoor ALAN, HRBs, and CVH. Results Participants' mean age was 59.10 ± 10.0 years. An association was observed between ALAN and CVH in patients with diabetes (β = 0.205) and exercise (β = −1.557), moderated by HRBs, or metabolic metrics. There was an association between ALAN, ALAN, vegetable intake, and CVH. Conclusions Exploring the relationship between ALAN exposure and cardiovascular and metabolic health provides policy data for improving light pollution strategies and reducing the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease in patients with diabetes.

Abstract Background Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has exhibited an increasing trend in recent years and is now globally recognized as a major public health problem among adolescents and young adults. Negative life events (NLEs) are positively associated with NSSI. We sought to explore (1) whether sex plays a role in the risk of NLEs leading to NSSI and (2) the role played by mental health (MH). Methods We adopted a multi-stage cluster sampling method to select college students across four grades from May to June 2022. Generalized linear models were used to evaluate the relationships between NLEs, sex, MH and NSSI, presented as incidence-rate ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We examined the complex relationship between these variables using the PROCESS method for moderation analysis. Results Following the exclusion of data that did not meet the study requirements, data from 3,578 students (mean age: 20.53 [± 1.65] years) were included. Poisson regression results indicate that high-level NLEs (RR = 0.110, 95%CI: 0.047–0.173) are associated with increased NSSI. Furthermore, interaction effects were observed among sex, NLEs and NSSI. MH and sex moderated the relationship between NLEs and NSSI. Conclusion Identifying risk factors for NSSI is also important when exploring the interaction between NLEs and MH given the potential for NSSI to significantly increase the risk of later psychopathological symptoms and substance abuse problems. In addition, the significance of sex differences in risk factors for NSSI should be determined. This study evaluated how the impact of NLEs on NSSI can be reduced among adolescents from multiple perspectives.

Thermal boundary conditions of the turbine disk cavity system are of great importance in the design of secondary air systems in aero-engines. This study aims to investigate the complex heat transfer mechanisms of a rotating turbine disk under high-speed conditions. A high-speed rotating free-disk model with Dorfman empirical solutions is developed to evaluate the heat transfer performance considering various factors. Specifically, the influence of compressibility, variable properties, and heat dissipation is determined using theoretical and numerical analyses. In particular, a novel combined solution method is proposed to simplify the complex heat transfer problem. The results indicate that the heat transfer performance of a free disk is primarily influenced by the rotating Mach number, rotating Reynolds number, Rossby number, and wall temperature ratio. The heat transfer temperature and Nusselt number of the free disk are strongly correlated with the rotating Mach number and rotating Reynolds number. Analysis reveals that heat dissipation is a critical factor affecting the accurate evaluation of the heat transfer performance of the turbine disk. Thus, the combined solution method can serve as a reference for future investigations of flow and heat transfer in high-speed rotating turbine disk cavity systems in aero-engines.

Abstract Exhausted CD8+ T lymphocytes and tumor-associated macrophages play critical roles in determining cancer prognosis and the efficacy of immunotherapy. Our study revealed a negative correlation between exhausted CD8+ T lymphocytes and prognosis in thyroid carcinoma (THCA). Consensus clustering divided patients into two subgroups of exhaustion with different prognoses, as defined by marker genes of exhausted CD8+ T cells. Subsequently, we constructed an eight-gene prognostic signature, and developed a risk score named the exhaustion-related gene score (ERGS) to forecast both prognosis and immunotherapy response in THCA. Bulk RNA sequencing analysis revealed a higher prevalence of M2 macrophages, indicative of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), in the high-ERGS group. Single-cell RNA sequencing showed that SPP1+ macrophages and CD14+ monocytes infiltrations were positively associated with higher ERGS. Functionally, it was determined that SPP1+ macrophages exert an immunosuppressive role, while CD14+ monocytes were implicated in promoting tumor progression and angiogenesis. Analysis of cell–cell interactions between SPP1+ macrophages and T cells highlighted the activation of the SPP1-CD44 and MIF-CD74 axes, both of which could foster an immunosuppressive TME. Therapeutic strategies that target SPP1+ macrophages, CD14+ monocytes, and the SPP1-CD44 and MIF-CD74 axes may potentially improve the prognosis and amplify the immunotherapy response in THCA patients.

ObjectiveRadiomics can non-invasively predict the prognosis of a tumour by applying advanced imaging feature algorithms.The aim of this study was to predict the chance of postoperative recurrence by modelling tumour radiomics and peritumour radiomics and clinical features in patients with stage I lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).Materials and methodsRetrospective analysis of 190 patients with postoperative pathologically confirmed stage I LUAD from centre 1, who were divided into training cohort and internal validation cohort, with centre 2 added as external validation cohort. To develop a combined radiation-clinical omics model nomogram incorporating clinical features based on images from low-dose lung cancer screening CT plain for predicting postoperative recurrence and to evaluate the performance of the nomogram in the training cohort, internal validation cohort and external validation cohort.ResultsA total of 190 patients were included in the model in centre 1 and randomised into a training cohort of 133 and an internal validation cohort of 57 in a ratio of 7:3, and 39 were included in centre 2 as an external validation cohort. In the training cohort (AUC=0.865, 95% CI 0.824-0.906), internal validation cohort (AUC=0.902, 95% CI 0.851-0.953) and external validation cohort (AUC=0.830,95% CI 0.751-0.908), the combined radiation-clinical omics model had a good predictive ability. The combined model performed significantly better than the conventional single-modality models (clinical model, radiomic model), and the calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) showed high accuracy and clinical utility of the nomogram.ConclusionThe combined preoperative radiation-clinical omics model provides good predictive value for postoperative recurrence in stage ILUAD and combines the model’s superiority in both internal and external validation cohorts, demonstrating its potential to aid in postoperative treatment strategies.

BackgroundMitochondrial dysfunction plays a crucial role in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and its complications. However, the genetic pathophysiology remains under investigation. Through multi-omics Mendelian Randomization (MR) and colocalization analyses, we identified mitochondrial-related genes causally linked with T2DM and its complications.MethodsSummary-level quantitative trait loci data at methylation, RNA, and protein levels were retrieved from European cohort studies. GWAS summary statistics for T2DM and its complications were collected from the DIAGRAM and FinnGen consortiums, respectively. Summary-data-based MR was utilized to estimate the causal effects. The heterogeneity in dependent instrument test assessed horizontal pleiotropy, while colocalization analysis determined whether genes and diseases share the same causal variant. Enrichment analysis, drug target analysis, and phenome-wide MR were conducted to further explore the biological functions, potential drugs, and causal associations with other diseases.ResultsIntegrating evidence from multi-omics, we identified 18 causal mitochondrial-related genes. Enrichment analysis revealed they were not only related to nutrient metabolisms but also to the processes like mitophagy, autophagy, and apoptosis. Among these genes, Tu translation elongation factor mitochondrial (TUFM), 3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase (HIBCH), and iron-sulfur cluster assembly 2 (ISCA2) were identified as Tier 1 genes, showing causal links with T2DM and strong colocalization evidence. TUFM and ISCA2 were causally associated with an increased risk of T2DM, while HIBCH showed an inverse causal relationship. The causal associations and colocalization effects for TUFM and HIBCH were validated in specific tissues. TUFM was also found to be a risk factor for microvascular complications in T2DM patients including retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy. Furthermore, drug target analysis and phenome-wide MR underscored their significance as potential therapeutic targets.ConclusionsThis study identified 18 mitochondrial-related genes causally associated with T2DM at multi-omics levels, enhancing the understanding of mitochondrial dysfunction in T2DM and its complications. TUFM, HIBCH, and ISCA2 emerge as potential therapeutic targets for T2DM and its complications.

Abstract Objective The present research aimed to explore the dynamic change of the neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and its relationship with functional outcome following an acute ischemic stroke (AIS), whether receiving intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) or not. Methods We retrospectively analyzed data that were prospectively acquired from patients with AIS treated with IVT or not. For patients receiving IVT, the NLR was based on a blood test performed prior to IVT (d0) and at different time points after disease onset (d1, d3, d7). In addition, in the non‐IVT group, the NLR was obtained at different time points after disease onset (d1, d3, d7). Follow‐ups were performed 3 months after onset via telephone. In addition, a good outcome was defined as a modified Rankin scale (mRS) ≤1; a poor outcome means 2 ≤ mRS ≤ 6. Results A total of 204 AIS patients were included in this study. The NLR presented a dynamic change as it increased to its peak at day 1 and gradually declined to its baseline at day 7, no matter whether patients were receiving IVT or not. Patients with poor outcomes have a higher NLR at various time points. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), NLR d1, NLR d3, and NLR d7 were independently associated with functional outcomes. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of NLR in predicting outcomes was as follows: NLR d3 demonstrated robust predictive power within the IVT therapy cohort, whereas NLR d7 was predictive in the non‐IVT cohort. However, the most potent predictor emerged as the combination of NIHSS and NLR. Conclusion NLR has the potential to predicate diagnosis for AIS, especially when combined with the NIHSS score.

Abstract Objective Gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease (GI-GVHD) is one of the complications that can easily occur after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Timely diagnosis and treatment are pivotal factors that greatly influence the prognosis of patients. However, the current diagnostic method lacks adequate non-invasive diagnostic tools. Methods A total of 190 patients who suspected GI-GVHD were retrospectively included and divided into training set (n = 114) and testing set (n = 76) according to their discharge time. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to screen for clinically independent predictors. Based on the logistic regression results, both computed tomography (CT) signs and clinically independent predictors were integrated in order to build the nomogram, while the testing set was verified independently. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC), area under the curve (AUC), decision curve, and clinical impact curve were used to measure the accuracy of prediction, clinical net benefit, and consistency of diagnostic factors. Results Four key factors, including II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), the circular target sign, multifocal intestinal inflammation, and an increased in total bilirubin, were identified. The combined model, which was constructed from CT signs and clinical factors, showed higher predictive performances. The AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of the training set were 0.867, 0.787, and 0.811, respectively. Decision curve analysis (DCA), net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) showed that the developed model exhibited a better prediction accuracy than the others. Conclusions This combined model facilitates timely diagnosis and treatment and subsequently improves survival and overall outcomes in patients with GI-GVHD. Critical relevance statement GI-GVHD is one of the complications that can easily occur after HSCT. However, the current diagnostic approach lacks adequate non-invasive diagnostic methods. This non-invasive combined model facilitates timely treatment and subsequently improves patients with GI-GVHD survival and overall outcomes. Key points • There is currently lacking of non-invasive diagnostic methods for GI-GVHD. • Four clinical CT signs are the independent predictors for GI-GVHD. • Association between the CT signs with clinical factors may improve the diagnostic performance of GI-GVHD. Graphical Abstract

The grain refinement and texture regulation mechanism of spin-formed commercially pure titanium (CP–Ti) cathode during annealing were studied by electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that the CP-Ti is seriously deformed after spinning, and the internal strain forms are mainly tension in spinning direction (SD), compression in normal direction (ND), and shear in transverse direction (TD). The dynamic recrystallization occurs during the spinning process, and the recrystallization nucleation mechanism is mainly subgrain nucleation. When spin-formed CP-Ti is annealed at 500 °C, the well-defined substructures generated by fragmentation of primary grains during deformation, as well as the cellular substructures formed by rearrangement of high-density entangled dislocations during annealing can evolve into a large number of fine equiaxed and randomly oriented recrystallized grains. In this case, the subgrain nucleation-dominated recrystallization nucleation mechanism can significantly refine grains. When annealed at 560 °C, a large number of tongue-shaped nuclei with similar orientation to the original grain generated at the grain boundaries, the recrystallization nucleation is inferred to be dominated by grain boundary bulge mechanism. Different recrystallization nucleation mechanisms result in different annealing texture evolution behaviors. When annealed at 500 °C, in the rapid nucleation stage of recrystallization (before 30 min), the texture strength is gradually weakened due to many randomly oriented recrystallized nuclei. With increasing the time from 30 min to 60 min, the recrystallization nucleation and growth reach a dynamic equilibrium, the texture strength tends to be stable. When annealed at 560 °C, a large number of recrystallized grains with similar orientation to the original deformed grains are formed. Oriented nucleation results in a strong texture at the short annealing time (5 min), but the competitive growth of different orientations makes the texture strength gradually decrease with the prolongation of annealing time. In any case, the overall texture strength annealed at 560 °C is higher than that annealed at 500 °C under the same annealing time.

Abstract Background This study aimed to compare the efficacy of focused ultrasound (FUS) and the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) for the treatment of cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs) among women of reproductive age. Methods Case records of patients aged

Inpainting images that have sizable missing blocks presents a considerable challenge in terms of preserving visual consistency and attaining a convincing result. In this study, the multi-scale generative adversarial network with multi-head external attention for image inpainting (denoted as MGDAN) is proposed. First, an adaptive weight style loss is designed into the generator of multi-scale generative adversarial networks (GAN) to guide the inpainting of the style and structure in the image inpainting, which improves the inpainting effect of image contour and emoticon. Second, the Adaptive Mix model is introduced to address the imbalance in generator and discriminator training by reducing the distance between the difficult and easy samples. This approach is intended to improve the overall performance of the network and drive high-quality image generation. Third, the generator and local discriminator in the image inpainting process are enhanced by the introduction of a multi-head external attention mechanism. This addition aims to capture the long-distance and multi-level dependent relationships between different areas of the image. It is proved beneficial for the generating clear geometric contours in the restored images and improving the overall global consistency of the inpainted results. By employing specific experimental methods, we find the optimal number of heads. The effectiveness of the proposed approach also is demonstrated through the extensive experiments conducted on public datasets.

Abstract Background Body mass index (BMI) is an important risk factor for hypertension in diabetic patients. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Although liver-derived biological intermediates may play irreplaceable roles in the pathophysiology of diabetes, few studies have explored them in the association between BMI and hypertension in diabetes. Objective To investigate the role of liver enzymes in mediating the relationship between BIM exposure and hypertension in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods We included a total of 1765 participants from the China National Diabetic Chronic Complications Study Cohort. Associations between liver enzymes and hypertension were estimated using multivariable regression models. The function of liver indicators in the relationship between BMI and hypertension was assessed using mediation analysis. Mediation analysis was conducted, taking into account age, diabetes duration, current smoking, fasting plasma glucose level, glycated hemoglobin, anti-diabetic therapy, and family history of diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and hyperlipidemia. Results For men, the association of BMI with hypertension was partially mediated by alanine aminotransferase (ALT), with a proportion of mediation was 68.67%, by aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was 27.02%, and by γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) was 38.58%, by AST/ALT was 63.35%; for women, the proportion mediated by ALT was 36.93%, and by AST was 37.47%, and GGT was 44.60%, and AST/ALT was 43.73% for BMI (all P

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer‐related death worldwide. Functionally uncharacterized genes are an attractive repository to explore candidate oncogenes. It is demonstrated that C21orf58 displays an oncogenic role in promoting cell growth, tumorigenesis and sorafenib resistance of HCC cells by abnormal activation of STAT3 signaling. Mechanistically, a novel manner to regulate STAT3 signaling that adaptor C21orf58 forms a ternary complex is reveal with N‐terminal domain of STAT3 and SH2 domain of JAK2, by which C21orf58 overactivates wild‐type STAT3 by facilitating its phosphorylation mediated by JAK2, and hyper‐activates of constitutively mutated STAT3 due to preferred binding with C21orf58 and JAK2. Moreover, it is validated that inhibition of C21orf58 with drug alminoprofen, selected by virtual screening, could effectively repress the viability and tumorigenesis of HCC cells. Therefore, it is identified that C21orf58 functions as an oncogenic adaptor, reveal a novel regulatory mechanism of JAK2/STAT3 signaling, explain the cause of abnormal activity of activated mutants of STAT3, and explore the attractive therapeutic potential by targeting C21orf58 in HCC.

Abstract Objective To investigate and evaluate the biomechanical behaviour of a novel bone cement screw in the minimally invasive treatment of Kummell's disease (KD) by finite element (FE) analysis. Methods A validated finite element model of healthy adult thoracolumbar vertebrae T12-L2 was given the osteoporotic material properties and the part of the middle bone tissue of the L1 vertebral body was removed to make it wedge-shaped. Based on these, FE model of KD was established. The FE model of KD was repaired and treated with three options: pure percutaneous vertebroplasty (Model A), novel unilateral cement screw placement (Model B), novel bilateral cement screw placement (Model C). Range of motion (ROM), maximum Von-Mises stress of T12 inferior endplate and bone cement, relative displacement of bone cement, and stress distribution of bone cement screws of three postoperative models and intact model in flexion and extension, as well as lateral bending and rotation were analyzed and compared. Results The relative displacements of bone cement of Model B and C were similar in all actions studied, and both were smaller than that of Model A. The minimum value of relative displacement of bone cement is 0.0733 mm in the right axial rotation of Model B. The maximum Von-Mises stress in T12 lower endplate and bone cement was in Model C. The maximum Von-Mises stress of bone cement screws in Model C was less than that in Model B, and it was the most substantial in right axial rotation, which is 34%. There was no substantial difference in ROM of the three models. Conclusion The novel bone cement screw can effectively reduce the relative displacement of bone cement by improving the stability of local cement. Among them, novel unilateral cement screw placement can obtain better fixation effect, and the impact on the biomechanical environment of vertebral body is less than that of novel bilateral cement screw placement, which provides a reference for minimally invasive treatment of KD in clinical practice.

Bi3+ doped Ti/Sb-SnO2/PbO2 electrode materials were fabricated by electrodeposition to improve their electrochemical performance in zinc electrowinning. The surface morphology, chemical composition, and hydrophilicity of the as-prepared electrodes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and contact angle. An electrochemical measurement and an accelerated lifetime experiment were also conducted to investigate the electrocatalytic performance and stability of the electrodes. The results show that the Bi3+ modification electrode has an important effect on the coating morphology, the crystal structure, the surface hydrophilicity, the electrocatalytic activity, and the stability. The electrode prepared from the solution containing 2 mmol·L−1 Bi(NO3)3 (marked as the Ti/Sb-SnO2/2Bi-PbO2 electrode) exhibits the best hydrophilicity performance (θ = 21.6°) and the longest service life (1196 h). During the electrochemical characterization analysis, the Ti/Sb-SnO2/2Bi-PbO2 electrode showed the highest oxygen evolution activity, which can be attributed to it having the highest electroactive surface (qT* = 21.20 C·cm−2) and the best charge-transfer efficiency. The DFT calculation demonstrated that the doping of Bi3+ leads to a decrease in the OER reaction barrier and an increase in the DOS of the electrode, which further enhances the catalytic activity and the conductivity of the electrode. Moreover, the simulated zinc electrowinning experiment demonstrated that the Ti/Sb-SnO2/2Bi-PbO2 electrode consumes less energy than other electrodes. Therefore, it is expected that the Bi3+ modified electrode will become a very promising electrode material for zinc electrowinning in the future.

BackgroundThe impact of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is disproportionately felt by immigrants from low- to medium-income countries (LMICs), partly due to their dietary habits. To thrive in their new environment, migrants either omit or consume certain food items, which could lead to nutritional deficits. As a result, most migrants experience more NCDs than their compatriots in their native countries. Therefore, we evaluated the difference in dietary habits, quality, and the influencing factors of overweight or obesity among African migrant students in Nanjing (China) and non-migrant students in Africa using cross-sectional data.MethodsThe researchers used the food frequency questionnaire and the global diet quality score metrics to assess food intake and quality, respectively. Then, cross-tabulation was employed to explore the differences between the groups in meal skipping, eating habits, and diet quality. Finally, the factors associated with overweight or obesity were assessed with binary logistic regression stratified by African students in Nanjing and students in their native countries.ResultsApproximately 678 responses were received, mainly between 18–25 years (46.7%) and 26–36 years (45.4 %). The majority of them (52.3%) were international students. The non-migrant African students' diets lacked citrus fruits (22.2%), deep orange fruits (15.4%), deep orange vegetables (18%), cruciferous vegetables (24.6%), and dark leafy vegetables (26.5%). While the African migrant students consumed more high-fat dairy (50.7%), processed meats (23.9%), sweets and ice creams (51.3%), sugar-sweetened beverages (40.5%), and juice (61.5%), p < 0.001. Furthermore, consuming late-night meals constantly [Exp (B) = 39.607, p = 0.049], eating twice a day [Exp (B) = 6.527, p = 0.036], consuming red meat [Exp (B) = 29.287, p = 0.001], processed meats [Exp (B) = 719.979, p = 0.0011], refined grains and baked foods [Exp (B) = 15.752, p = 0.013], and sweets and ice cream [Exp (B) = 193.633, p = 0.006] were factors inducing overweight or obesity among only African migrant students.ConclusionControlling the what (Western diet and nature of late-night meals) and the when of eating can drastically reduce their influence on obesogenic condition formation in African migrant students in China and elsewhere.

ObjectiveTo summarize the research progress of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in quantifying liver iron load.MethodsTo summarize the current status and progress of MRI technology in the quantitative study of liver iron load through reviewing the relevant literature at home and abroad.ResultsDifferent MRI sequence examination techniques have formed a series of non-invasive methods for the examination of liver iron load. These techniques have important clinical significance in the imaging diagnosis of liver iron load. So far, the main MRI methods used to assess liver iron load are: signal intensity measurement method (signal intensity, SI) [signal intensity ratio (SIR) and difference in in-phase and out-of-phase signal intensity], T2/R2 measurement (such as FerriScan technique), ultra-short echo time (UTE) imaging technique, and susceptibility weighted imaging (including conventional susceptibility weighted imaging) (SWI), quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), T2*/R2* measurement, Dixon and its derivative techniques.ConclusionMRI has become the first choice for the non-invasive examination of liver iron overload, and it is helpful to improve the early detection of liver injury, liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer caused by liver iron overload.

Abstract Objects Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers in the world. Approximately two-thirds of patients with CRC will develop colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM) at some point in time. In this study, we aimed to construct a prognostic model of CRLM and its competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network. Methods RNA-seq of CRC, CRLM and normal samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus database. Limma was used to obtain differential expression genes (DEGs) between CRLM and CRC from sequencing data and GSE22834, and Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes functional enrichment analyses were performed, respectively. Univariate Cox regression analysis and lasso Cox regression models were performed to screen prognostic gene features and construct prognostic models. Functional enrichment, estimation of stromal and immune cells in malignant tumor tissues using expression data (ESTIMATE) algorithm, single-sample gene set enrichment analysis, and ceRNA network construction were applied to explore potential mechanisms. Results An 8-gene prognostic model was constructed by screening 112 DEGs from TCGA and GSE22834. CRC patients in the TCGA and GSE29621 cohorts were stratified into either a high-risk group or a low-risk group. Patients with CRC in the high-risk group had a significantly poorer prognosis compared to in the low-risk group. The risk score was identified as an independent predictor of prognosis. Functional analysis revealed that the risk score was closly correlated with various immune cells and immune-related signaling pathways. And a prognostic gene-associated ceRNA network was constructed that obtained 3 prognosis gene, 14 microRNAs (miRNAs) and 7 long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Conclusions In conclusion, a prognostic model for CRLM identification was proposed, which could independently identify high-risk patients with low survival, suggesting a relationship between local immune status and prognosis of CRLM. Moreover, the key prognostic genes-related ceRNA network were established for the CRC investigation. Based on the differentially expressed genes between CRLM and CRC, the prognosis model of CRC patients was constructed.

Vessel detection is critical for ensuring maritime transportation and navigational safety, creating a pressing need for detection methodologies that are more efficient, precise, and intelligent in the maritime domain. Nonetheless, accurately detecting vessels across multiple scales remains challenging due to the diversity in vessel types and locations, similarities in ship hull shapes, and disturbances from complex environmental conditions. To address these issues, we introduce an innovative FSN-YOLO framework that utilizes enhanced YOLOv8 with multi-layer attention feature fusion. Specifically, FSN-YOLO employs the backbone structure of FasterNet, enriching feature representations through super-resolution processing with a lightweight Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), thereby achieving a balance between processing speed and model size without compromising accuracy. Furthermore, FSN-YOLO uses the Receptive-Field Attention (RFA) mechanism to adaptively fine-tune the feature responses between channels, significantly boosting the network’s capacity to capture critical information and, in turn, improve the model’s overall performance and enrich the discriminative feature representation of ships. Experimental validation on the Seaship7000 dataset showed that, compared to the baseline YOLOv8l approach, FSN-YOLO considerably increased accuracy, recall rates, and mAP@0.5:0.95 by absolute margins of 0.82%, 1.54%, and 1.56%, respectively, positioning it at the forefront of current state-of-the-art models.

PurposeLow-quality dietary practices, such as fast food consumption and skipping meals, deteriorate the quality of life. However, the available studies on diet and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) used matrices not specific to nutrition. Moreover, how diet affects the HRQoL of international students in China is unknown. Therefore, using a cross-sectional study, the effect of dietary patterns and habits on the HRQoL of international students in Nanjing, China, was examined.MethodsThe researchers collected dietary data using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) from February to March 2022. Then, the Food Benefit Assessment (FBA) was used to access HRQoL. Finally, the effect of eating habits and dietary patterns on HRQoL was explored using multilinear regression.ResultsApproximately 454 responses were obtained, with the responses mostly from male subjects (56.4%) and those aged 26 years and above (75.6%). The quality of life according to the food consumed was about average for all the constructs except for aesthetics and disease prevention, as 65.8% skipped meals, particularly breakfast (47.8%). Furthermore, three dietary patterns were identified: prudent, Western, and animal protein patterns. Consequently, by skipping breakfast, vitality (β = −2.362, p = 0.04), wellbeing (β = −3.592, p = 0.007), digestive comfort (β = −4.734, p = 0.008), and disease prevention (β = −5.071, p = 0.031) were all reduced. However, consuming at least three meals daily enhanced vitality (β = 2.254, p = 0.003) and disease prevention (β = 4.441, p = 0.019). Furthermore, aesthetics (β = 4.456, p = 0.05), physical appearance (β = 5.927, p = 0.003), and vitality (β = 3.323, p = 0.009) were also significantly increased by healthy dietary patterns. However, a more Westernized diet led to frequent snacking (β = −4.631, p = 0.032), a decline in wellbeing (β = −5.370, p

IntroductionMicrobial infections are associated with the occurrence of autoimmune diseases, but the mechanisms of microbial infection inducing autoimmune diseases are not fully understood. The existence of heterophilic antigens between microorganisms and human tissues may explain part of the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Here, we investigate the distribution of heterophilic antigens and its relationship with autoimmune diseases.MethodsMonoclonal antibodies against a variety of microorganisms were prepared. The titer, subclass and reactivity of antibodies with microorganisms were identified, and heterophilic antibodies that cross-reacted with human tissues were screened by human tissue microarray. The reactivity of these heterophilic antibodies with different individuals and different species was further examined by immunohistochemistry.ResultsIn this study, 21 strains of heterophilic antibodies were screened. The results showed that these heterophilic antibodies were produced due to the existence of heterophilic antigens between microorganism and human body and the distribution of heterophilic antigens had individual, tissue and species differences.ConclusionOur study showed that heterophilic antigens exist widely between microorganisms and human body, and the heterophilic antigens carried by microorganisms may break the immune tolerance of the body through carrier effect and initiate immune response, which may be one of the important mechanisms of infection inducing autoimmune diseases.

Introduction: Both CRISPR/dCas9 and CRISPR/dCpf1 genome editing systems have shown exciting promises in modulating yeast cell metabolic pathways. However, each system has its deficiencies to overcome. In this study, to achieve a compensatory effect, we successfully constructed a dual functional CRISPR activation/inhibition (CRISPRa/i) system based on Sp-dCas9 and Fn-dCpf1 proteins, along with their corresponding complementary RNAs.Methods: We validated the high orthogonality and precise quantity targeting of selected yeast promoters. Various activating effector proteins (VP64, p65, Rta, and VP64-p65-Rta) and inhibiting effector proteins (KRAB, MeCP2, and KRAB-MeCP2), along with RNA scaffolds of MS2, PP7 and crRNA arrays were implemented in different combinations to investigate quantitative promoter strength. In the CRISPR/dCas9 system, the regulation rate ranged from 81.9% suppression to 627% activation in the mCherry gene reporter system. Studies on crRNA point mutations and crRNA arrays were conducted in the CRISPR/dCpf1 system, with the highest transcriptional inhibitory rate reaching up to 530% higher than the control. Furthermore, the orthogonal CRISPR/dCas9-dCpf1 inhibition system displayed distinct dual functions, simultaneously regulating the mCherry gene by dCas9/gRNA (54.6% efficiency) and eGFP gene by dCpf1/crRNA (62.4% efficiency) without signal crosstalk.Results and discussion: Finally, we established an engineered yeast cell factory for β-carotene production using the CRISPR/dCas9-dCpf1 bifunctional system to achieve targeted modulation of both heterologous and endogenous metabolic pathways in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The system includes an activation module of CRISPRa/dCas9 corresponding to a gRNA-protein complex library of 136 plasmids, and an inhibition module of CRISPRi/dCpf1 corresponding to a small crRNA array library. Results show that this CRISPR/dCas9-dCpf1 bifunctional orthogonal system is more quantitatively effective and expandable for simultaneous CRISPRa/i network control compared to single-guide edition, demonstrating higher potential of future application in yeast biotechnology.

Abstract Objective To study the biomechanical characteristics of various tissue structures of different sizes of 3D printed Cage in lumbar interbody fusion. Methods A finite element model of normal spine was reconstructed and verified. Pedicle screws and Cage of different sizes were implanted in the L4/5 segment to simulate lumbar interbody fusion. The range of motion of the fixed and cephalic adjacent segment, the stress of the screw-rod system, the stress at the interface between cage and L5 endplate, and intervertebral disc pressure of the adjacent segment were calculated and analyzed. Results The range of motion and intervertebral disc pressure of the adjacent segment of each postoperative model were larger than those of the intact model, but there was not much difference between them. The stress of cage-endplate interface was also larger than that of the intact model. However, the difference is that the stress of the endplate and the screw-rod system has a tendency to decrease with the increase of the axial area of cage. Conclusions Cage with larger axial area in lumbar interbody fusion can reduce the stress of internal fixation system and endplate, but will not increase the range of motion and intervertebral disc pressure of adjacent segment. It has a certain effect in preventing the cage subsidence, internal fixation system failure and screw rod fracture.

Purpose To investigate the safety, efficacy, and the immune responses of focused ultrasound in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN).Methods Patients with biopsy-confirmed CIN were recruited for focused ultrasound treatment and asked to return during 3–6 and 6–12 months post-treatment to receive cervical cytology, high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) detection, and colposcopy. The effective rate was evaluated within 3–6 months, whereas the recurrence rate was evaluated within 6–12 months. Cervicovaginal lavage and cervical tissue were sampled before and 3–6 months after treatment. The expression of interferon gamma (IFN-γ), endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1), human leucocyte antigen I (HLA-I), cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4), and cluster of differentiation 8 (CD8) in the cervical tissue were observed by immunohistochemistry. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) levels in the cervicovaginal lavage were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Comparisons were made in immune analyte levels before and after treatment.Results We analyzed the results of 154 patients. The effective rate at 3–6 months was 96.8%. The recurrence rate at 6–12 months was 2.0%. The eradication rate of HPV was 72.4% at 3–6 months and 81.0% at 6–12 months. No serious adverse reactions and complications were observed. After treatment, a higher expression of ERAP1 was observed (p 0.05).Conclusions Focused ultrasound is an effective and safe therapy for treating CIN, which could improve the local immune milieu of the cervix to some extent.

Objective To understand the structural characteristics of lapsed apheresis donors in our blood center and provide guidance for further improving recruitment and retention strategies by retrospectively analyzing the characteristics of lapsed apheresis donors in our center in recent years. Methods The apheresis donation and lapsed apheresis donors in Zhejiang Blood Center from 2016 to 2020 were statistically analyzed, and the general information of lapsed donors, including gender, blood type, age, education level and occupation composition, were compared and analyzed. The lapse of novel and long-term donors with different frequency were retrospectively analyzed. The SPSS 19.0 statistical software package was used for data analysis. Results In 2020, the total lapse of apheresis donors decreased by 16.6% as compared with 2016(P

Abstract Background Oculomotor nerve palsy (ONP) may result from posterior communicating artery (PcomA) aneurysms. We aimed to evaluate the resolution of ONP after endovascular treatment with the intention of clarifying predictors of nerve recovery in a relatively large series. Methods A total of 211 patients with ONP caused by PcomA aneurysms underwent endovascular coiling between May 2010 and December 2020 in four tertiary hospitals. We evaluated the demographics, clinical characteristics, aneurysm morphology parameters and ONP resolution to analyze the predictors of ONP recovery using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results At the last available clinical follow-up, ONP resolution was complete in 126 (59.7%) patients, partial in 73 (34.6%) patients, and no recovery in 12 (5.7%) patients. The median resolution time after endovascular treatment was 55 days (interquartile range: 40–90 days). In multivariate analysis, degree of ONP (incomplete palsy) on admission (OR 5.396; 95% CI 2.836–10.266; P

Abstract Background Surgical transepicondylar axis (sTEA) is frequently used for positioning of femoral component rotation in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Previous studies showed that intraoperative identification of sTEA was not reliable. While surgeons or engineers need to identify sTEA with three-dimensional (3D) computer-aid techniques pre- or intraoperatively, the reproducibility of sTEA identification on preoperative 3D images has not been explored yet. This study aimed to investigate the reproducibility of identifying sTEA in preoperative planning based on computed tomography (CT). Methods Fifty-nine consecutive patients (60 knees involved) who received TKA in our center from April 2019 to June 2019 were included in this study. Six experienced TKA surgeons identified sTEA three times on 3D model established on the basis of knee CT data. The projection angle of each sTEA and the posterior condyle axis on the transverse plane were measured and analyzed. Results The overall intra-observer reproducibility was moderate. The median intra-observer variation was 1.27°, with a maximum being up to 14.07°. The median inter-observer variation was 1.24°, and the maximum was 11.47°. The overall intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) for inter-observer was 0.528 (95% CI 0.417, 0.643). Conclusion The identification of sTEA on a 3D model established on the basis of knee CT data may not be reliable. Combined with the previous cadaveric and surgical studies, caution should be exercised in determining femoral component rotation by referencing sTEA both preoperatively and intraoperatively. Level of evidence III

ObjectiveOur aim was to evaluate the association between midday napping, combined sleep quality, and insulin resistance surrogates and the risk of hypertension in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsData were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was performed to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the risk of hypertension. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were grouped as categorical variables and unpaired two-sided Student’s t-test and Spearman correlation analysis were performed to estimate the association between different blood pressure levels and insulin resistance surrogates.ResultsThe overall prevalence rate of hypertension was 50%. Age (OR = 1.056, 95% CI:1.044–1.068), poor sleep quality (OR = 1.959, 95% CI:1.393–2.755), hyperlipidemia (OR = 1.821, 95% CI:1.462–2.369), family history of hypertension (OR = 2.811, 95% CI:2.261–3.495), and obesity (OR = 5.515, 95% CI:1.384–21.971) were significantly associated with an increased risk of hypertension. Midday napping for 1–30 min was negatively correlated with the risk of hypertension (OR = 0.534, 95% CI:0.305–0.936, P

Background and objective: Treatment of Kümmel’s Disease (KD) with pure percutaneous kyphoplasty carries a greater likelihood of bone cement displacement due to hardened bone and defect of the peripheral cortex. In this study, we designed a novel minimally invasive pedicle bone cement screw and evaluate the effectiveness and safety of this modified surgical instruments in porcine vertebrae.Methods: 18 mature porcine spine specimens were obtained and soaked in 10% formaldehyde solution for 24 h. 0.5000 mmol/L EDTA-Na2 solution was used to develop in vitro osteoporosis models of porcine vertebrae. They were all made with the bone deficiency at the anterior edge of L1. These specimens were randomly divided into 3 groups for different ways of treatment: Group A: pure percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) group; Group B: unilateral novel minimally invasive pedicle bone cement screw fixation combined with PKP group; Group C: bilateral novel minimally invasive pedicle bone cement screw fixation combined with PKP group. The MTS multi-degree of freedom simulation test system was used for biomechanical tests, including axial loading of 500 N pressure, range of motion (ROM) in flexion, extension, left/right lateral bending, and left/right axial rotation at 5 Nm, and the displacement of bone cement mass at maximum angles of 5° and 10°.Result: The three groups were well filled with bone cement, no leakage or displacement of bone cement was observed, and the height of the vertebrae was higher than pre-operation (p < 0.05). In the left/right axial rotation, the specimens were still significantly different (p < 0.05) from the intact specimens in terms of ROM after PKP. In other directions, ROM of all group had no significant difference (p < 0.05) and was close to the intact vertebrae. Compared with PKP group, the relative displacement of bone cement in groups B and C was smaller (p < 0.05).Conclusion: In the in vitro animal vertebral models, the treatment of KD with the placement of novel pedicle minimally invasive bone cement screw combined with PKP can effectively restore the vertebral height, improve the stability of the affected vertebra and prevent the displacement of bone cement. Biomechanically, there is no significant difference between bilateral and unilateral fixation.

Exploring the evolution of livelihood patterns of farm households relocated for poverty alleviation in three prefectures of Guizhou Province, China, can provide a theoretical basis and practical value for achieving sustainable livelihoods of relocated farm households in ethnic minority areas. This study took three ethnic minority autonomous prefectures in Guizhou as the research area. The types and evolution pathways of farm households’ livelihood patterns were divided using 355 tracking and monitoring data from the four phases of relocated farm households’ livelihoods. The evolution characteristics of farm households’ livelihood patterns and changes in their evolution pathways from “before relocation” to 2021 were analyzed. An indicator system of influencing factors was established based on the sustainable livelihood framework. The influencing factors of the evolution path selection and transformation of livelihood patterns were identified using the binary and multiple logistic regression models. The main results are as follows: (1) Implementing the poverty alleviation relocation project shifted the livelihood activities of farm households from agricultural production to non-agricultural industries. The transformation trend of livelihood patterns shifted from agro-dominated, agricultural, agricultural-diversified and balanced types to highly diversified, deeply diversified and subsidy-dependent types. (2) The transformation mode of the evolution pathways of farm households’ livelihood patterns mainly included the stable transformation modes of “active→retention→active” and “active→retention→retention” and the fluctuating transformation modes of “active→retention→fallback”, “active→fallback→active” and “retention→fallback→active”. (3) Natural capital promoted farm households to choose fallback pathways, while material and human capital showed an inhibitory impact. In contrary to human capital, social capital promoted farm households to choose retention pathways. Financial and human capital promoted farm households to choose active pathways. (4) Per capita income, the household head age and relocation years positively affected the evolution pathways of the livelihood pattern from the fallback type to the retention type. The number of means of transport, per capita education level, transportation and communication cost, and the presence of civil servants in the household positively affected the evolution pathways of the livelihood pattern from the fallback type to the active type. Policy suggestions are as follows: Expanding local and nearby employment channels, strengthening vocational skills training for farm households, expanding financial access for farm households, improving policy support for ethnic characteristic industries, implementing bottom-line guarantee policies and exploring ethnic interactive activities for resettlement farm households.

The host always employs various ways to defend against viral infection and spread. However, viruses have evolved their own effective strategies, such as inhibition of RNA translation of the antiviral effectors, to destroy the host's defense barriers. Protein synthesis, commonly controlled by the α-subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 (eIF2α), is a basic cellular biological process among all species. In response to viral infection, in addition to inducing the transcription of antiviral cytokines by innate immunity, infected cells also inhibit the RNA translation of antiviral factors by activating the protein kinase R (PKR)-eIF2α signaling pathway. Regulation of innate immunity has been well studied; however, regulation of the PKR-eIF2α signaling pathway remains unclear. In this study, we found that the E3 ligase TRIM21 negatively regulates the PKR-eIF2α signaling pathway. Mechanistically, TRIM21 interacts with the PKR phosphatase PP1α and promotes K6-linked polyubiquitination of PP1α. Ubiquitinated PP1α augments its interaction with PKR, causing PKR dephosphorylation and subsequent translational inhibition release. Furthermore, TRIM21 can constitutively restrict viral infection by reversing PKR-dependent translational inhibition of various previously known and unknown antiviral factors. Our study highlights a previously undiscovered role of TRIM21 in regulating translation, which will provide new insights into the host antiviral response and novel targets for the treatment of translation-associated diseases in the clinic.

ObjectiveExamine patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) who received neoadjuvant immunotherapy (nIT), and compare the outcomes of those who chose a watch-and-wait (WW) approach after achieving clinical complete response (cCR) or near-cCR with those who underwent surgery and were confirmed as pathological complete response (pCR).MethodsLARC patients with dMMR/MSI-H who received nIT were retrospectively examined. The endpoints were 2-year overall survival (OS), 2-year disease-free survival (DFS), local recurrence (LR), and distant metastasis (DM). The efficacy of programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitor, immune-related adverse events (irAEs), surgery-related adverse events (srAEs), and enterostomy were also recorded.ResultsTwenty patients who received a PD-1 inhibitor as initial nIT were examined. Eighteen patients (90%) achieved complete response (CR) after a median of 7 nIT cycles, including 11 with pCR after surgery (pCR group), and 7 chose a WW strategy after evaluation as cCR or near-cCR (WW group). Both groups had median follow-up times of 25.0 months. Neither group had a case of LR or DM, and the 2-year DFS and OS in each group was 100%. The two groups had similar incidences of irAEs (P=0.627). In the pCR group, however, 2 patients (18.2%) had permanent colostomy, 3 (27.3%) had temporary ileostomy, and 2 (18.2%) had srAEs.ConclusionNeoadjuvant PD-1 blockade had high efficacy and led to a high rate of CR in LARC patients with dMMR/MSI-H. A WW strategy appears to be a safe and reliable option for these patients who achieve cCR or near-cCR after nIT.

BackgroundAutoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) is induced by various factors, including inheritability, which regulates gene expression. Multiple loci correlated with AITD have been discovered utilizing genome-wide association studies (GWASs). Nevertheless, demonstrating the biological relevance and function of these genetic loci is difficult.MethodsThe FUSION software was utilized to define genes that were expressed differentially in AITD using a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) method in accordance with GWAS summary statistics from the largest genome-wide association study of 755,406 AITD individuals (30,234 cases and 725,172 controls) and levels of gene expression from two tissue datasets (blood and thyroid). Further analyses were performed such as colocalization, conditional, and fine-mapping analyses to extensively characterize the identified associations, using functional mapping and annotation (FUMA) to conduct functional annotation of the summary statistics of 23329 significant risk SNPs (P < 5 × 10−8) recognized by GWAS, together with summary-data-based mendelian randomization (SMR) for identifying functionally related genes at the loci in GWAS.ResultsThere were 330 genes with transcriptome-wide significant differences between cases and controls, and the majority of these genes were new. 9 of the 94 unique significant genes had strong, colocalized, and potentially causal correlations with AITD. Such strong associations included CD247, TPO, KIAA1524, PDE8B, BACH2, FYN, FOXK1, NKX2-3, and SPATA13. Subsequently, applying the FUMA approach, novel putative AITD susceptibility genes and involved gene sets were detected. Furthermore, we detected 95 probes that showed strong pleiotropic association with AITD through SMR analysis, such as CYP21A2, TPO, BRD7, and FCRL3. Lastly, we selected 26 genes by integrating the result of TWAS, FUMA, and SMR analysis. A phenome-wide association study (pheWAS) was then carried out to determine the risk of other related or co-morbid phenotypes for AITD-related genes.ConclusionsThe current work provides further insight into widespread changes in AITD at the transcriptomic level, as well as characterized the genetic component of gene expression in AITD by validating identified genes, establishing new correlations, and uncovering novel susceptibility genes. Our findings indicate that the genetic component of gene expression plays a significant part in AITD.

Aphis craccivora (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is an important pest affecting various crops worldwide. However, only few studies have been conducted on the infection of A. craccivora by Lecanicillium and related insecticidal mechanisms. We investigated the infection process of A. craccivora by Lecanicillium araneicola HK-1 using fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and our results indicated that the conidia of strain HK-1 easily attached to the feet and dorsum of A. craccivora. The activities of chitinase and extracellular protease were induced in the aphid after treatment with HK-1. A bioassay on A. craccivora showed that the median lethal concentration (LC50) of the fungus crude extract was 24.00 mg mL−1 for 24 h of treatment. Additionally, the results showed that the crude extract disrupted the enzyme system of A. craccivora, inducing the inhibition of carboxylesterase (CarE) and the induction of glutathione S-transferase (GST) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Combining these results with those of a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, it is suggested that p-cymene, hymecromone, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z, Z) methyl ester, and 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z, Z) may be connected to the insecticidal effects we observed. This study provides a theoretical basis for the use of L. araneicola HK-1 as a potential biological control agent.

The effect of bioelectrochemical anaerobic digestion (BEAD) on the methanogenic performance of brewery wastewater at different organic loading rates (OLRs) was investigated and compared to conventional anaerobic digestion. A continuous BEAD reactor was used to treat brewery wastewater at different OLRs of 2, 4, 8, 16, and 20 g COD/L.d. The experimental results showed that the methane production was gradually increased from 0.48 L/L.d at an OLR of 2 g COD/L.d to 5.64 L/L.d at an OLR of 20 g COD/L.d. The methane production of the BEAD system was significantly higher than that of the conventional anaerobic reactor, indicating that BEAD has a better treatment effect for brewery wastewater. The performance of the conventional anaerobic reactor was significantly reduced especially at an OLR of 16 g COD/L.d, while the BEAD system could withstand a higher OLR. Bioelectrochemical systems provide a completely new platform for the anaerobic treatment of brewery wastewater and greatly improve the operation of anaerobic processes.

Background: Protein Corona (PC) of nanoparticles is a structure which composed of one or more layers of proteins adsorbed on the surface of nanomaterials, and the formation of PC is a universal process of spontaneous randomness. We take advantage of the formation principle of the PC, developed a simple and efficient method for label protein to nanoparticles. Methods: The artificialed protein corona (APC) on the surface of nanoparticles was synthesized via the artificialed methods of desolvation aggregation and crosslinking with control. Results: The dosage of precipitator and the ratio of protein to magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs)(particle size: 3 nm) were optimized, and the core-shell nanoparticles with narrow particle size (particle size: 10 nm) distribution were obtained. The MNPs with APC were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Additionally, a hemolysis test on prepared MNPs was conducted with APC. The presence of APC coating on the surface of MNPs showed an improving effect to reduce the cytotoxicity. Cellular toxicity of MNPs with APC was also investigated on HFF1 cell lines. And the cells survival in the presence of APC coated MNPs and display neither reduced metabolism nor cytostatic effect. The functional test of the MNPs with APC showed that proteins can be modified and labeled onto magnetic nanoparticles and retain their original activity. Conclusions: This marking method is gentle and effective. And the properties of the APC propose MNPs as a promising candidate for multifunctional biomedical applications.

Ingestion of a foreign body (FB) is a common emergency encountered in otorhinolaryngology. In most cases, FBs pass through the digestive tract spontaneously without any serious consequences, but some of them require nonsurgical interventions, and more severe cases require surgical interventions. The types of FBs ingested may differ in different countries and regions. In adults, bones, fish bones, and dental prostheses are most commonly found in the esophagus, and most of the FBs are retained in the esophagus less than 1 month. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an unusual FB (a beer bottle cap) that was stuck in the upper esophagus for longer than 4 months. The main complaints of the patient were a sore throat and FB sensation, and an FB was diagnosed by a chest radiograph and computed tomography of the esophagus. He then had rigid endoscopic removal of the FB performed under anesthesia with propofol sedation. During a 3-month follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic and no esophageal stricture was observed. Impaction of FBs in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to severe adverse events. Therefore, early detection and timely management of FBs are important.

ObjectiveTo investigate the application value of 3T MRI qDixon-WIP technique in the quantitative measurement of pancreatic fat content in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsThe 3T MRI qDixon-WIP sequence was used to scan the livers and the pancreas of 47 T2DM patients (experimental group) and 48 healthy volunteers (control group). Pancreatic fat fraction (PFF), hepatic fat fraction (HFF), Body mass index (BMI) ratio of pancreatic volume to body surface area (PVI) were measured. Total cholesterol (TC), subcutaneous fat area (SA), triglyceride (TG), abdominal visceral fat area (VA), high density lipoprotein (HDL-c), fasting blood glucose (FPC) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-c) were collected. The relationship between the experimental group and the control group and between PFF and other indicators was compared. The differences of PFF between the control group and different disease course subgroups were also explored.ResultsThere was no significant difference in BMI between the experimental group and the control group (P=0.231). PVI, SA, VA, PFF and HFF had statistical differences (P0.05). There were statistical differences in PFF between the control group and the patients with different course of T2DM (P0.05). There were significant differences in PFF between the groups with a disease course of 1-5 years and those with a disease course of more than 5 years (P