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Abstract Marine microbes are strongly interrelated to trace metals in the ocean. How the availability of trace metals selects for prokaryotic taxa and the potential feedback of microbial processes on the trace metal distribution in the ocean remain poorly understood. We investigate here the potential reciprocal links between diverse prokaryotic taxa and iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), and nickel (Ni) as well as apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) across 12 well‐defined water masses in the Southern Indian Ocean (SWINGS—South West Indian Ocean GEOTRACES GS02 Section cruise). Applying partial least square regression (PLSR) analysis, we show that the water masses are associated with particular latent vectors that are a combination of the spatial distribution of prokaryotic taxa, trace elements, and AOU. This approach provides novel insights on the potential interactions between prokaryotic taxa and trace metals in relation to organic matter remineralization in distinct water masses of the ocean.

The fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) is a crucial receptor tyrosine kinase involved in essential biological processes, including growth, development, and tissue repair. However, FGFR gene mutations, including amplification, fusion, and mutation, can disrupt epigenetics, transcriptional regulation, and tumor microenvironment interactions, leading to cancer development. Targeting these kinase mutations with small molecule drugs or antibodies has shown clinical benefits. For example, erdafitinib is approved for treating locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer patients with FGFR2/FGFR3 mutations, and pemigatinib is approved for treating cholangiocarcinoma with FGFR2 fusion/rearrangement. Effective screening of FGFR variant patients is crucial for the clinical application of FGFR inhibitors. Various detection methods, such as polymerase chain reaction, next-generation sequencing, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry, are available, and their selection should be based on diagnostic and treatment decision-making needs. Our developed expert consensus aims to standardize the diagnosis and treatment process for FGFR gene mutations and facilitate the practical application of FGFR inhibitors in clinical practice.

ABSTRACTBackground Pneumococcal vaccines are effective in preventing pneumococcal diseases in adults. The evaluation of the antibodies persistence to the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) could provide evidence on PPV23 revaccination.Research design and methods Adults aged ≥ 60 years were selected and vaccinated with PPV23 in Shanghai, and followed up for 5 years with blood samples collection of a 1-year interval. The geometric mean concentrations (GMC) of the IgG against 23 pneumococcal serotypes covered by PPV23 were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The antibodies to 23 pneumococcal serotypes among different groups was analyzed using statistical analysis.Results Overall, 517 participants completed all six visits over a 5-year period (2013–2018). The GMC of 23 serotypes in adults aged ≥ 60 years decreased slowly after PPV23 vaccination compared to baseline pre-vaccination (P

Lithium metal is one of the most promising anode materials for next-generation high-energy-density rechargeable batteries. A fundamental mechanism understanding of the dead lithium formation under the interplay of electrochemistry and mechanics in lithium metal batteries is strongly considered. Herein, we proposed a mechano-electrochemical phase-field model to describe the lithium stripping process and quantify the dead lithium formation under stress. In particular, the rupture of solid electrolyte interphase and the shift of equilibrium potential caused by stress are coupled into stripping kinetics. The impact of external pressure on dead lithium formation with various electrolyte properties and initial electrodeposited morphologies is revealed. The overlooked detrimental effect of external pressure on Li stripping affords fresh insights into cell configuration and pressure management, which is critical for practical applications of lithium metal batteries.

Abstract As a critical payload of the gravitational wave detection interferometry system, the tilt-to-length (TTL) noise has a significant influence on the detection accuracy of the interferometry system. The non-geometric TTL (NG-TTL) noise, which is the main component of the TTL noise within the telescope, is closely related to the sensitive aberrations of the system’s small pupil. Due to the different environments of the earth and space, structural deformations of the telescope can cause significantly unfavorable changes in the sensitive aberrations at the small pupil. And its negative influence must be considered carefully during the whole structural design phase of the gravitational wave telescope. In this paper, the theoretical model of the NG-TTL noise within the telescope based on the Fringe Zernike polynomials has been summarized. An evaluation function of the NG-TTL noise within the telescope was proposed. A desensitization design method for the high-stability structure of the gravitational wave telescope was developed. The results show that under the same disturbances, the NG-TTL noise within the telescope was reduced to 0.1 pm·Hz− 1/2 from 2 pm·Hz− 1/2, taking the primary mirror (PM) as an example.

Abstract Adoptive cell transfer (ACT) using neoantigen-specific T cells is an effective immunotherapeutic strategy. However, the difficult isolation of neoantigen-specific T cells limits the clinical application of ACT. Here, we propose a method to prepare neoantigen-reactive T cells (NRT) for ACT following immunization with a tumor lysate-loaded dendritic cell (DC) vaccine. We show that the DC vaccine not only induces a neoantigen-reactive immune response in lung cancer-bearing mice in vivo, but also facilitate NRT cell preparation in vitro. Adoptive transfer of the NRTs as combinatorial therapy into DC vaccine-immunized, LL/2 tumor-bearing mice allows infiltration of the infused NRTs, as well as the enrichment of neoantigen reactive, non-ACT/NRT T cells into the tumor microenvironment with the function of these neoantigen-reactive T-cell receptors validated in vitro. In summary, we propose a method for preparing NRTs that increases ACT efficacy and paves the way to the design of personalized immunotherapies.

Abstract Objective The necessity to exclude flat foot when selecting athletes is a controversial issue. This study aimed to investigate whether flat foot affects vertical jump. Methods The quality of the literature was assessed using the observational study quality assessment tool provided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care in Australia. Meta-analysis, heterogeneity testing, sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis, and forest plot were conducted using Review Manager 5.4. Results In the end, 9 articles met the meta-analysis criteria. Due to the heterogeneity of the studies, only vertical jump height was used as an indicator for meta-analysis. Meta-analysis results showed low heterogeneity among studies (I2 = 6%, P = 0.39), and the combined effect size showed no significant difference in jumping height between flat foot and normal foot (P = 0.73, ES = 0.13, 95%CI [-0.58, 0.83]). Subgroup analyses showed no significant differences in jump heights between flat and normal foot in either the adolescent subgroup (ES = 0.07, 95% CI [-1.04, 1.18]) or the adult subgroup (ES = 0.16, 95% CI [-0.76, 1.08]). Subgroups were divided according to training background, and jump height was unaffected by flat foot in both athletes (ES = -0.08, 95%CI [-1.07, 0.90]) and amateur (ES = 0.34, 95%CI [-0.67, 1.35]). Conclusion Overall, flat foot do not affect vertical jump height, although flat foot have different vertical jump biomechanics. This study breaks the bias that flat foot have poorer athletic performance. The meta-analysis has been registered with PROSPERO under registration number CRD42023481326.

Abstract Background Night shift work and poor sleep quality are gradually becoming more prevalent in modern society. Nevertheless, there have been limited studies assessing the association between night shift work, sleep behaviors, and risk of epilepsy. The aim of our study was to ascertain whether a positive association exists between night shift work, sleep quality, sleep behaviors, and risk of epilepsy. Methods Our study included a total of over 270,000 individuals with or without epilepsy from the UK Biobank, followed up over a period of 13.5 years. Information on current night shift work and major sleep behaviors was also obtained. We used Cox proportional hazard models to assess the association between night shift work, sleep quality, sleep behaviors, and the risk of epilepsy after adjusting for multiple variables. Results Night shift work was positively associated with a higher risk of epilepsy (P for trend = 0.059). There was a gradual increase in epilepsy risk from ‘never/rarely’ to ‘usual/permanent’ night shifts, with ‘usual/permanent’ night shifts work presenting the highest risk [hazard ratio (HR) 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.65). Additionally, there was a significant association between sleep quality and risk of epilepsy (P 8 h/day), frequent insomnia, and daytime sleepiness were significantly associated with a higher risk of epilepsy (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.11–1.28; HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.09–1.30; HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.24–1.72, respectively). Furthermore, sleep duration exhibited a ‘U-shaped’ association with epilepsy risk. Nevertheless, no significant association was found between sleep chronotype and snoring and the risk of incident epilepsy (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.96–1.12; HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.89–1.04). Conclusions ‘Usual/permanent’ night shifts and poor sleep quality were positively associated with a greater risk of incident epilepsy. Major sleep behaviors, including unhealthy sleep duration ( 8 h/day), frequent insomnia, and daytime sleepiness, also tended to increase the risk of epilepsy.

Abstract Background Zika virus (ZIKV) primarily spreads through mosquito bites and can lead to microcephaly in infants and Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults. It is noteworthy that ZIKV can persist in the semen of infected males for extended periods and can be sexually transmitted. Infection with ZIKV has severe pathological manifestations on the testicular tissues of male mice, resulting in reduced sperm motility and fertility. However, there are no approved prophylactic vaccines or therapeutics available to treat Zika virus infection. Methods Using a male type I and II interferon receptor-deficient (ifnar1(-/-) ifngr1(-/-)) C57BL/6 (AG6) mouse model infected with ZIKV as a representative model, we evaluated the degree of testicular damage and viral replication in various organs in mice treated with EVs derived from MSC-stimulated with IFN-β (IFNβ-EVs) and treated with controls. We measured testicle size, detected viral load in various organs, and analyzed gene expression to assess treatment efficacy. Results Our findings demonstrated that intravenous administration of IFNβ-EVs effectively suppressed ZIKV replication in the testes. Investigation with in-depth RNA sequencing analysis found that IFN-β treatment changed the cargo miRNA of EVs. Notably, miR-431-5p was identified to be significantly enriched in IFNβ-EVs and exhibited potent antiviral activity in vitro. We showed that CD95 was a direct downstream target for miR-431-5p and played a role in facilitating ZIKV replication. miR-431-5p effectively downregulated the expression of CD95 protein, consequently promoted the phosphorylation and nuclear localization of NF-kB, which resulted in the activation of anti-viral status, leading to the suppression of viral replication. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that the EVs produced by IFNβ-treated MSCs could effectively convey antiviral activity.

Abstract Oxide ceramic electrolytes (OCEs) have great potential for solid-state lithium metal (Li0) battery applications because, in theory, their high elastic modulus provides better resistance to Li0 dendrite growth. However, in practice, OCEs can hardly survive critical current densities higher than 1 mA/cm2. Key issues that contribute to the breakdown of OCEs include Li0 penetration promoted by grain boundaries (GBs), uncontrolled side reactions at electrode-OCE interfaces, and, equally importantly, defects evolution (e.g., void growth and crack propagation) that leads to local current concentration and mechanical failure inside and on OCEs. Here, taking advantage of a dynamically crosslinked aprotic polymer with non-covalent –CH3⋯CF3 bonds, we developed a plastic ceramic electrolyte (PCE) by hybridizing the polymer framework with ionically conductive ceramics. Using in-situ synchrotron X-ray technique and Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM), we uncover that the PCE exhibits self-healing/repairing capability through a two-step dynamic defects removal mechanism. This significantly suppresses the generation of hotspots for Li0 penetration and chemomechanical degradations, resulting in durability beyond 2000 hours in Li0-Li0 cells at 1 mA/cm2. Furthermore, by introducing a polyacrylate buffer layer between PCE and Li0-anode, long cycle life >3600 cycles was achieved when paired with a 4.2 V zero-strain cathode, all under near-zero stack pressure.

Abstract We here report on the progress of the HHH Workshop, that took place in Dubrovnik in July 2023. After the discovery of a particle that complies with the properties of the Higgs boson of the Standard Model, all Standard Model (SM) parameters are in principle determined. However, in order to verify or falsify the model, the full form of the potential has to be determined. This includes the measurement of the triple and quartic scalar couplings. We here report on ongoing progress of measurements for multi-scalar final states, with an emphasis on three SM-like scalar bosons at 125 $$\,\text {Ge}\hspace{-.08em}\text {V}$$ Ge V , but also mentioning other options. We discuss both experimental progress and challenges as well as theoretical studies and models that can enhance such rates with respect to the SM predictions.

Abstract Background Capsaicin is the main component of chili peppers and is believed to have antidiabetic effects. However, the association between spicy food consumption and the incidence of diabetes remains unclear. Methods A cohort of 20,490 Han residents aged 30–79 without diabetes at baseline were followed from enrollment to June 2, 2023. The consumption of spicy food was obtained through face-to-face surveys conducted during the baseline survey from October 2018 to February 2019. The definition of type 2 diabetes onset was based on the ICD-10 code of E11 in the diabetes case reporting system and death system; Additionally, self-reported diagnosis of diabetes by a physician in active follow-ups, or a fasting blood glucose level of ≥ 7 mmol/L or a glycated hemoglobin percentage of ≥ 6.5% found on-site during the resurvey. Both Cox proportional hazard regression and competing risk regression were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence intervals (CIs). Results During the follow-up period (53.5 ± 3.0 months), 182 individuals (1.1%) were newly diagnosed with T2D with an incidence rate of 246.2 per 100,000 person-years. Cox regression analyses revealed that spicy food consumers had a 34% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes (HR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.48, 0.91) compared to non-consumers. The HRs (95% CIs) for participants consuming spicy food 3–5 days/week, 6–7 days/week, and with weak pungency were 0.45 (95% CI: 0.25, 0.81), 0.69 (0.49, 0.98), and 0.64 (0.46, 0.90), respectively. However, little significant protective effect was observed among those who consumed spicy food for 1–2 days/week, with moderate pungency, or with strong pungency (all P > 0.05). Conclusions Consuming spicy food may lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, particularly at a frequency of 3–5 days/week, and with weak pungency. Further multicenter prospective studies or interventional studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Abstract Background Echinocandin B (ECB) is a key precursor of the antifungal drug anidulafungin and its biosynthesis occurs via ani gene cluster in Aspergillus nidulans NRRL8112. Strain improvement for industrial ECB production has mainly relied on mutation breeding due to the lack of genetic tools. Results Here, a CRISPR-base-editing tool was developed in A. nidulans NRRL8112 for simultaneous inactivation of the nkuA gene and two marker genes, pryoA and riboB, which enabled efficient genetic manipulation. Then, in-vivo plasmid assembly was harnessed for ani gene expression screening, identifying the rate-limiting enzyme AniA and a pathway-specific transcription factor AniJ. Stepwise titer enhancement was achieved by overexpressing aniA and/or aniJ, and ECB production reached 1.5 g/L during 5-L fed-batch fermentation, an increase of ~ 30-fold compared with the parent strain. Conclusion This study, for the first time, revealed the regulatory mechanism of ECB biosynthesis and harnessed genetic engineering for the development of an efficient ECB-producing strain.

Abstract Background Although the exact role of mitophagy in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) caused by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains controversial, recent studies revealed inhibition of mitophagy exacerbates cardiac injury in DCM. The zinc transporter ZIP7 has been reported to be upregulated by high glucose in cardiomyocytes and ZIP7 upregulation leads to inhibition of mitophagy in mouse hearts in the setting of ischemia/reperfusion. Nevertheless, little is known about the role of ZIP7 and its relationship with mitophagy in DCM caused by T2DM. Methods T2DM was induced with high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin. The cardiac-specific ZIP7 conditional knockout (ZIP7 cKO) mice were generated by adopting CRISPR/Cas9 system. Cardiac function was evaluated with echocardiography. Mitophagy was assessed by detecting mito-LC3II, mitoKeima, and mitoQC. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected with DHE and mitoB. Results ZIP7 was upregulated by T2DM in mouse hearts and ZIP7 cKO reduced mitochondrial ROS generation in mouse hearts with T2DM. Mitophagy was suppressed by T2DM in mouse hearts, which was prevented by ZIP7 cKO. T2DM inhibited PINK1 and Parkin accumulation in cardiac mitochondria, an effect that was prevented by ZIP7 cKO, pointing to that ZIP7 upregulation mediates T2DM-induced suppression of mitophagy by inhibiting the PINK1/Parkin pathway. T2DM induced mitochondrial hyperpolarization and decrease of mitochondrial Zn2+ and this was blocked by ZIP7 cKO, indicating that upregulation of ZIP7 leads to mitochondrial hyperpolarization by reducing Zn2+ within mitochondria. Finally, ZIP7 cKO prevented cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis caused by T2DM. Conclusions ZIP7 upregulation mediates the inhibition of mitophagy by T2DM in mouse hearts by suppressing the PINK1/Parkin pathway. Reduction of mitochondrial Zn2+ due to upregulation of ZIP7 accounts for the inhibition of the PINK1/Parkin pathway. Prevention of ZIP7 upregulation is essential for the treatment of T2DM-induced cardiomyopathy.

Abstract Background The most widely used anti-malarial drug artemisinin (ART) is metabolized extensively, but the therapeutic capacity of its major metabolite remains unknown. Whether the major metabolite of ART (ART-M) contributes to its antiplasmodial potency was investigated in this study. Methods The metabolite identification and enzyme phenotyping of ART were performed using human liver microsomes (HLMs). The stereostructure of the major metabolite ART-M was elucidated by spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic analysis. The anti-malarial activity of ART-M against two reference Plasmodium strains (Pf3D7 and PfDd2) was evaluated. The pharmacokinetic profiles of ART and its metabolite ART-M were investigated in healthy Chinese subjects after a recommended two-day oral dose of ART plus piperaquine. Pharmacodynamic parameters based on minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC50) and free plasma concentration were employed to evaluate the therapeutic potency of ART-M, including fAUC0-t/MIC50, fCmax/MIC50 and T > MIC50. Results A major metabolite 10β-hydroxyartemisinin (ART-M) was found for ART in human, and CYP3A4/3A5 was the major enzymes responsible for ART 10β-hydroxylation. Compared with ART (MIC50, 10.1 nM against Pf3D7), weaker antiplasmodial activity was found for ART-M (MIC50, 61.4 nM against Pf3D7). However, a 3.5-fold higher maximal free plasma concentration was achieved for ART-M (fCmax, 180.0 nM vs. 51.8 nM for ART). ART-M displayed comparable antiplasmodial potency to ART, in terms of fAUC0-t/MIC50 (12.5 h), fCmax/MIC50 (2.8) and T > MIC50 (5 h). Conclusions The major metabolite 10β-hydroxyartemisinin contributes to the antiplasmodial efficacy of ART, which should be considered when evaluation of ART dosing regimens and/or clinical outcomes.

Abstract Background Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.), also called Chinese date, is one of the oldest and widely cultivated fruit trees with great economic values, which, at least, can be attributed to the melliferous flower with highly developed nectary that can secret huge amount of nectar in a rather tiny floral size. However, the morphological nature, metabolic products, developmental process, as well as molecular and regulatory mechanisms of jujube nectary remain largely unknown. Results Here, we selected Z. jujuba ‘Dongzao’ as a system to address these questions. We uncovered that the jujube nectary is an annular or donut-shaped secretory protrusion that surrounds the base of the carpels, along with emerald and glistening hues, which can produce a bulk honey with many metabolic compounds (e.g. saccharides and flavonoids) that has a high nutritional value and benefit for human health. The development of jujube nectary is a dynamic process of earlier cell division followed by later cell expansion. We also identified putative genes associated with the nectary development and found that the CRABS CLAW (CRC) ortholog (ZjCRC) is the key to nectary development: the gene is highly expressed in nectary; ectopic expression of it in the Arabidopsis crc-1 mutant rescued the lost nectary (also the carpel and silique defects). We also demonstrated that a MADS-box transcription factor ZjAGAMOUS1 (ZjAG1) is required for the direct activation of ZjCRC expression. Conclusions Taken together, our results not only provide a comprehensive portrait of the jujube nectary, but also pave the way to effective utilization of jujube and other woody crops.

Abstract Background The genomes within organelles are crucial for physiological functions such as respiration and photosynthesis and may also contribute to environmental adaptation. However, the limited availability of genetic resources, particularly mitochondrial genomes, poses significant challenges for in-depth investigations. Results Here, we explored various assembly methodologies and successfully reconstructed the complex organelle genomes of two Rhododendron species: Rhododendron nivale subsp. boreale and Rhododendron vialii. The mitogenomes of these species exhibit various conformations, as evidenced by long-reads mapping. Notably, only the mitogenome of R. vialii can be depicted as a singular circular molecule. The plastomes of both species conform to the typical quadripartite structure but exhibit elongated inverted repeat (IR) regions. Compared to the high similarity between plastomes, the mitogenomes display more obvious differences in structure, repeat sequences, and codon usage. Based on the analysis of 58 organelle genomes from angiosperms inhabiting various altitudes, we inferred the genetic adaptations associated with high-altitude environments. Phylogenetic analysis revealed partial inconsistencies between plastome- and mitogenome-derived phylogenies. Additionally, evolutionary lineage was determined to exert a greater influence on codon usage than altitude. Importantly, genes such as atp4, atp9, mttB, and clpP exhibited signs of positive selection in several high-altitude species, suggesting a potential link to alpine adaptation. Conclusions We tested the effectiveness of different organelle assembly methods for dealing with complex genomes, while also providing and validating high-quality organelle genomes of two Rhododendron species. Additionally, we hypothesized potential strategies for high-altitude adaptation of organelles. These findings offer a reference for the assembly of complex organelle genomes, while also providing new insights and valuable resources for understanding their adaptive evolution patterns.

Abstract In vertebrate spindles, most microtubules are formed via branching microtubule nucleation, whereby microtubules nucleate along the side of pre-existing microtubules. Hepatoma up-regulated protein (HURP) is a microtubule-associated protein that has been implicated in spindle assembly, but its mode of action is yet to be defined. In this study, we show that HURP is necessary for RanGTP-induced branching microtubule nucleation in Xenopus egg extract. Specifically, HURP stabilizes the microtubule lattice to promote microtubule formation from γ-TuRC. This function is shifted to promote branching microtubule nucleation through enhanced localization to TPX2 condensates, which form the core of the branch site on microtubules. Lastly, we provide a high-resolution cryo-EM structure of HURP on the microtubule, revealing how HURP binding stabilizes the microtubule lattice. We propose a model in which HURP stabilizes microtubules during their formation, and TPX2 preferentially enriches HURP to microtubules to promote branching microtubule nucleation and thus spindle assembly.

Abstract Background Lysosomal homeostasis and functions are essential for the survival of neural cells. Impaired lysosomal biogenesis and acidification in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis leads to proteolytic dysfunction and neurodegeneration. However, the key regulatory factors and mechanisms of lysosomal homeostasis in AD remain poorly understood. Methods ROCK1 expression and its co-localization with LAMP1 and SQSTM1/p62 were detected in post-mortem brains of healthy controls and AD patients. Lysosome-related fluorescence probe staining, transmission electron microscopy and immunoblotting were performed to evaluate the role of ROCK1 in lysosomal biogenesis and acidification in various neural cell types. The interaction between ROCK1 and TFEB was confirmed by surface plasmon resonance and in situ proximity ligation assay (PLA). Moreover, we performed AAV-mediated ROCK1 downregulation followed by immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and behavioral tests to unveil the effects of the ROCK1–TFEB axis on lysosomes in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Results ROCK1 level was significantly increased in the brains of AD individuals, and was positively correlated with lysosomal markers and Aβ. Lysosomal proteolysis was largely impaired by the high abundance of ROCK1, while ROCK1 knockdown mitigated the lysosomal dysfunction in neurons and microglia. Moreover, we verified ROCK1 as a previously unknown upstream kinase of TFEB independent of m-TOR or GSK-3β. ROCK1 elevation resulted in abundant extracellular Aβ deposition which in turn bound to Aβ receptors and activated RhoA/ROCK1, thus forming a vicious circle of AD pathogenesis. Genetically downregulating ROCK1 lowered its interference with TFEB, promoted TFEB nuclear distribution, lysosomal biogenesis and lysosome-mediated Aβ clearance, and eventually prevented pathological traits and cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 mice. Conclusion In summary, our results provide a mechanistic insight into the critical role of ROCK1 in lysosomal regulation and Aβ clearance in AD by acting as a novel upstream serine kinase of TFEB.

Abstract The study of vessel trajectories (VTs) holds significant benefits for marine route management and resource development. VT segmentation serves as a foundation for extracting vessel motion primitives and enables analysis of vessel manoeuvring habits and behavioural intentions. However, existing methods relying on predefined behaviour patterns face high labelling costs, which hinder accurate pattern recognition. This paper proposes a self‐supervised vessel trajectory segmentation method (SS‐VTS), which segments VTs based on their inherent spatio‐temporal semantics. SS‐VTS adaptively divides VTs into cells of optimal size. Then, it extracts split points on different semantic levels from the multi‐dimensional feature sequence of the VTs using self‐supervised learning. Finally, spatio‐temporal distance fusion module is performed on split points to determine change points and obtain VT segments with multiple semantics. Experiments on a real automatic identification system datasets show that SS‐VTS achieves state‐of‐the‐art segmentation results compared to seven baseline methods.

Abstract Background Research investigating the potential link between gingival microvascular blood flow and inflammatory status is scarce. This study aims to assess color doppler flow imaging (CDFI) and micro-flow imaging (MFI) as tools for the assessment of gingival papilla blood flow (GPBF) and to examine their diagnostic utility as a noninvasive means of detecting gingival bleeding. Methods CDFI and MFI were used to assess the GPBF grade (0–4) of 140 anterior gingival papilla sites in advanced periodontitis patients. Correlations between GPBF grades and periodontal characteristics were examined, and diagnostic performance as a means of predicting bleeding on probing (BOP) was examined using receiver operating characteristic curves. Results GPBF grades 0 and 1 assessed by the MFI were 14.29% and 15.71% respectively, lower than the 28.57% and 24.29% assessed by the CDFI. In contrast, MFI detected a higher frequency of GPBF grade 2 sites (40.71%) relative to CDFI (22.14%). The CDFI and MFI provided consistent results in 62.14% of the sites, while the MFI demonstrated higher ratings in rest 37.86% of the sites. A significant positive correlation was detected between GPBF grade and the modified gingival index (MGI), bleeding index (BI), BOP, and probing depth (PD). It showed high accuracy for CDFI or MFI to diagnosing BOP with a sensitivity of 80.51% and 96.43% and a specificity of 77.27% and 57.14%, respectively. Area under the receiver operator characteristic curve values when predicting BOP based on the GPBF grade determined using CDFI and MFI approaches 0.887 (95% CI 0.833–0.942) and 0.917 (95% CI 0.862–0.972), respectively, and there were no significant differences between these values (Z = − 1.502, p = 0.133). Conclusions Both MFI and CDFI can be employed for the evaluation of GPBF, and MFI is better suited to detecting mild inflammation. Trial registration ChiCTR2200066021 (Date of registration: 22/11/2022).

Introduction: Surgical ventricular reconstruction (SVR) is an alternative therapeutic approach in patients with refractory heart failure (HF), but residual remodeling after SVR limits the improvement of HF. Recently, we reported that SVR may act as an environmental cue to reactivate endogenous proliferation of cardiomyocytes; however, it is unclear whether enhancing endogenous cardiomyocyte regeneration further improves HF after SVR. Objectives: We aimed to explore whether circular RNAs (circRNAs) would involved in SVR and their mechanisms. Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to myocardial infarction (MI) or sham surgery. Four weeks later, MI mice with a large ventricular aneurysm underwent SVR or a second open-chest operation only. Echocardiography and histological analysis were used to evaluate heart function, cardiac remodeling, and myocardial regeneration. Sequencing of circular RNAs, RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pulldown, and luciferase reporter assay were used to explore the underlying mechanisms. Results: SVR markedly attenuated cardiac remodeling and induced cardiomyocyte regeneration, as evidenced by positive staining of Ki-67, phospho-histone H3 (pH3), and Aurora B in the plication zone, but significant residual remodeling still existed in comparison with the sham group. Sequencing results showed that SVR altered the expression profile of cardiac circRNAs, and circMap4k2 was identified as the most upregulated one. After characterizing circMap4k2, we noted that overexpression of circMap4k2 significantly promoted proliferation of cardiomyocytes in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and silencing of circMap4k2 significantly inhibited it; similar results were obtained in SVR-treated MI mice but not in MI mice without SVR treatment. Residual cardiac remodeling after SVR was further attenuated by circMap4k2 overexpression. CircMap4k2 bound with miR-106a-3p and inhibited cardiomyocyte proliferation by targeting a downstream effector of the antizyme inhibitor 1 (Azin1) gene. Conclusions: CircMap4k2 acts as an environmental cue and targets the miR-106a-3p/Azin1 pathway to increase cardiac regeneration in the plication zone and attenuate residual remodeling after SVR.

The preparation of amorphous alloys typically involves rapid solidification from a molten state. Since 1980, when Yermo and Koch first achieved the amorphization of alloys by mechanical alloying (MA), researchers worldwide have developed a strong interest in this technique, which allows for the amorphization of alloy components in a non-equilibrium state at room temperature without the need for a liquid phase. MA has been widely applied in the fabrication of both equilibrium and non-equilibrium materials over the past few decades, and it remains a crucial technique for the production of amorphous alloys. This review selectively summarizes research on MA-produced amorphous alloys reported over the past two decades. It explores key issues of MA amorphization from the perspectives of both the mechanism of amorphization and the design of amorphous compositions through MA. The first section primarily elucidates commonly used methods for designing amorphous compositions at present, while the second section expounds on the transformation mechanism of MA amorphization. The third section summarizes the influence of alloy element additions on its properties, and the fourth section mainly illustrates the contribution of computational advancements to the exploration of amorphous mechanisms and the design of amorphous compositions. Finally, prospects for the development trend of preparing amorphous alloys through MA are discussed.

The sensitivity of grain boundary (GB) cracks often limits the high-temperature plasticity of superalloys. The 750 ℃ tensile deformation of fine-grained Ni-Co based wrought superalloys was observed in situ using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) probe to clarify the texture formation and GB response. The GB stress concentration depends on the grain orientation and slip system alignment on both sides. This reflects the ability of GBs to cope with deformation incompatibility. This study provides valuable insights for predicting the failure of polycrystalline superalloys and offers new ideas for microstructure evaluation and GB design.

Perovskite materials (ABO3) possess a wealth of elements selectable and exhibit a diverse range of octahedral transformations. The emergence of high-entropy perovskite ceramics provides a fresh perspective for advancing the field of wave-absorbing materials. In this study, we concentrate on the wet chemical synthesis of a high-entropy perovskite oxide, Sr(Cr0.2Mn0.2Fe0.2Co0.2Ni0.2)O3, and investigate its crystal structure, microstructure, chemical composition, magnetic properties, and microwave absorbing capabilities. The results indicate that when sintered at a temperature of 1,350 °C, the sample achieves a minimum reflection loss of −54.0 dB at a frequency of 9.68 GHz, accompanied by a maximum effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 7.44 GHz at the thickness of 1.8 mm. The high-entropy design of the B-site induces distortions of oxygen vacancy and octahedral structure of the perovskite material. This leads to the fine tuning of its dielectric and magnetic properties, thereby endowing perovskite with excellent electromagnetic wave absorption capabilities. Consequently, perovskite emerges as a promising new electromagnetic wave absorption material with significant potential.

The incidence of allergic diseases is gradually increasing， and multi-system allergic diseases often co-occur in the same patient. It is very important to conduct comprehensive diagnosis and treatment with high quality， high efficiency， reasonable and standardized. The multi-disciplinary diagnosis and treatment provides a new way to solve the complicated and difficult comorbidities of allergic comorbidity and multimorbidity， which is an effective supplement to the traditional diagnosis and treatment mode， and is also the development trend of the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases. At present， the multi-disciplinary treatment of allergic comorbidity and multimorbidity is still in the exploratory stage at home and abroad， and has not yet formed a mature system or a operation mode. Based on the clinical exploration and practical experience of allergic disease expert team of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University， this paper expounds the construction and implementation of the multi-disciplinary treatment system for allergic comorbidity and multimorbidity from the aspects of implementation objectives， organizational structure， basic requirements， operation mode， procedure， system guarantee， quality control and so on. Establishing a standardized， mature and perfect multi-disciplinary treatment system for allergic comorbidity and multimorbidity and ensuring its effective operation and implementation will help to improve the level of multi-disciplinary diagnosis and treatment for allergic comorbidity and multimorbidity.

Abstract Background In the context of a gradual increase in aging, improving the mental health of the elderly is particularly vital for coping with aging. Leveraging data from the 2020 China Family Panel Studies, this study rigorously examines the influence of short video on the mental health of the elderly. Methods We use a multiple linear regression model to investigate the influence of short video usage on the mental health of the elderly. To address endogeneity concerns, this study employs two-stage least squares and propensity score matching to estimate the impact of short video usage on the mental health of the elderly. Results The empirical analysis reveals a substantive and statistically significant enhancement in the mental health of elderly people attributable to the use of short videos. To ensure the reliability and robustness of our estimations, a comprehensive battery of robustness tests is conducted, all of which consistently support the conclusion of a positive association between short video usage and improved mental health among the elderly. Furthermore, the results of the heterogeneity analysis suggest that short videos have less of an impact on elderly males and individuals with higher levels of education. The results of the mechanism analysis indicate that the use of short videos can enhance the mental health of elderly individuals by positively impacting the intergenerational relationships between them and their children, as well as their leisure consumption habits. Conclusions This study can provide policy inspiration for the government to improve the mental health of the elderly and achieve active aging.

Abstract LiInSe2 crystals are promising semiconductor materials for neutron detectors due to the large neutron capture cross-sectional area of the specific isotopes (6Li) and high charge transport properties. However, the optoelectronic performance fails to reach the expected level due to the difficulty of controlling the crystal defects. Herein, we modulate the stoichiometric ratio to control the type of defects in single LiInSe2 crystals grown by the vertical Bridgman method. The UV‒vis–NIR transmission results indicate that the band gap of the yellow colored Li1.01In1Se2 sample is close to ~ 2.83 eV at room temperature, and this value is consistent with the theoretical band gap of LiInSe2 (~ 2.86 eV). Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy was used to analyze the defect concentration. The results indicate that the defect types in the yellow Li1.01In1Se2 single crystal are VSe + and LiIn 2−; these result from the introduction of excess Li and the suppression of the adverse defects in InLi 2+ and VLi −. These results demonstrate a feasible route for obtaining high-quality yellow 6LiInSe2 crystals and promote the application of 6LiInSe2 neutron detectors.

Abstract Late spring frosts, occurring after spring phenological events, pose a dire threat to tree growth and forest productivity. With climate warming, earlier spring phenological events have become increasingly common and led to plants experiencing more frequent and severe frost damage. However, the effect of late spring frosts after leaf-out on subsequent flowering phenology in woody species remains unknown. Utilizing 572,734 phenological records of 640 species at 5024 sites from four long-term and large-scale in situ phenological networks across the Northern Hemisphere, we show that late spring frosts following leaf-out significantly delay the onset of the subsequent flowering by approximately 6.0 days. Late-leafing species exhibit greater sensitivity to the frosts than early-leafing species, resulting in a longer delay of 2.5 days in flowering. Trees in warm regions and periods exhibit a more pronounced frost-induced flowering delay compared to those in cold regions and periods. A significant increase in the frequency of late spring frost occurrence is observed in recent decades. Our findings elucidate the intricate relationships among leaf-out, frost, and flowering but also emphasize that the sequential progression of phenological events, rather than individual phenological stages, should be considered when assessing the phenological responses to climate change.

Abstract Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) is associated with high mortality and has few therapeutic options. Chemotherapy remains the main treatment for LUSC patients, but multi-drug resistance has become the dominant challenge in the failure of chemotherapy in various cancers. Therefore, the effective therapeutic strategy for LUSC patients is an urgent unmet need. Here, we found vasohibin-2 (VASH2) was a prognostic biomarker for LUSC patients, and VASH2 promoted the malignant biological behaviors of LUSC cells and chemoresistance by increasing the detyrosination of α-tubulin. The high level of detyrosinated-tubulin was negatively associated with patient prognosis. Blocking the tubulin carboxypeptidase (TCP) activity of VASH2 inhibited the xenograft tumor growth and improved the treatment efficacy of paclitaxel in vivo. Results revealed that VASH2-induced increase in tubulin detyrosination boosted the binding of kinesin family member 3C (KIF3C) to microtubules and enhanced KIF3C-dependent endosomal recycling of EGFR, leading to the prolonged activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling. This study demonstrated that VASH2 was not only a prognostic biomarker but also a promising therapeutic target in LUSC, which offers a novel insight that combination of chemotherapy and EpoY, a TCP inhibitor, may be a promising treatment strategy for LUSC patients.

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to compare the temperature rise, time consuming and cut quality of apicectomy using three different methods. Materials and methods Twenty-four single-rooted teeth were collected and divided into four groups operating apicectomy with a NINJA tip of a piezoelectric device (G1), a diamond bur with 300,000 rpm (G2), and Er: YAG laser at 200 mJ/ 30 Hz (G3) as well as 250 mJ/ 30 Hz (G4). The temperature elevation and time were recorded and the cut quality was evaluated via stereomicroscope and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). Results The temperature increases for G1 was significantly higher than for G2. However, there was no significant difference between G1 and G2 with laser groups respectively. The median time for apicectomy was: 100.14s for G1, 22.65s for G2, 33.58s for G3, and 21.80s for G4. G1 is the most time-consuming group and there was no statistically significance in the comparisons with G2, G3 and G4. Cut quality was assessed by crack occurrence, smear layer formation and dentinal tubules exposed. The percentage of cracked teeth in G1 and G2 was 33.33% and for laser groups the percentage was 16.67% each. SEM showed that no smear layer formed and almost all dentinal tubules were exposed on resected surfaces for G3&G4, surfaces from G2 were partly covered by smear layer, and surfaces from G1 were fully covered by smear layer and with no dentinal tubules exposed. Conclusions Er: YAG laser and conventional rotary instruments were safe and efficient for apicectomy and with a better cut quality when compared with piezoelectric equipment. Er: YAG laser could be a promising technique for apicectomy and further studies are necessary, especially larger sample in vivo investigations, to verify the feasibility of Er: YAG laser in endodontic surgery.

Abstract Drawing inspiration from the state‐of‐the‐art object detection framework YOLOv8, a new model termed adverse weather net (ADWNet) is proposed. To enhance the model's feature extraction capabilities, the efficient multi‐scale attention (EMA) module has been integrated into the backbone. To address the problem of information loss in fused features, Neck has been replaced with RepGDNeck. Simultaneously, to expedite the model's convergence, the bounding box's loss function has been optimized to SIoU loss. To elucidate the advantages of ADWNet in the context of adverse weather conditions, ablation studies and comparative experiments were conducted. The results indicate that although the model's parameter count increased by 18.4%, the accuracy for detecting rain, snow, and fog in adverse weather conditions improved by 22%, while the FLOPs (floating point operations) decreased by 5%. The results of the comparison experiments conducted on the WEDGE dataset show that ADWNet outperforms other object detection models in adverse weather in terms of accuracy, model parameters and FLOPs. To validate ADWNet's real‐world efficacy, data was extracted from a car recorder under adverse conditions on highways, visual inference was conducted, and its accuracy was demonstrated in interpreting real‐world scenarios. The config files are available at https://github.com/Xinyun‐Feng/ADWNet.

Abstract Diabetic encephalopathy (DE) is a severe complication of diabetes, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the roles and underlying mechanisms of high glucose (HG)- and advanced glycosylation end product (AGE)-induced oxidative stress (OS) in the cognitive decline in DE. The DE mouse model was established using a high-fat diet and streptozotocin, and its cognitive functions were evaluated using the Morris Water Maze, novel object recognition, and Y-maze test. The results revealed increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitophagy inhibition, and decreased prohibitin 2 (PHB2) expression in the hippocampal neurons of DE mice and HG- or AGE-treated HT-22 cells. However, overexpression of PHB2 reduced ROS generation, reversed mitophagy inhibition, and improved mitochondrial function in the HG- or AGE-treated HT-22 cells and ameliorated cognitive decline, improved mitochondrial structural damage, and reversed mitophagy inhibition of hippocampal neurons in DE mice. Further analysis revealed that the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)–nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway was involved in the HG- or AGE-mediated downregulation of PHB2 in HT-22 cells. These results demonstrate that HG- or AGE-induced OS inhibits the mitophagy of hippocampal neurons via the Keap1–Nrf2–PHB2 pathway, thereby contributing to the cognitive decline in DE.

Abstract The RAB interacting factor (RABIF) is a putative guanine nucleotide exchange factor that also functions as a RAB-stabilizing holdase chaperone. It has been implicated in pathogenesis of several cancers. However, the functional role and molecular mechanism of RABIF in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are not entirely known. Here, we demonstrate an upregulation of RABIF in patients with HCC, correlating with a poor prognosis. RABIF inhibition results in decreased HCC cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. Our study reveals that depleting RABIF attenuates the STOML2-PARL-PGAM5 axis-mediated mitophagy. Consequently, this reduction in mitophagy results in diminished mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mitoROS) production, thereby alleviating the HIF1α-mediated downregulation of glycolytic genes HK1, HKDC1, and LDHB. Additionally, we illustrate that RABIF regulates glucose uptake by controlling RAB10 expression. Importantly, the knockout of RABIF or blockade of mitophagy sensitizes HCC cells to sorafenib. This study uncovers a previously unrecognized role of RABIF crucial for HCC growth and identifies it as a potential therapeutic target.

Abstract Background Endocrine function in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) typically differs from those with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). However, few epidemiologic studies have explored how these differences impact the association between exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and vitamin D levels. Methods This study included 1,705 subjects aged 18–79 years from the Henan Rural Cohort [887 NGT and 818 T2DM]. Linear regression was applied to evaluate the associations between PCB exposure and vitamin D levels. Quantile g-computation regression (QG) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were applied to evaluate the impact of PCB mixtures on vitamin D levels. Interaction effects of ΣPCBs with HOMA2-%β and HOMA2-IR on vitamin D levels were assessed. Results Plasma ΣPCBs was positively associated with 25(OH)D2 in the NGT group (β = 0.060, 95% CI: 0.028, 0.092). Conversely, in T2DM group, ΣPCBs was negatively associated with 25(OH)D3 and 25(OH)D (β = -0.049, 95% CI: -0.072, -0.026; β = -0.043, 95% CI: -0.063, -0.023). Similarly, both QG and BKMR analysis revealed a negative association between PCB mixture exposure and vitamin D levels in the T2DM group, contrary to the results observed in the NGT groups. Furthermore, the negative association of ΣPCBs with 25(OH)D2 and 25(OH)D disappeared or changed to a positive association with the increase of HOMA2-%β levels. Conclusions These findings suggest that decreased β cell function may exacerbate the negative effects of PCB exposure on vitamin D levels. Recognizing T2DM patients’ sensitivity to PCBs is vital for protecting chronic disease health.

Objective To explore the relationship between monocyte/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio （MHR） and the progression and prognosis of type 2 diabetic kidney disease （DKD）. Methods From January 1， 2017 to December 31， 2022， 269 type 2 DKD patients were selected as DKD group while 269 healthy medical check-ups during the same period as healthy group. And the differences in MHR levels of two groups were compared. According to median MHR， DKD group were assigned into low-level MHR and high-level MHR sub-groups. General profiles， clinical data， the incidence rate of endpoint events and cumulative renal survival were compared two groups. Cox regression analysis was performed for exploring the independent risk factors for poor renal prognosis in DKD patients and drawing receiver operator characteristic curve （ROC） for exploring the diagnostic efficacy of MHR for poor prognosis of DKD. Results MHR level was higher in DKD group than that in healthy group [0.4918（0.3788，0.6818）×109/mmol vs 0.2984（0.1867，0.4112）×109/mmol] （P＜0.05）； high-level MHR group had higher levels of white blood cells （WBC） [7.70（6.40， 8.70）×109/L vs 6.50（5.40， 8.00）×109/L]， neutrophils （Ne） [4.60（3.60， 5.53）×109/L vs 3.99（3.18， 5.19）×109/L] and monocyte （Mono） [0.69（0.60， 0.70）×109/L vs 0.50（0.40， 0.60）×109/L]， urinary albumin to creatinine ratio （UACR） [1214.59（373.48， 3410.02）mg/g vs 1050.96（180.26， 3341.06） mg/g]， 24 h urine protein （24 hUP） [3.21（1.42， 5.51）g vs 2.66 （0.58， 4.56） g]， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） [2.72（2.06， 3.40）mmol/L vs 2.23（1.63， 2.80）mmol/L]， serum creatinine （Scr） [152.10（95.20， 221.60）μmol/L vs 126.00（92.48， 186.55）μmol/L] than those in low-level MHR group； lymphocyte （Lym） [1.60（1.27， 2.20）×109/L vs 1.82（1.30， 2.40）×109/L]， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） [0.94（0.83， 1.07）mmol/L vs 1.39（1.15， 1.65）mmol/L] and estimated glomerular filtration rate （eGFR） [39.69（25.19， 65.10）mL·min−1·（1.73 m²）−1 vs 47.12（28.86， 73.60）mL·min−1·（1.73 m²）−1] were lower than those in low-level MHR group； high-level MHR group had a cumulative kidney survival time and it was shorter than that in low level MHR group [63（39， 72）month vs 72（46， 72）month] （P＜0.05）； MHR was correlated positively with WBC， Ne， Mono， UACR， 24h UP， Scr and LDL-C （P＜0.05） and negatively with Lym， HDL-C， eGFR and cumulative renal survival time （P＜0.05）； the incidence of endpoint events was higher in high-level MHR group than that in low-level MHR group （52.59% vs 38.06%）（P＜0.05）； baseline MHR [0.5492（0.4030， 0.7235）×109/mmol vs 0.4255（0.3117， 0.5134）×109/mmol]， UACR [2062.65（752.80， 4234.80）mg/g vs 608.56（88.63. 1912.44）mg/g]， 24 hUP [3.79（2.54， 5.53）g vs 1.58（0.39， 4.85）g] and Scr [178.40（134.00， 234.23）μmol/L vs 100.95（74.25， 152.10）μmol/L] were higher than those in DKD patients without endpoint events； eGFR was lower than that in DKD patients without endpoint events [33.45（23.33， 46.41）mL·min−1·（1.73 m²）−1 vs 61.59（38.57， 95.98）mL·min−1·（1.73 m²）−1]（P＜0.05）. The results of Cox regression analysis indicated that MHR was an independent risk factor for a poor prognosis of DKD； The results of ROC curve showed that the area under the curve of MHR was 0.747 with a sensitivity of 0.820 and a specificity of 0.605. Conclusion DKD patients tend to have higher levels of MHR as compared with healthy individuals. As an independent risk for the progression of renal function in DKD patients， MHR has some diagnostic value for a poor prognosis of DKD. However， its specificity is not high.

Abstract Background Gliomas are the highly aggressive brain tumor and also the most devastating human tumors. The latent TGF binding proteins (LTBP) had been found to be involved in malignant biological process and could be used as potent biomarkers in several solid tumors. While the role of LTBP family in human glioma remain to be elucidated. Methods Normalized gene expression and corresponding clinical data of 2407 gliomas samples in public datasets were downloaded from Gliovis. Kaplan–Meier methods and Cox regression analysis was used for survival analyses.Western blot (WB) and Immunohistochemical (IHC) testing were employed to test LTBPs protein level in 154 gliomas samples. Correlation between LTBP2 expression and immune infiltration was evaluated by immunofluorescence (IF) and IHC in glioma tissues. CCK8 and flow cytometric analysis were used to detect the effect of LTBP2 on glioma cells. Orthotopic glioma- mouse models were utilized to evaluate effects in vivo. Results LTBP2 mRNA level was dramatically higher in glioma samples compared with non-tumor brain tissues in XENA-TCGA_GTEx, Gill and Gravendeel datasets (all P

Abstract Background Accurately classifying primary bone tumors is crucial for guiding therapeutic decisions. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend multimodal images to provide different perspectives for the comprehensive evaluation of primary bone tumors. However, in clinical practice, most patients’ medical multimodal images are often incomplete. This study aimed to build a deep learning model using patients’ incomplete multimodal images from X-ray, CT, and MRI alongside clinical characteristics to classify primary bone tumors as benign, intermediate, or malignant. Methods In this retrospective study, a total of 1305 patients with histopathologically confirmed primary bone tumors (internal dataset, n = 1043; external dataset, n = 262) were included from two centers between January 2010 and December 2022. We proposed a Primary Bone Tumor Classification Transformer Network (PBTC-TransNet) fusion model to classify primary bone tumors. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated to evaluate the model’s classification performance. Results The PBTC-TransNet fusion model achieved satisfactory micro-average AUCs of 0.847 (95% CI: 0.832, 0.862) and 0.782 (95% CI: 0.749, 0.817) on the internal and external test sets. For the classification of benign, intermediate, and malignant primary bone tumors, the model respectively achieved AUCs of 0.827/0.727, 0.740/0.662, and 0.815/0.745 on the internal/external test sets. Furthermore, across all patient subgroups stratified by the distribution of imaging modalities, the PBTC-TransNet fusion model gained micro-average AUCs ranging from 0.700 to 0.909 and 0.640 to 0.847 on the internal and external test sets, respectively. The model showed the highest micro-average AUC of 0.909, accuracy of 84.3%, micro-average sensitivity of 84.3%, and micro-average specificity of 92.1% in those with only X-rays on the internal test set. On the external test set, the PBTC-TransNet fusion model gained the highest micro-average AUC of 0.847 for patients with X-ray + CT. Conclusions We successfully developed and externally validated the transformer-based PBTC-Transnet fusion model for the effective classification of primary bone tumors. This model, rooted in incomplete multimodal images and clinical characteristics, effectively mirrors real-life clinical scenarios, thus enhancing its strong clinical practicability.

Abstract Chemotherapeutic drugs, such as cisplatin (cis-dichlorodiamineplatinum [II], cDDP) and 5-fluorouracil (5Fu), are widely used in transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), which is a standard therapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Chemoresistance is a major cause of TACE treatment failure in HCC patients. Our previous studies have identified the expression levels of miR-101 responsive genes, such as EED, EZH2, STMN1 and JUNB, exhibit significant correlation with the occurrence and progression of HCC, while the role of miR-101 responsive gene signatures in the chemoresistance of HCC treatment remains unclear. In this study, we identified ubiquitin-coupled enzyme E2D1 (UBE2D1) as a crucial regulatory factor in the chemoresistance of HCC, which is a direct target of miR-101 and exhibits significant correlation with miR-101-responsive gene signatures. The bioinformatics analysis showed the expression of UBE2D1 was significantly increased in HCC tissues and was closely correlated with the poor prognosis. In addition, we analyzed the role of miR-101/UBE2D1 axis in regulating chemo-sensitive of HCC cells. Our results showed that miR-101 increases the DNA damage and apoptosis of HCC cells by inhibiting the expression of UBE2D1, which in turn increases the sensitivity of HCC cells to cDDP and 5Fu both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, simultaneous assessment of miR-101 and UBE2D1 expression levels might provide an effective approach in preselecting HCC patients with survival benefit from TACE treatment. Moreover, further elucidation of the underlying molecular mechanisms of the miR-101/UBE2D1 axis could provide novel insight for targeted therapy of HCC.

Abstract Honey vaults are useful tools for password management. A vault usually contains usernames for each domain, and the corresponding passwords, encrypted with a master password chosen by the owner. By generating decoy vaults for incorrect master password attempts, honey vaults force attackers with the vault’s storage file to engage in online verification to distinguish the real vaults, thus thwarting offline guessing attacks. However, sophisticated attackers can acquire additional information, such as personally identifiable information (PII) and partial passwords contained within the vault from various data breaches. Since many users tend to incorporate PII in their passwords, attackers may utilize PII to distinguish the real vault. Furthermore, if attackers may learn partial passwords included in the real vault, it can exclude numerous decoy vaults without the need for online verification. Indeed, both leakages pose serious threats to the security of the existing honey vault schemes. In this paper, we explore two attack variants of the inspired attack scenario, where the attacker gains access to the vault’s storage file along with acquiring PII and partial passwords contained within the real vault, and design a new honey vault scheme. For security assurance, we prove that our scheme is secure against one of the aforementioned attack variants. Moreover, our experimental findings suggest enhancements in security against the other attack. In particular, to evaluate the security in multiple leakage cases where both the vault’s storage file and PII are leaked, we propose several new practical attacks (called PII-based attacks), building upon the existing practical attacks in the traditional single leakage case where only the vault’s storage file is compromised. Our experimental results demonstrate that certain PII-based attacks achieve a 63–70% accuracy in distinguishing the real vault from decoys in the best-performing honey vault scheme (Cheng et al. in Incrementally updateable honey password vaults, pp 857–874, 2021). Our scheme reduces these metrics to 41–50%, closely approaching the ideal value of 50%.

Abstract SM9 was established in 2016 as a Chinese official identity-based cryptographic (IBC) standard, and became an ISO standard in 2021. It is well-known that IBC is suitable for Internet of Things (IoT) applications, since a centralized processing of client data (e.g. IoT cloud) is often done by gateways. However, due to limited computation resources inside IoT devices, the performance of SM9 becomes a bottleneck in practical usage. The existing SM9 implementations are often CPU-based, with relatively low latency and low throughput. Consequently, a pivotal challenge for SM9 in large-scale applications is how to reduce the latency while maximizing throughput for numerous concurrent inputs. After a systematic analysis of the SM9 algorithms, we apply optimization techniques including precomputation, resource caching and parallelization to reduce the overhead of SM9. In this work, we introduce the first practical implementation of SM9 and its underlying SM9_P256 curve on GPU. Our GPU implementation combines multiple algorithms and low-level optimizations tailored for GPU’s single instruction, multiple threads architecture in order to achieve high throughput for SM9. Based on these, we propose GAPS, a high-performance Cryptography as a Service (CaaS) for SM9. GAPS adopts a heterogeneous computing architecture that flexibly schedules the inputs across two implementation platforms: a CPU for the low-latency processing of sporadic inputs, and a GPU for the high-throughput processing of batch inputs. According to our benchmark, GAPS only takes a few milliseconds to process a single SM9 request in idle mode. Moreover, when operating in its batch processing mode, GAPS can generate 2,038,071 private keys, 248,239 signatures or 238,001 ciphertexts per second. The results show that GAPS scales seamlessly across inputs of different sizes, preliminarily demonstrating the efficacy of our solution.

Abstract This paper adopts the “baseline scenario method” to construct a comprehensive model for calculating and reducing carbon emissions generated by employee travel, including the accounting of carbon emissions from commuting and business travel, as well as the assessment of green travel for carbon reduction. The study employs methods such as questionnaires and on-site interviews to collect travel data from employees of a research institute in Beijing as a case study. The results show that employees’ commuting methods are diverse, with the subway being the primary mode of travel; however, business travel generates higher carbon emissions, particularly among employees with higher education levels. The research concludes that the model proposed in this paper provides a framework for preliminary carbon emission estimation, but to improve the accuracy of the estimates, more variables and factors need to be considered, and the limitations of the model are pointed out. The research findings have significant implications for policy and institutional practices, suggesting the adoption of more targeted measures to reduce the use of high-carbon-emission travel methods and to encourage the use of green travel options. With the continuous advancement of data collection technologies in the future, it will be possible to further establish a more refined carbon emission accounting model and obtain more accurate and comprehensive travel data, thereby providing solid data support for the development of more effective carbon reduction strategies and policies.

Leaves are the main organ for photosynthesis and organic synthesis in cotton. Leaf shape has important effects on photosynthetic efficiency and canopy formation, thereby affecting cotton yield. Previous studies have shown that LMI1 (LATE MERISTEM IDENTITY1) is the main gene regulating leaf shape. In this study, the LMI1 gene was inserted into the 35S promoter expression vector, and cotton plants overexpressing LMI1 (OE) were obtained through genetic transformation. Statistical analysis of the biological traits of the T1 and T2 populations showed that compared to the wild type (WT), OE plants had significantly larger leaves, thicker stems and significantly greater dry weight. Furthermore, plant sections of the main vein and petiole showed that the numbers of cells in those tissues of OE plants were significantly greater. In addition, RNA-seq analysis revealed the differential expression of genes related to gibberellin synthesis and NAC gene family (genes containing the NAC domain) between the OE and WT plants, suggesting that LMI1 is involved in secondary wall formation and cell proliferation, which promotes stem thickening. Moreover, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed enrichment in the terms of calcium ion binding, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed enrichment in the terms of fatty acid degradation, phosphatidylinositol signal transduction system, and cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate) signal pathway. These results suggested that LMI1 OE plants are responsive to gibberellin hormone signals, and have altered messenger signals (cAMP, Ca2+) which amplify this function, to promote stronger aboveground vegetative growth. This study found the LMI1 greatly increased the vegetative growth in cotton, which is the basic requirement for higher yield.

The pipe curtain structure method (PSM) is a novel construction method to control ground deformation strictly. Compared with the traditional pipe-roofing and pipe jacking method, the connection between pipes in large spacings using PSM is widely acknowledged as a unique construction procedure. Further study on this connection procedure is needed to resolve similar cases in that the pipes are inevitably constructed on both sides of existing piles. Cutting the steel plate during the connection procedure is the first step, which is crucial to control the safety and stability of the surrounding environment and existing structures. The deformation mechanism and limit support pressure of the cutting steel plate during the connection between pipes in large spacings are studied in this paper, relying on the undercrossing Yifeng gate tower project of Jianning West Road River Crossing Channel in Nanjing, China. A modified 3D wedge-prism failure model is proposed using the 3D discrete element method. Combined with Terzaghi loose earth pressure theory and the limit equilibrium theory, the analytical solutions for the limit support pressure of the excavation face of the cutting steel plate are derived. The modified 3D wedge-prism failure model and corresponding analytical solutions are categorised into two cases: (a) unilateral cutting scheme, and (b) bilateral cutting scheme. The analytical solutions for the two cases are verified from the numerical simulation and in-situ data and compared with the previous solutions. The comparative analysis between the unilateral and bilateral cutting schemes indicates that the bilateral cutting scheme can be adopted as a priority. The bilateral cutting scheme saves more time and induces less ground deformation than the unilateral one due to the resistance generated from the superimposed wedge. In addition, the parametric sensitivity analysis is carried out using an orthogonal experimental design. The main influencing factors arranged from high to low are the pipe spacing, the cutting size, and the pipe burial depth. The ground deformation increases with the increased cutting size and pipe spacing. The pipe burial depth slightly affects the ground deformation if the other two factors are minor. Cutting steel plates in small sizes, excavating soil under low disturbance, and supporting pipes for high frequency can effectively reduce the ground surface subsidence.

This study explored the role of question types and prior knowledge in vicarious learning with an intelligent tutoring system. In experiment 1, the participants were assigned to three conditions (deep questions, shallow questions, control), the results showed that participants in the deep questions condition had higher retention test scores than those in the shallow questions condition and those in the control condition. In experiment 2, we conducted a 2 (prior knowledge: high, low) × 3 (question types: deep question, shallow question, control) between-subjects experimental design, and participants in the deep question condition again had higher retention test scores than the other conditions. Also, participants in the shallow question condition had higher retention test scores than those in the control condition. Additionally, no interaction between prior knowledge and question types was observed. In conclusion, deep questions can promote learning of experimental design, which replicates prior research results on deep level questions.

Objective: In contrast to previous research that has primarily focused on gender differences in health behaviour compliance, this study explored the association between gender consciousness and sun protection in China - a cultural setting in which there is a pronounced gender bias towards sun protection. These article is the first attempt to examine gender norms concerning sunscreen use among Chinese individuals, encompassing both young women and young men. Design and setting: Cross-sectional analysis conducted on one Chinese campus. Methods: Utilising data from the 2020 cohort of first-year students (549 male students and 1,489 female students) at a local university in Shanghai and employing OLS regression analysis, our analysis sheds light on gendered patterns of sun protection use among young individuals in China. Results: Findings reveal that gender attitudes affect women's sun protection frequency without influencing their choice of specific products. Conversely, men's gender consciousness shapes their sun protection methods but not their overall frequency of sun protection. In addition, despite lower aggregate levels of sun protection, young women exhibit higher heterogeneity in their responses than young men. Socioeconomic status, health awareness and gender consciousness are all significant factors influencing sun protection among female students; however, among men, only health awareness shows a positive correlation with the use of sun protection. Conclusion: The results of this study exhibit some differences from initial expectations, suggesting that the full adoption of sun protection measures is still a work in progress. However, despite the differences identified, findings provide valuable insights to inform future public health efforts to promote sun protection among youth.

Objectives Calcaneus defect remains challenging with limited strategies for reconstruction. Current methods, including graft transplantation, substitution, and distraction osteogenesis, showed limited advantages with certain shortcomings. Current calcaneus lengthening for partial calcaneus loss reconstruction requires bone loss of less than 35%. We introduced our combination of tarsal bone fusion and gradual lengthening method in treating massive calcaneus loss. Methods From January 2015 to December 2021, tarsal bone fusion and calcaneus gradual lengthening were performed in six patients with unilateral massive traumatic loss of the calcaneal tuberosity. A retrospective study was held to evaluate the outcomes of this novel technique. Clinical outcomes were assessed based on the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Score (AOFAS). Radiological data were assessed, which included tibio‐calcaneal angle (TCA), calcaneal interface angle (CIA), metatarsal declination angle (MDA), angle of longitudinal arch (ALA), and the amount of calcaneus axial lengthening (CAL). Results The mean calcaneal axial lengthening was 43.8 ± 3.1 mm (range, 39–49.5 mm), and the mean proportion of the lengthened calcaneus was 47.8% ± 3.7% (range, 42.8–55.3%). The mean external fixation time was 104.8 ± 67.5 days (range, 69 to 242 days), and the mean external fixation index was 2.4 ± 1.6 days/cm. All patients stuck to the postoperative follow‐up plan with an average follow‐up time (FT) of 35.0 ± 6.7 months (range, 26–40 months). Deformities of the injured limbs were all corrected according to radiography. Based on the AOFAS, three excellent and three good results were achieved. Conclusion The Ilizarov technique remains an option for calcaneus reconstruction with a great amount of loss once combined with tarsal bone fusion. The function of the injured foot and ankle can be satisfactorily restored using these techniques in our study. Apart from calcaneus elongation, tarsal bone fusion is somehow necessary to reinforce the proximal segment of the distracted calcaneus for creating a larger distraction callus, correcting concomitant foot deformities, and enhancing hindfoot stability. It is necessary to choose flexibly when tarsal bones should be fused.