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Abstract 53BP1 nucleates the anti-end resection machinery at DNA double-strand breaks, thereby countering BRCA1 activity. Loss of 53BP1 leads to DNA end processing and homologous recombination in BRCA1-deficient cells. Consequently, BRCA1-mutant tumors, typically sensitive to PARP inhibitors (PARPi), become resistant in the absence of 53BP1. Here, we demonstrate that the ‘leaky’ DNA end resection in the absence of 53BP1 results in increased micronuclei and cytoplasmic double-stranded DNA, leading to activation of the cGAS-STING pathway and pro-inflammatory signaling. This enhances CD8+ T cell infiltration, activates macrophages and natural killer cells, and impedes tumor growth. Loss of 53BP1 correlates with a response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and improved overall survival. Immunohistochemical assessment of 53BP1 in two malignancies, high grade serous ovarian cancer and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, which are refractory to ICBs, reveals that lower 53BP1 levels correlate with an increased adaptive and innate immune response. Finally, BRCA1-deficient tumors that develop resistance to PARPi due to the loss of 53BP1 are susceptible to ICB. Therefore, we conclude that 53BP1 is critical for tumor immunogenicity and underpins the response to ICB. Our results support including 53BP1 expression as an exploratory biomarker in ICB trials for malignancies typically refractory to immunotherapy.

The grooved-filled asphalt pavement has certain advantages in terms of pavement ice-breaking and anti-skid. However, the performances of the filling material limit its development. In this study, a polyurethane urea (PUU) - waste rubber particles (WRP) composite filling material was prepared by using a polyurethane (PU) and adding polyurea (PUa) with a similar microstructure as the cementing material, and adding WRP as the elastic reinforcing phase. The proportions of nine PUU-WRP composite materials were designed by changing the particle size and content of WRP, and then the filled composite materials were evaluated in terms of physical and mechanical properties, ice adhesion properties, interface bonding properties and aging resistance. The test results showed that the shore hardness, tensile strength, compression permanent deformation, and contact angle of PUU-WRP composite decreased as content of the WRP increased. Except the ice adhesion force results were the opposite. On the other hand, increased the WRP size resulted in increase in PUU-WRP composite’s shore hardness, compression permanent deformation, and ice adhesion force, while the tensile strength and contact angle were the opposite. The surface of the PUU-WRP composite material was hydrophobic, and the maximum contact angle was 102.3°. The reduction of WRP particle size and dosage was beneficial for reducing the ice adhesion force on the surface of PUU-WRP composite materials. The maximum interfacial shear and tensile strength of PUU-WRP composite material were 1.082 MPa and 0.244 MPa, respectively. After 42 days of UV aging, the maximum attenuation rate did not exceed 30 %. After the immersion test, the tensile strength attenuation of PUU-WRP composite material was basically controlled within 10 %. Finally, based on the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) method, it was recommended to use WRP with a particle size of 0.6 mm and a dosage of 30 wt%-40 wt%.

With the increasing depth of coal mining, the stability control of surrounding rock in deep roadway has become one of major problems in the mining field, and the effect of surrounding rock control in deep roadway is directly related to the safe production and health of personnel in underground coal mines. The emergence of plastic zone after roadway excavation is the main reason for the stability of the surrounding rock of the roadway. From the perspective of the formation and expansion of the plastic zone, this paper discusses the intrinsic relationship between the roadway damage mode and the distribution of the plastic zone of surrounding rock on the basis of the results from collating and summarizing the existing roadway damage theory and the theory of the plastic zone of surrounding rock. It is believed that the control of the surrounding rock of roadway is essentially the process of controlling the formation and expansion of the plastic zone of surrounding rock. The expansion of the plastic zone of surrounding rock and the control effect of anchor support on the plastic zone of surrounding rock have become an important theoretical basis for the scientific and effective control of surrounding rock in roadway, and based on this, the authors propose the theory and technology for the stability control of surrounding rock in roadway. The results show that the plastic zone is the product of roadway excavation, and the formation and expansion of the plastic zone of surrounding rock is the result of mine pressure. For deep roadways, the appearance of the plastic zone of surrounding rock is inevitable. Scientific control of plastic zone requires a comprehensive understanding of the role played by the plastic zone in roadway surrounding rock. It is necessary to allow the surrounding rock to release the energy in the rock body through plastic failure, but also to prevent the disorderly expansion of the plastic zone. Therefore, in the process of controlling the surrounding rock of roadway, the self-bearing capacity of the surrounding rock should be given a full play as the main focus, and the support intervention should be supplemented. The control of plastic zone of surrounding rock in deep roadway is global and procedural. The control of the plastic zone of the surrounding rock in the whole life of roadway is divided into three stages. By regulating the shape of the plastic zone and inhibiting the expansion of the plastic zone, the stability control of the surrounding rock of deep roadway is realized.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) or plus with chemotherapy in older patients. Methods: We enrolled 110 older patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC ≥75 years) who received either chemotherapy alone (chemo), ICI plus chemotherapy (ICI + chemo), or ICI alone and ICI plus other therapies, which included anti-angiogenesis drugs or other novel ICI (ICIs). Patient characteristics, treatment response, survival, and toxicity were evaluated. Results: In total population, the ICIs group has the highest disease control rate (DCR 75%). There were no significant differences in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) among older patients between ICI + chemo and ICIs groups (PFS: 5.3 months vs. 5.5 months, p = 0.70, OS: 10.7 months vs. 20.3 months, p = 0.995). Meanwhile, we observed ICIs had a longer PFS and OS than chemo group (PFS: 3.9 months vs. 5.5 months, p = 0.01, OS: 10.9 months vs. 20.3 months, p = 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that patients with programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) ≥ 1% had a distinct longer trend toward OS in ICIs group compared to ICI + chemo group (22.4 months vs. 10.7 months, p = 0.605), even though there was no significant difference. In terms of safety, ICIs was more tolerable and had a lower discontinuation rate than ICI + chemo group. Conclusion: In the real world, ICI + chemo is more likely to be discontinued due to adverse effects and does not significantly improve patient survival compared with ICIs treatment in total population and subgroup. Therefore, ICI alone or ICIs plus other therapies, such as anti-angiogenesis drugs or other novel ICI (ICIs) could be recommended for older cases with PD-L1 positive NSCLC.

Abstract Background Lung Adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a major component of lung cancer. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) has emerged as a new target for some tumor treatments. Methods The expression and clinical data of LUAD samples were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, followed by acquiring ERS-related genes (ERSGs) from the GeneCards database. Differentially expressed endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes (DE-ERSGs) were screened and used to construct a risk model by Cox regression analysis. Kaplan–Meier (K-M) curves and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to determine the risk validity of the model. Moreover, enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the high- and low- risk groups was conducted to investigate the functions related to the risk model. Furthermore, the differences in ERS status, vascular-related genes, tumor mutation burden (TMB), immunotherapy response, chemotherapy drug sensitivity and other indicators between the high- and low- risk groups were studied. Finally, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to validate the mRNA expression levels of prognostic model genes. Results A total of 81 DE-ERSGs were identified in the TCGA-LUAD dataset, and a risk model, including HSPD1, PCSK9, GRIA1, MAOB, COL1A1, and CAV1, was constructed by Cox regression analysis. K-M and ROC analyses showed that the high-risk group had a low survival, and the Area Under Curve (AUC) of ROC curves of 1-, 3- and 5-years overall survival was all greater than 0.6. In addition, functional enrichment analysis suggested that the risk model was related to collagen and extracellular matrix. Furthermore, differential analysis showed vascular-related genes FLT1, TMB, neoantigen, PD-L1 protein (CD274), Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE), and T cell exclusion score were significantly different between the high- and low-risk groups. Finally, qRT-PCR results showed that the mRNA expression levels of 6 prognostic genes were consistent with the analysis. Conclusion A novel ERS-related risk model, including HSPD1, PCSK9, GRIA1, MAOB, COL1A1, and CAV1, was developed and validated, which provided a theoretical basis and reference value for ERS-related fields in the study and treatment of LUAD.

Abstract Background Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are anti-cancer therapeutics often prescribed for long-term treatment. Many of these treatments cause cardiotoxicity with limited cure. We aim to clarify molecular mechanisms of TKI-induced cardiotoxicity so as to find potential targets for treating the adverse cardiac complications. Methods Eight TKIs with different levels of cardiotoxicity reported are selected. Phenotypic and transcriptomic responses of human cardiomyocytes to TKIs at varying doses and times are profiled and analyzed. Stress responses and signaling pathways that modulate cardiotoxicity induced by three TKIs are validated in cardiomyocytes and rat hearts. Results Toxicity rank of the eight TKIs determined by measuring their effects on cell viability, contractility, and respiration is largely consistent with that derived from database or literature, indicating that human cardiomyocytes are a good cellular model for studying cardiotoxicity. When transcriptomes are measured for selected TKI treatments with different levels of toxicity in human cardiomyocytes, the data are classified into 7 clusters with mainly single-drug clusters. Drug-specific effects on the transcriptome dominate over dose-, time- or toxicity-dependent effects. Two clusters with three TKIs (afatinib, ponatinib, and sorafenib) have the top enriched pathway as the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). All three TKIs induce ERS in rat primary cardiomyocytes and ponatinib activates the IRE1α-XBP1s axis downstream of ERS in the hearts of rats underwent a 7-day course of drug treatment. To look for potential triggers of ERS, we find that the three TKIs induce transient reactive oxygen species followed by lipid peroxidation. Inhibiting either PERK or IRE1α downstream of ERS blocks TKI-induced cardiac damages, represented by the induction of cardiac fetal and pro-inflammatory genes without causing more cell death. Conclusions Our data contain rich information about phenotypic and transcriptional responses of human cardiomyocytes to eight TKIs, uncovering potential molecular mechanisms in modulating cardiotoxicity. ER stress is activated by multiple TKIs and leads to cardiotoxicity through promoting expression of pro-inflammatory factors and cardiac fetal genes. ER stress-induced inflammation is a promising therapeutic target to mitigate ponatinib- and sorafenib-induced cardiotoxicity. Graphical Abstract

Fusarium pseudograminearum causes destructive crown disease in wheat. The velvet protein family is a crucial regulator in development, virulence, and secondary metabolism of fungi. We conducted a functional analysis of FpVelB using a gene replacement strategy. The deletion of FpVelB decreased radial growth and enhanced conidial production compared to that of wild type. Furthermore, FpVelB modulates the fungal responses to abiotic stress through diverse mechanisms. Significantly, virulence decreased after the deletion of FpVelB in both the stem base and head of wheat. Genome-wide gene expression profiling revealed that the regulation of genes by FpVelB is associated with several processes related to the aforementioned phenotype, including “immune”, “membrane”, and “antioxidant activity”, particularly with regard to secondary metabolites. Most importantly, we demonstrated that FpVelB regulates pathogen virulence by influencing deoxynivalenol production and modulating the expression of the PKS11 gene. In conclusion, FpVelB is crucial for plant growth, asexual development, and abiotic stress response and is essential for full virulence via secondary metabolism in F. pseudograminearum.

Wnt signaling pathways are transmitted via 10 homologous frizzled receptors (FZD1-10) in humans. Reagents broadly inhibiting Wnt signaling pathways reduce growth and metastasis of many tumors, but their therapeutic development has been hampered by the side effect. Inhibitors targeting specific Wnt-FZD pair(s) enriched in cancer cells may reduce side effect, but the therapeutic effect of narrow-spectrum Wnt-FZD inhibitors remains to be established in vivo. Here, we developed a fragment of C. difficile toxin B (TcdBFBD), which recognizes and inhibits a subclass of FZDs, FZD1/2/7, and examined whether targeting this FZD subgroup may offer therapeutic benefits for treating breast cancer models in mice. Utilizing 2 basal-like and 1 luminal-like breast cancer models, we found that TcdBFBD reduces tumor-initiating cells and attenuates growth of basal-like mammary tumor organoids and xenografted tumors, without damaging Wnt-sensitive tissues such as bones in vivo. Furthermore, FZD1/2/7-positive cells are enriched in chemotherapy-resistant cells in both basal-like and luminal mammary tumors treated with cisplatin, and TcdBFBD synergizes strongly with cisplatin in inhibiting both tumor types. These data demonstrate the therapeutic value of narrow-spectrum Wnt signaling inhibitor in treating breast cancers.

Abstract Background Currently there is no standard therapy recommended for second‐line treatment for thymic carcinoma. Our study compared multidrug chemotherapy, single‐agent chemotherapy, and PD‐1 inhibitors in patients diagnosed with advanced thymic carcinoma who had previous platinum‐based chemotherapy at the clinic. Methods The study included patients with thymic carcinoma who failed first‐line platinum‐based chemotherapy. Kaplan–Meier methods were applied in the study for estimating the progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) curves. Pearson chi‐square or Fisher's exact chi‐square test was adopted to make comparisons of the objective response rate (ORR) between treatment groups. Cox regression was used for the multivariate analyses in PFS and OS. Results Among the 92 patients enrolled, multidrug chemotherapy was used in 51 (55.4%) patients for second‐line therapy. Thirty‐six patients (35.9%) received single‐agent chemotherapy, and eight patients (8.7%) underwent PD‐1 inhibitors. The multidrug chemotherapy group showed better efficacy than the other two groups, with an ORR of 35.3% (p = 0.006). The median PFS of multidrug chemotherapy, single‐agent chemotherapy and PD‐1 inhibitors were 5.0 months, 3.0 months, and 4.0 months, respectively (p = 0.008). Patients in the multidrug chemotherapy group also showed an advantage in OS in comparison with the other two treatment groups (p = 0.045), with a median OS of 30.4 months. Multivariate analysis showed that second‐line treatment was independent factor for both PFS (p = 0.035) and OS (p = 0.037). Grade 3–4 AEs were mostly detected in patients receiving multidrug chemotherapy and were primarily hematologic. Treatment‐related mortality was not found in any of the groups. Conclusions Multidrug chemotherapy had a trend toward a more positive response rate and outcomes in longer survival time than single‐agent chemotherapy and PD‐1 inhibitors. Multidrug chemotherapy is a choice worth considering for second‐line therapy in patients with thymic carcinoma if tolerable.

The deformation and re-crushing characteristics of different lithological caving crushed gangues in mine goaf directly affect the overburden strata movement, which significantly affects the surface subsidence of mining goaf. The effect of particle size on the re-crushing characteristics of different lithological caving crushed gangues in mine goaf is investigated in this study based on an innovative compression–AE (acoustic emission) measuring method. The results showed the following: (1) The compression deformation was divided into three stages: rapid, slow, and stable compaction. With the increase in axial pressure, the large particle skeletons were destroyed, medium particles were displaced and slid, and small particles filled the pores. (2) For singular lithologies, stress was positively correlated with pressure, and porosity was negatively correlated with stress. The composite sample was between the singular gangue samples. (3) The fractal dimension of crushed gangue samples was exponentially related to the proportion of gangue in singular and combined lithologies. (4) The cumulative AE count and energy of the combined lithological gangue samples were between those of the singular samples. The research results provide a theoretical foundation for further research into the characteristics of the overlying strata, surface movement, and safety management of the goaf.

Bipolaris maydis partitivirus 36 (BmPV36) is a mycovirus that can significantly reduce the virulence of the host Bipolaris maydis, but its hypovirulence mechanism is not clear. To investigate the response of B. maydis to BmPV36, the effects of BmPV36 on host cell structure and gene expression were studied via transmission electron microscopy and transcriptome sequencing using BmPV36-carrying and virus-free mycelium on the second and fifth culture. The results of transmission electron microscopy showed that the cell wall microfibrils of B. maydis were shortened, the cell membrane was broken, and membrane-bound vesicles and vacuoles appeared in the cells after carrying BmPV36. Transcriptome sequencing results showed that after carrying BmPV36, B. maydis membrane-related genes were significantly up-regulated, but membrane transport-related genes were significantly down-regulated. Genes related to carbohydrate macromolecule polysaccharide metabolic and catabolic processes were significantly down-regulated, as were genes related to the synthesis of toxins and cell wall degrading enzymes. Therefore, we speculated that BmPV36 reduces the virulence of B. maydis by destroying the host’s cell structure, inhibiting the synthesis of toxins and cell wall degrading enzymes, and reducing cell metabolism. Gaining insights into the hypovirulence mechanism of mycoviruses will provide environmentally friendly strategies for the control of fungal diseases.

Radar interferograms are usually influenced by factors such as atmospheric artifacts, orbital errors, and terrain errors. It is difficult to reduce the influence by using the conventional small baseline subset (SBAS) method when determining the deformation rate. This study uses the adjustment model with systematic parameters to improve the conventional SBAS method and employs it to determine the interseismic deformation rate of the Haiyuan fault system, providing a data reference for exploring the locking depth, strain accumulation state, and potential seismic risk assessment of different segments of the Haiyuan fault system. The results are as follows: (1) the simulation experiment verifies the feasibility and robustness of the modified SBAS method. This method can effectively reduce the influence of residual signals such as atmospheric artifacts, orbital errors and terrain errors in the interferograms. The deformation rate map can be significantly improved; (2) the deformation rate field in the radar's Line of Sight (LOS) direction shows that there are obvious differences between the north and south sides of Haiyuan fault system, which is consistent with the characteristics of the left-lateral strike-slip movement of the Haiyuan fault system. The deformation rate field and profiles reflect the complex trends among different segments of Haiyuan fault system in detail. (3) the deformation rate of the Jingtai pull-apart basin is higher than that of the surrounding areas, possibly indicating strong regional activity, which provides a reference for studying the seismic risk of the Jingtai pull-apart basin; and (4) the interseismic deformation rate and profiles across the fault show that the middle section of the Lao Hu Shan (LHS) segment and the western and middle sections of the Haiyuan segment are locked.

Alcohol‐associated liver disease is the leading cause of chronic liver disease. We hypothesized that the expression of specific coding genes is critical for the progression of alcoholic cirrhosis (AC) from compensated to decompensated states. For the discovery phase, we performed RNA sequencing analysis of 16 peripheral blood RNA samples, 4 healthy controls (HCs) and 12 patients with AC. The DEGs from the discovery cohort were validated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in a separate cohort of 17 HCs and 48 patients with AC (17 Child‐Pugh A, 16 Child‐Pugh B, and 15 Child‐Pugh C). We observed that the numbers of differentially expressed messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were more pronounced with worsening disease severity. Pathway analysis for differentially expressed genes for patients with Child‐Pugh A demonstrated genes involved innate immune responses; those in Child‐Pugh B belonged to genes related to oxidation and alternative splicing; those in Child‐Pugh C related to methylation, acetylation, and alternative splicing. We found significant differences in the expression of heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) and ribonucleoprotein, PTB binding 1 (RAVER1) in peripheral blood of those who died during the follow‐up when compared to those who survived. Conclusion: Unique mRNAs that may implicate disease progression in patients with AC were identified by using a transcriptomic approach. Future studies to confirm our results are needed, and comprehensive mechanistic studies on the implications of these genes in AC pathogenesis and progression should be further explored.

Computer-generated hologram (CGH) is a diffractive optical element that has been commonly used as wavefront corrector in the interferometer and can be accurately manufactured to meet the requirements of high-precision detection. But the transmitted wavefront error (TWE) of the CGH substrate and the adjustment errors of cylindrical surface are influence factors of high accuracy measurement. In this paper, we propose the method of calibrating the CGH substrate TWE. After calibrating, the substrate TWE is 0.0052λ (RMS). Meanwhile, we obtain the general expression for the misalignment aberrations by describing the relationship between the wavefront of the measured cylindrical mirror and the corresponding adjustment errors. Then the adjustment errors of the test cylindrical surface can be completely separated by subtracting the fitting function from the measurement on the basis of least-square algorithm. After that, the PV value changes from 3.0565λ to 0.9825λ, and the RMS value changes from 0.5278λ to 0.1273λ, the measurement results have been greatly improved.

Excessive fertilization is associated with nutrient loss, soil compaction, and weak plant resistance. Straw returning can increase soil fertility with a consequent reduction in fertilizer, but the effects of fertilizer reduction coupled with straw returning on crop endophytic microbes and crop disease are poorly understood. Therefore, using metagenomic sequencing methods we investigated the responses of soil fertility, diversity, the function of root endophytic bacteria, and the occurrence of wheat crown rot due to the application of fertilizer (no, moderate and excessive fertilizer) coupled with or without straw returning after 7 years of treatments. The results showed that, after excessive fertilization, the wheat crown rot became severe, registering a disease index of 23. Compared with excessive fertilization, moderate fertilization coupled with straw returning significantly reduced the incidence of wheat crown rot, the disease index was reduced by 38.50%, and the richness and diversity of endophytic bacteria were increased by 61.20 and 11.93%, respectively, but the soil fertility was not significantly affected. In addition, moderate fertilization coupled with straw returning changed the community structure of endophytic bacteria and increased the relative abundance of carbohydrate metabolism and nitrogen fixation-related genes by 4.72 and 9.32%, respectively. Our results indicated that fertilizer reduction coupled with straw returning reduced the occurrence of wheat crown rot, increased the diversity of endophytic bacteria, and changed the community structure and function of endophytic bacteria, which will provide a better understanding of the interaction of fertilization coupled with straw returning, endophytic bacteria and wheat crown rot.

Fusarium pseudograminearum is a soil-borne pathogen that is capable of causing a highly destructive crown disease in wheat. Secondary metabolites (SMs), especially deoxynivalenol (DON), are the primary virulence factors during infection. Here, we characterised the global regulator FpLaeB, an orthologue of LaeB protein function, to regulate the SM in Aspergillus nidulans. Through the utility of the gene targeting approach, we found that the vegetative growth of the FpLaeB deletion mutant was drastically reduced compared to that of the wild type. FpLaeB was also important for conidiation because the FpLaeB deletion mutant formed fewer conidia in induced medium. In addition, the sensitivity of the FpLaeB deletion mutant to the cell wall integrity inhibitor was decreased, while its growth was more severely inhibited by the cell membrane inhibitor sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) than that of the wild type. More importantly, the virulence was decreased when the FpLaeB deletion mutant was inoculated onto the wheat stem base or head. Through genome-wide gene expression profiling, FpLaeB was found to regulate several processes related to the above phenotypes such as the carbohydrate metabolic process, which is an integral and intrinsic component of membranes, especially SMs. Furthermore, the generation of DON was impaired in the FpLaeB deletion mutant via ultraperformance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) assay. These results showed that FpLaeB plays an important role in the growth, development, and maintenance of the cell wall, and in membrane integrity. More importantly, FpLaeB is required for SMs and full virulence in F. pseudograminearum.

Summary: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) can originate from either fallopian tube epithelial (FTE) or ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells, but with different latencies and disease outcomes. To address the basis of these differences, we performed single cell RNA-sequencing of mouse cells isolated from the distal half of fallopian tube (FT) and surface layer of ovary. We find at the molecular level, FTE secretory stem/progenitor cells and OSE cells resemble mammary luminal progenitors and basal cells, respectively. An FT stromal subpopulation, enriched with Pdgfra+ and Esr1+ cells, expresses multiple secreted factor (e.g., IGF1) and Hedgehog pathway genes and may serve as a niche for FTE cells. In contrast, Lgr5+ OSE cells express similar genes largely by themselves, raising a possibility that they serve as their own niche. The differences in intrinsic expression programs and niche organizations of FTE and OSE cells may contribute to their different courses toward the development of EOCs.

Background: Savolitinib, a selective MET inhibitor, showed efficacy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC), harbouring MET exon 14 skipping alteration ( MET ex14). Objective: To analyse post hoc , the association between circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) biomarkers and clinical outcomes, including resistance, with savolitinib. Design: A multicentre, single-arm, open-label phase 2 study. Methods: All enrolled patients with baseline plasma samples were included. Outcomes were objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) by baseline MET ex14 and post-treatment clearance, coexisting gene alterations at baseline and disease progression. Results: Among 66 patients with baseline ctDNA sequencing, 46 (70%) had detectable MET ex14. Frequent coexisting baseline gene alterations included TP53 and POT1 mutations. Patients with detectable baseline MET ex14 exhibited worse PFS [hazard ratio (HR), 1.77; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.88–3.57; p = 0.108] and OS (HR, 3.26; 95% CI, 1.35–7.89; p = 0.006) than those without, despite showing a numerically higher ORR. Among 24 patients with baseline detectable MET ex14 and evaluable postbaseline samples, 13 achieved MET ex14 clearance post-treatment. Median time to first clearance was 1.3 months (range, 0.7–1.5). MET ex14 post-treatment clearance was associated with better ORR (92.3%; 95% CI, 64.0–99.8 versus 36.4%; 95% CI, 10.9–69.2; p = 0.0078), PFS (HR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.2–1.3; p = 0.1225) and OS (HR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.1–1.0; p = 0.0397) versus non-clearance. Among 22 patients with disease progression, 10 acquired pathway alterations (e.g. in RAS/RAF and PI3K/PTEN) alone or with secondary MET mutations (D1228H/N and Y1230C/H/S). Conclusion: ctDNA biomarkers may allow for longitudinal monitoring of clinical outcomes with savolitinib in patients with MET ex14-positive PSC and other NSCLC subtypes. Specifically, undetectable baseline MET ex14 or post-treatment clearance may predict favourable clinical outcomes, while secondary MET mutations and other acquired gene alterations may explain resistance to savolitinib. Registration: The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02897479) on 13 September 2016.

In recent years, safety issues respecting polar ship navigation in the presence of ice have become a research hotspot. The accurate prediction of propulsion power plays an important role in ensuring safe ship navigation and evaluating ship navigation ability, and deep learning has been widely applied in the field of shipping, of which the artificial neural network (ANN) is a common method. This study combines the scientific problems of ice resistance and propulsion power for polar ship design, focusing on the design of an ANN model for predicting the propulsion power of polar ships. Reference is made to the traditional propulsion power requirements of various classification societies, as well as ship model test and full-scale test data, to select appropriate input features and a training dataset. Three prediction methods are considered: building a radial basis function–particle swarm optimization algorithm (RBF-PSO) model to directly predict the propulsion power; based on the full-scale test and model test data, calculating the propulsion power using the Finnish–Swedish Ice Class Rules (FSICR) formula; using an ice resistance artificial neural network model (ANN-IR) to predict the ice resistance and calculate the propulsion power using the FSICR formula. Prediction errors are determined, and a sensitivity analysis is carried out with respect to the relevant parameters of propulsion power based on the above methods. This study shows that the RBF-PSO model based on nine feature inputs has a reasonable generalization effect. Compared with the data of the ship model test and full-scale test, the average error is about 14%, which shows that the method has high accuracy and can be used as a propulsion power prediction tool.

Objective: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the main type of liver cancer, has a high morbidity and mortality, and a poor prognosis. RNA helicase DDX5, which acts as a transcriptional co-regulator, is overexpressed in most malignant tumors and promotes cancer cell growth. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is an important molecular chaperone in the conformational maturation and stabilization of numerous proteins involved in cell growth or survival. Methods: DDX5 mRNA and protein expression in surgically resected HCC tissues from 24 Asian patients were detected by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. The interaction of DDX5-HSP90 was determined by molecular docking, immunoprecipitation, and laser scanning confocal microscopy. The autophagy signal was detected by Western blot. The cell functions and signaling pathways of DDX5 were determined in 2 HCC cell lines. Two different murine HCC xenograft models were used to determine the function of DDX5 and the therapeutic effect of an HSP90 inhibitor. Results: HSP90 interacted directly with DDX5 and inhibited DDX5 protein degradation in the AMPK/ULK1-regulated autophagy pathway. The subsequent accumulation of DDX5 protein induced the malignant phenotype of HCC by activating the β-catenin signaling pathway. The silencing of DDX5 or treatment with HSP90 inhibitor both blocked in vivo tumor growth in a murine HCC xenograft model. High levels of HSP90 and DDX5 protein were associated with poor prognoses. Conclusions: HSP90 interacted with DDX5 protein and subsequently protected DDX5 protein from AMPK/ULK1-regulated autophagic degradation. DDX5 and HSP90 are therefore potential therapeutic targets for HCC.

Abstract Background Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is characterized by aggressive spread and poor prognosis, but has limited treatment options. Results of prognostic factors from randomized trials on treatment arrangement are conflicting and large‐scale real‐world analysis is lacking. Methods Patients diagnosed SCLC between 2008 and 2018 in Peking University Cancer Hospital were included in this study. Kaplan–Meier methods were adopted, and univariate analysis and multivariate Cox regression models were constructed to analyze prognostic factors. Results Among 1045 patients who presented to our center, 988 eligible patients were identified. Median overall survival (OS) was 16.0 months for the whole group, 24.0 months and 11.0 months for limited stage small cell lung cancer (LS‐SCLC) and extensive stage small cell lung cancer (ES‐SCLC), separately. Limited‐stage, good performance status (PS) (ECOG 0–1), response to primary systemic treatment, and patients who received initiative irradiation and three or more lines of chemotherapy were predicted to have better OS in the whole group. Only response to first‐line systemic therapy and prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) were independent prognostic factors of survival in LS‐SCLC; while good PS (ECOG 0–1), without liver, bone, or subcutaneous metastases, response to first‐line therapy, initial local irradiation, and three or more lines of systemic therapy predicted a favorable prognosis in ES‐SCLC. Conclusions The present study retrieved from large real–world data suggested that response to primary systemic therapy and aggressive radiotherapy are independent prognostic factors for SCLC. PCI and initiative irradiation for original or metastatic sites improved the OS in LS‐SCLC and ES‐SCLC, respectively.

Lung cancer is one of the malignant tumors with high incidence rate and high mortality worldwide. Telomere and telomerase are closely related to the occurrence and development of lung cancer. Although telomerase may not be the direct cause of carcinogenesis, it plays a key role in maintaining telomere length and tumor growth. The length of most tumors, including lung cancer, is shortened. The change of telomere length is related to the risk of lung cancer, and may become the therapeutic target and predictive index. Target drugs for telomere and telomerase signaling pathway are constantly being explored, and drugs represented by telomerase inhibitors are expected to be used in clinical treatment of lung cancer in the future. However, the research on telomere and telomerase is far from enough. The bypass mechanism of telomere length maintenance may be the direction of further research.

Broadband transmitted wavefront measurement is a detection method that uses transmitted wavefronts at a few specific wavelengths though a function of Zernike coefficients and wavelength to predict other transmitted wavefronts at any wavelength within a certain range. This method is used when the designed wavelength of the interferometer and the detection wavelength are different. The function of the Zernike coefficients and wavelength can be expressed by the Conrady formula which can be used to describe a monotonic function curve or a function curve with an inflection point. Two methods, i.e., solving and fitting, can be used to determine the coefficients of the Conrady formula. Owing to the inevitable errors in the actual measurements, the fitting method is preferred to determine the coefficients of the Conrady formula. However, by analyzing the Conrady formula, it was found that the curve obtained by fitting the Conrady formula is a monotonic curve. This method cannot be used to obtain a curve with an inflection point or a slow-changing curve in the long waveband. In this paper, we propose an improved data fitting approach that transforms the Conrady formula into a polynomial formula to fit a given set of data for determining the Conrady formula coefficients. The correctness of the method was verified via simulations. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed method was verified by changing the light source and using the Fizeau interferometer to measure the transmitted wavefront of the doublet lens. To ascertain the feasibility of using visible light to predict the invisible light band, a near-infrared 1064 nm light source was added to the experimental set-up to broaden the range of the transmitted wavefront prediction waveband. Experimental results showed that the conversion polynomial fitting method can be used to obtain monotonic curves and the curve with an inflection point and a slow-changing curve in the long waveband, thereby mitigating the limitation of directly fitting the Conrady formula using a set of data points. Furthermore, using this method, we verified that the visible light can be used to predict the transmitted wavefront at any wavelength in the invisible light band. This observation is highly significant for the practical applications of the broadband transmitted wavefront measurement technique.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of transcribed RNA molecules with the lengths exceeding 200 nucleotides, are not translated into protein. They can modulate protein-coding genes by controlling transcriptional and posttranscriptional processes. The dysregulation of lncRNAs has been related to various pathological disorders. In this review, we summarized the current knowledge of lncRNAs and their implications in the pathogenesis of three common liver diseases: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, alcohol-related liver disease, and cholestatic liver disease. Future studies to further define the role of lncRNAs and their mechanisms in various types of liver diseases should be explored. An improved understanding from these studies will provide us a useful perspective leading to mechanism-based intervention by targeting specific lncRNAs for the treatment of liver diseases.

Mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) gene is an important tumor driver gene of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Drugs targeting MET 14 exon skipping mutation bring new hope to patients. MET inhibitors that are currently on the market or are about to be marketed include: crizotinib, cabozantinib, savolitinib and tepotinib. The objective response rate of MET inhibitors is high, and the safety is good. However, resistance of MET-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) is inevitable, so it is necessary to pay attention to the study of drug resistance mechanism. In addition, the combined use of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/MET inhibitors and other drugs may play an important role in inhibiting and reversing drug resistance.

Abstract Small molecules are able to regulate numerous cellular processes through binding to various bacterial receptor proteins, but the mechanisms and functions by which these chemicals coordinate and execute remain poorly understood. 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA) and cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) are two such molecules with distinct structures that are produced in Lysobacter enzymogenes to synergistically affect the secretion of an antifungal antibiotic, known as heat-stable antifungal factor (HSAF). In our earlier studies, we showed that CdgL, a YajQ-like protein without DNA-binding domain, was able to physically interact with LysR, a transcription factor, to enhance its binding affinity toward the upstream region of the HSAF biosynthesis operon promoter, hence increasing the HSAF biosynthesis. Interestingly, 4-HBA or c-di-GMP can bind to its cognate receptor of LysR or CdgL, respectively, to regulate the HSAF biosynthesis. Further, c-di-GMP acts by binding to CdgL to induce the dissociation of the CdgL-LysR complex, leading to decreased downstream expression. We now showed that CdgL controlled the transcription of lenB2, which encodes an oxygenase to convert chorismate to 4-HBA. Notably, overexpression of cdgL was found to stimulate lenB2 transcription, which likely increased the intracellular 4-HBA content. Also, 4-HBA could bind to LysR to interrupt the LysR-CdgL complex formation and release of CdgL, which caused a lower affinity of LysR toward DNA and hence decreased HSAF operon expression. These findings, along with our earlier report, allow us to propose a coordination mechanism demonstrating how the HSAF biosynthesis is co-regulated by 4-HBA and c-di-GMP through interactions with their cognate receptors. This new mechanism shall shed light on improving the HSAF yield for practical usage.

Abstract Lysobacter enzymogenes OH11 is a non-flagellated, ubiquitous soil bacterium with broad-spectrum antifungal activities. Although lacking flagella, it employs another type of motile behavior, known as twitching motility that is powered by type IV pilus (T4P) to move towards neighboring crop fungal pathogens to kill them as food. At present, little is known about how this non-flagellated bacterium controls twitching motility that is crucial for its predatory lifestyle. Herein, we present a report on how a non-canonical PilZ domain, PilZLe3639, controls such motility in the non-flagellated L. enzymogenes; it failed to bind with c-di-GMP but seemed to be required for twitching motility. Using bacterial two-hybrid and pull-down approaches, we identified PilBLe0708, one of the PilZLe3639-binding proteins that are essential for the bacterial twitching motility, could serve as an ATPase to supply energy for T4P extension. Through site-mutagenesis approaches, we identified one essential residue of PilZLe3639 that is required for its binding affinity with PilBLe0708 and its regulatory function. Besides, two critical residues within the ATPase catalytic domains of PilBLe0708 were detected to be essential for regulating twitching behavior but not involved in binding with PilZLe3639. Overall, we illustrated that the PilZ-PilB complex formation is indispensable for twitching motility in a non-flagellated bacterium.

Thermophoresis is of common interest due to its influence on the deposition of particles. Present research on thermophoretic deposition mainly focused on the sub-micron particles, whereas the particle size during the radioactive aerosol monitoring process usually exceeds the range. In order to study the effect of thermophoresis on the deposition characteristics of aerosols ranging from 1 to 10 µm, direct numerical simulation (DNS) and experiments of particle deposition are performed in this paper aiming at still and turbulent flow respectively. The results obtained by DNS coupled with Lagrangian particle tracking (LPT) are validated by the experimental data and the theoretical values. The results indicate that thermophoresis has an influence on the deposition of micron-sized particles, and the effect of thermophoresis on deposition velocity depends on particle size. In the still air, when the temperature gradient is 3000 K/m, the deposition velocity of 1 and 10 µm particles will be increased by 87% and 4.8% respectively when compared with gravitational deposition velocity. In the turbulent flow, the motion of particles is dominated by turbulent motion. In the region near the wall, thermophoresis can increase the deposition rate on the cold wall.

The Pound–Drever–Hall technique is widely used for laser frequency or optical cavity length stabilization. We propose a method to broaden its dynamic range. The conventional error signal divided by the transmission power serves as the new error signal, which increases the dynamic range in the linear regime. The use of an extended Kalman filter improves the resilience to noise when the transmitted power is low. This expands the dynamic range into the nonlinear regime and achieves a deterministic auto-lock even in the presence of a large disturbance. Such a nonlinear extension is, however, limited to an auto-lock for a previously locked state because the extended Kalman filter requires accurate prior knowledge of the initial state. For demonstration purposes, we simulate the implementation of this method for locking a ten-meter scale cavity with a single-stage suspension.

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) represents a spectrum of histopathological changes, including alcoholic steatosis, steatohepatitis, and cirrhosis. One of the early responses to excessive alcohol consumption is lipid accumulation in the hepatocytes. Lipid ω-hydroxylation of medium- and long-chain fatty acid metabolized by the cytochrome P450 4A (CYP4A) family is an alternative pathway for fatty acid metabolism. The molecular mechanisms of CYP4A in ALD pathogenesis have not been elucidated. In this study, WT and Shp−/− mice were fed with a modified ethanol-binge, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism model (10 days of ethanol feeding plus single binge). Liver tissues were collected every 6 hours for 24 hours and analyzed using RNA-Seq. The effects of REV-ERBα agonist (SR9009, 100 mg/kg/d) or CYP4A antagonist (HET0016, 5 mg/kg/d) in ethanol-fed mice were also evaluated. We found that hepatic Cyp4a10 and Cyp4a14 expression were significantly upregulated in WT mice, but not in Shp−/− mice, fed with ethanol. ChIP quantitative PCR and promoter assay revealed that REV-ERBα is the transcriptional repressor of Cyp4a10 and Cyp4a14. Rev-Erbα−/− hepatocytes had a marked induction of both Cyp4a genes and lipid accumulation. REV-ERBα agonist SR9009 or CYP4A antagonist HET0016 attenuated Cyp4a induction by ethanol and prevented alcohol-induced steatosis. Here, we have identified a role for the SHP/REV-ERBα/CYP4A axis in the pathogenesis of ALD. Our data also suggest REV-ERBα or CYP4A as the potential therapeutic targets for ALD.

Background This real‐world study assessed the efficacy and toxicity of anlotinib as salvage treatment in Chinese patients with advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods The medical records of 81 patients with advanced NSCLC who had failed at least two lines of chemotherapy were retrospectively collected. All patients were administered anlotinib treatment until disease progression or intolerance as a result of adverse events. Survival curves were created using the Kaplan–Meier method. The log‐rank test was used for univariate analysis of progression‐free survival (PFS) between groups. Cox regression was used to estimate the statistically significant factors based on univariate analysis. Results The median PFS was five months (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.5–6.5). The objective response rate (ORR) was 7% and the disease control rate (DCR) was 84%. The following subgroups of patients had longer PFS (P

Background Thymoma and thymic carcinoma are rare thymic epithelial tumors. We investigated the efficacy of first‐line gemcitabine and cisplatin (GP) chemotherapy versus gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy combined with the anti‐angiogenic drug endostar (GP + E) in advanced thymoma and thymic carcinoma. Methods The records of 45 patients with invasive metastatic thymomas or thymic carcinomas treated with GP as first‐line therapy between August 2008 and July 2017 at the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute were retrospectively reviewed. Results Eighteen patients (75%) in the GP + E group achieved a partial response and six (25%) had stable disease. In GP only group, nine (42.8%) patients achieved a partial response, 11 (52.4%) had stable disease, and one (4.8%) had progressive disease. The GP + E group had a significantly higher overall response rate (75% vs. 42.9%; P = 0.028), and median progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of 19 and 76 months, respectively. In the GP only group, median PFS and OS were 16 and 29 months, respectively. PFS and OS were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusions GP has moderate efficacy and could represent a suitable first‐line therapy for thymic carcinoma and thymoma. Chemotherapy combined with endostar could improve the overall response rate, but did not prolong PFS or OS.

BackgroundProgrammed cell death-1/programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitors are increasingly used in China, but no real-world data are available about the immune-related adverse events (irAEs). This real-world retrospective study aimed to assess the safety and effectiveness of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to analyze the association between irAEs and effectiveness.MethodsThis was a retrospective study of the clinical data of patients with NSCLC treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors from August 2016 to November 2019 at Beijing Cancer Hospital. The patients were divided into the irAE or non-irAE groups. Overall adverse events, the impact of irAE on tumor response, and the association of irAEs with effectiveness were evaluated.ResultsOne hundred and ninety-one patients were included, including 70 (36.6%) patients in the irAE group and 121 (63.4%) patients in the non-irAE group. AE, grades 3–5 AEs, and irAE occurred in 107 (56.0%), 24 (12.6%), and 70 (36.6%) of the patients, respectively. The objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were higher in the irAE group compared with the non-irAE group (42.0% vs. 25.8%, P=0.038; 91.9% vs. 70.8%, P=0.002). Multivariable analyses identified that irAE were associated with progression-free survival (HR=0.62, 95%CI: 0.43–0.91; P=0.015), but not with overall survival (HR=0.76, 95%CI: 0.44–1.28; P=0.299).ConclusionIn NSCLC treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, patients with irAEs showed improved effectiveness over patients without irAEs. Future studies of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy should explore this association and the underlying biological mechanisms of efficacy.

Aiming at the problem that it is difficult to achieve accurate laying of model and precise excavation of roadways in special surrounding rock structure roadway according to conventional physical similarity simulation, which reduces the reliability of experimental results. An accurate laying of model and precise excavation of roadway method, named “labeling positioning and drawing line, presetting roadway model” (LPDLPRM), was proposed. The physical similarity simulation of deformation and failure characteristics of surrounding rock of coal-rock rise, under the influence of repeated mining in close distance coal seams, was carried out based on the method and infrared detection. The results show that the coal-rock rise in close distance coal seams was affected by repeated mining disturbances, and the surrounding rock of coal-rock rise was characterized by obvious asymmetric deformation, specific for the stress and strain near the coal pillar were higher than that of other parts, and cracks near the coal pillar were denser than other parts; when the coal seam is mined in which the coal-rock rise is located, the stress concentration of the surrounding rock near the rise was weakened by mining pressure relief in the upper coal seam; the stress concentration of the surrounding rock near the rise increases when the coal and the lower coal seam are mined, and the stress on the right side (coal pillar side) near the coal-rock rise was the most concentrated. Therefore, it is important to take measures to strengthen support near the coal pillar and to control asymmetric deformation when the coal-rock rise is influenced by repeated mining.

In order to reveal the influence of the pull-out rate on the load-bearing properties of the coal–rock combined anchor body, the mechanical properties and failure characteristics of a coal–rock combined anchor body under different pull-out rates (10, 20, 30, 40, 50 mm/min) were studied using the pull-out test and theoretical analysis. The results show that the bearing capacity of the bolt on the coal–rock combined anchor body improves under a dynamic load, but the load-bearing properties of the coal–rock combined anchor body are different from those of the full rock (coal) anchor body. With the increase in the pull-out rate, the maximum pull-out load of the bolt on the coal–rock combined anchor body increases first, then decreases, and finally tends to be stable. Under the condition of a low drawing rate, the bearing capacity of the coal–rock combined anchor system can be greatly improved, but when the pull-out rate exceeds 20 mm/min, the bearing capacity of the anchor system is reduced. The debonding process of the anchoring section of the coal–rock combined anchor body gradually expands from the beginning section of the anchor to the bottom of the borehole. The coal–rock combined anchor body undergoes time differential development of cracks, and the failure of the coal and rock mass occurs at different times. Its failure process can be divided into three stages: (1) the coal anchor and rock anchor act together; (2) the rock anchor acts alone; and (3) the coal anchor and rock anchor have residual action.

Soil bacteria possess multiple weapons to fend off microbial competitors. Currently, we poorly understand the factors guiding bacterial decisions about weapon systems deployment. In this study, we investigated how such decisions are made by the soil bacterium Lysobacter enzymogenes, used in antifungal plant protection. We found that weapons production is guided by environmental cues. In rich media, which likely mimic environments crowded with other microbes, L. enzymogenes produces a contact-dependent weapon, type six secretion system (T6SS). In nutrient-poor media, likely dominated by filamentous oomycetes and fungi, L. enzymogenes synthesizes and secretes a heat-stable antifungal factor (HSAF), a contact-independent weapon. Surprisingly, the T6SS inner tube protein Hcp is accumulated intracellularly even in nutrient-poor media, when the T6SS is not assembled. We found that Hcp interacts with the transcription factor Clp required for activating HSAF biosynthesis operon expression. Hcp protects Clp from binding to c-di-GMP, an intracellular second messenger inhibiting DNA binding. The increased concentration of c-di-GMP-free Clp thus leads to higher gene expression and HSAF production. Therefore, when the contact-dependent weapon, T6SS, is not in use, accumulation of one of its structural components, Hcp, serves as a signal to enhance production of the contact-independent weapon, HSAF. The uncovered environment-dependent and auto-regulatory mechanisms shed light on the processes governing deployment of various weapon systems in environmental bacteria.

Transmitted wavefronts are usually measured by a laser interferometer of the corresponding design wavelength. The Zernike coefficient can be used to describe the transmitted wavefront of a circular aperture. However, it has some limitations in optical systems with non-circular apertures. In this paper, a method, based on discrete points, for measuring transmitted wavefronts in a broad bandwidth is presented. Simulations of monochromatic, achromatic and apochromatic systems verify the method. The system with off-axis field of view is also analyzed. The Conrady dispersion formula and apochromatic characteristic formula (ACF) are used to represent the relationship between the optical path difference (OPD) at each discrete point of the transmitted wavefront and the wavelength. We also experimentally verify this method by measuring the wavefront of the optical system with a square aperture. The results demonstrate that the method can be used to measure the non-circular wavefront in a broad bandwidth.

The wavelength-tuned Fizeau interferometer achieves the desired phase for interferograms based on the use of a phase-shifting technique. It can then use it to measure the surface and thickness of a parallel transparent object. However, phase errors occur owing to the inherent changes of the power of the tunable laser diode induced upon laser wavelength changes. To improve the measurement accuracy, we propose an optical power, real-time feedback control system, and a synchronous calibration scheme. The significance of the proposed method relies on the fact that the laser intensity variation can be detected quickly and compensated by adjusting the bias voltage. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed system, we incorporated it into the optical system of the wavelength-tuned, phase-shifting interferometer for experimentation. The control principles and the experimental validation of the proposed system are described in this letter.

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that range in length from 18 to 24 nucleotides. As one of the most extensively studied microRNAs, microRNA-21 (miR-21) is highly expressed in many mammalian cell types. It regulates multiple biological functions such as proliferation, differentiation, migration, and apoptosis. In this review, we summarized the mechanism of miR-21 in the pathogenesis of various liver diseases. While it is clear that miR-21 plays an important role in different types of liver diseases, its use as a diagnostic marker for specific liver disease or its therapeutic implication are not ready for prime time due to significant variability and heterogeneity in the expression of miR-21 in different types of liver diseases depending on the studies. Additional studies to further define miR-21 functions and its mechanism in association with each type of chronic liver diseases are needed before we can translate the bedside observations into clinical settings.

This study reports the simulation of a photocatalytic system process and the photocatalytic property of self-cleaning asphalt concrete (SCAC) with four typical asphalt mixtures. A photocatalytic system was simulated based on the pollutant concentration data, which were collected on three types of city roads. Two photocatalytic indexes were proposed to evaluate the photocatalytic property of self-cleaning asphalt concrete: relative decomposition rate and degradation capacity. Four typical asphalt mixtures were prepared with SBS/TiO2 modified bitumen: AC-13a asphalt mixture (AC-13a), AC-13b asphalt mixture (AC-13b), open-graded fraction courses (OGFC), and porous asphalt concrete (PAC). The performance of the SCAC samples was investigated using the cracking resistance, rutting resistance, and moisture susceptibility. The results show that the degradation capacity of CO is approximately 20 times more than that of HC and CO . The air voids of SCAC, which is exposed to ultraviolet rays, contribute to the photocatalytic indexes in the simulated system in this study. In addition, the SBS /TiO2 modified bitumen does not improve the high- or low-temperature property and water stability of SCAC.

Abstract Background Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br., syn. Cenchrus americanus (L.) R. Br) is an important cereal and fodder crop in hot and arid environments. There is great potential to improve pearl millet production through hybrid breeding. Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and the corresponding nuclear fertility restoration / sterility maintenance genes (Rfs) are essential tools for economic hybrid seed production in pearl millet. Mapping the Rf genes of the A4 CMS system in pearl millet would enable more efficient introgression of both dominant male-fertility restoration alleles (Rf) and their recessive male-sterility maintenance counterparts (rf). Results A high density linkage map based on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers was generated using an F2 mapping population and genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). The parents of this cross were ‘ICMA 02777’ and ‘ICMR 08888’, which segregate for the A4 Rf locus. The linkage map consists of 460 SNP markers distributed mostly evenly and has a total length of 462 cM. The segregation ratio of male-fertile and male-sterile plants (3:1) based on pollen production (presence/absence) indicated monogenic dominant inheritance of male-fertility restoration. Correspondingly, a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) for pollen production was found on linkage group 2, with cross-validation showing a very high QTL occurrence (97%). The major QTL was confirmed using selfed seed set as phenotypic trait, though with a lower precision. However, these QTL explained only 14.5% and 9.9% of the phenotypic variance of pollen production and selfed seed set, respectively, which was below expectation. Two functional KASP markers were developed for the identified locus. Conclusion This study identified a major QTL for male-fertility restoration using a GBS-based linkage map and developed KASP markers which support high-throughput screening of the haploblock. This is a first step toward marker-assisted selection of A4 male-fertility restoration and male-sterility maintenance in pearl millet.

Background and objective Radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy or molecular targeted therapy remains the standard of treatment for brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study is to determine if the deferral of brain radiotherapy impacts patient outcomes. Methods Between May 2003 and December 2015, a total of 198 patients with brain metastases from NSCLC who received both brain radiotherapy and systemic therapy (chemotherapy or targeted therapy) were identified. The rate of grade 3-4 adverse reactions related to chemotherapy and radiotherapy had no significant difference between two groups. 127 patients received concurrent brain radiotherapy and systemic therapy, and 71 patients received deferred brain radiotherapy after at least two cycles of chemotherapy or targeted therapy. Disease specific-graded prognostic assessment was similar in early radiotherapy group and deferred radiotherapy group. Results Median overall survival (OS) was longer in early radiotherapy group compared to deferred radiotherapy group (17.9 months vs 12.6 months; P=0.038). Progression free survival (PFS) was also improved in patients receiving early radiotherapy compared to those receiving deferred radiotherapy (4.0 months vs 3.0 months; P

Once ingested, most of the alcohol is metabolized in the liver by alcohol dehydrogenase to acetaldehyde. Two additional pathways of acetaldehyde generation are by microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (cytochrome P450 2E1) and catalase. Acetaldehyde can form adducts which can interfere with cellular function, leading to alcohol-induced liver injury. The variants of alcohol metabolizing genes encode enzymes with varied kinetic properties and result in the different rate of alcohol elimination and acetaldehyde generation. Allelic variants of these genes with higher enzymatic activity are believed to be able to modify susceptibility to alcohol-induced liver injury; however, the human studies on the association of these variants and alcohol-associated liver disease are inconclusive. In addition to acetaldehyde, the shift in the redox state during alcohol elimination may also link to other pathways resulting in activation of downstream signaling leading to liver injury.

Background and objective Chemotherapy is a highly efficient primary treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). However, patients receiving such treatment are prone to develop drug resistance. Local treatment is palliative and thus can alleviate the local symptoms and improve quality of life, but limited evidence is available for prolonging survival. Hence, this study evaluated the role of local treatment in chemotherapy of patients with ES-SCLC. Methods A total of 302 ES-SCLC cases were enrolled in this retrospective study. Prognostic factors were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox multivariate proportional hazards model. Results Median progression-free survival (PFS) and median survival time (MST) of the patients were 4.4 and 10.4 months, respectively. 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates were 37.8%, 10.2% and 4.4%, correspondingly. The MST of the primary tumor radiotherapy plus chemotherapy group was 14.3 months, whereas that of the chemotherapy group was 8.2 months (P

Background and objective Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of cancer death, two thirds of patients are over the age of 65. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for about 15%-20% of all lung cancer. The objective of this study is to evaluate the survival of patients older than 65 with SCLC and analyze the independent prognostic factors in this group of patients. Methods A retrospective study has enrolled 160 cases of lung cancer aged over 65. The prognostic factors were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox multivariate proportional hazards model. Results ① The median follow-up time was 12 (2-109) months. 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rate was 47.1%, 13.0%, 9.6% respectively, and 74.4%, 25.0%, 19.7% for limited-stage (LD), and 36.8%, 8.7%, 5.8% for extensive-stage (ED). Median survival time (MST) of all the patients was 12 months, 24 months for LD and 11 months for ED, respectively. ② Multivariate analysis suggested that performance status (PS) pre-treatment, the change of PS after treatment, stage, liver metastases and thoracic radiotherapy were the independent prognostic factors in all patients. ③ For LD-SCLC patients, PS pre-treatment, thoracic radiotherapy were the independent prognostic factors. The model of thoracic radiotherapy (concurrent chemoradiation vs sequential chemoradiation, early concurrent chemoradiation vs late concurrent chemoradiation) and prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) did not show significant difference. ④ For ED-SCLC patients, sex, the change of PS after treatment, chemotherapy, liver metastases, thoracic radiotherapy, PCI were the independent prognostic factors. Conclusion The survival time is related to PS and thoracic radiotherapy in eldly patients. Besides, it is also related to sex, chemotherapy, liver metastases and PCI for ED-SCLC.

As a global-optimized and naturally inspired algorithm, particle swarm optimization (PSO) is characterized by its high quality and easy application in practical optimization problems. However, PSO has some obvious drawbacks, such as early convergence and slow convergence speed. Therefore, we introduced some appropriate improvements to PSO and proposed a novel chaotic PSO variant with arctangent acceleration coefficient (CPSO-AT). A total of 10 numerical optimization functions were employed to test the performance of the proposed CPSO-AT algorithm. Extensive contrast experiments were conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. The experimental results showed that the proposed CPSO-AT algorithm converges quickly and has better stability in numerical optimization problems compared with other PSO variants and other kinds of well-known optimal algorithms.

Aiming to solve the contradiction between the workability and performance of pothole patching using cold mixtures, this paper proposed new patching materials based on the microcapsule technique and polymer reinforcement, namely cold mixtures with polymer modified asphalt and dense graded (DG) of aggregates (PADG) mixtures. Laboratory tests were conducted to compare the PADG mixtures with commonly used DG mixtures and open graded (OG) mixtures concerning workability, storability, cohesion, stability, and durability of each mixture. The results found that the PADG mixtures were satisfactory in their workability and storability and were as satisfactory as the OG mixtures. Meanwhile, stability and durability of the PADG mixtures was better than the DG mixtures and OG mixtures, i.e., the PADG mixtures showed stability in the conditions of the timeliness, low temperature, and immersion, as well as the freeze-thaw resistance and wear resistance in wet conditions. Therefore, it can be concluded that PADG mixtures are applicable in timely and durable pothole repairs in low temperatures and wet conditions.

Background and objective Some clinical predictors can be used to evaluate the efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including female, East-Asian, non-smoker, adenocarcinoma, skin rash, etc. The aim of this study is to explore the prognosis of advanced NSCLC patients treated with gefitinib for more than 6 months. Methods Eighty advanced NSCLC patients treated with gefitinib for more than 6 months were collected from January, 2005 to March, 2010. The association of their clinical characteristics with median progression-free survival time (PFS) was analysed. Results Significantly longer median PFS were found in patients with > 70 years old, earlier clinical stage (IIIb), non-bone metastasis (27 months vs 12 months; 32 months vs 12 months; 16 months vs 10 months, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in median PFS between ECOG performance status 0-1 group and 2-4 group, between more than 4 cycles of chemotherapy and 1-4 cycles, between PFS of chemotherapy > 6 months group and ≤6 months group, however, ECOG 0-1 group and more than 4 cycles of chemotherapy or PFS of chemotherapy > 6 months group seemed to have longer median PFS (15 months vs 10 months; 16 months vs 12 months; 14months vs 12 months). Compared with no skin rash and grade 0-I rash group, the patients with rash or grade ≥II rash had longer median PFS (16 months vs 13 months, P=0.171; 19 months vs 11 months, P=0.085). The median PFS was not related with sex, smoking index, pathological types, metastatic sites except bone, treatment strategy, etc (P > 0.05). Conclusion For gefitinib treatment, longer median PFS is likely to be obtained in patients with > 70 years old, earlier clinical stage (IIIb), non-bone metastasis.