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Leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp. Humans and some mammals can develop severe forms of leptospirosis accompanied by a dysregulated inflammatory response, which often results in death. The gut microbiota has been increasingly recognized as a vital element in systemic health. However, the precise role of the gut microbiota in severe leptospirosis is still unknown. Here, we aimed to explore the function and potential mechanisms of the gut microbiota in a hamster model of severe leptospirosis. Our study showed that leptospires were able to multiply in the intestine, cause pathological injury, and induce intestinal and systemic inflammatory responses. 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis revealed that Leptospira infection changed the composition of the gut microbiota of hamsters with an expansion of Proteobacteria. In addition, gut barrier permeability was increased after infection, as reflected by a decrease in the expression of tight junctions. Translocated Proteobacteria were found in the intestinal epithelium of moribund hamsters, as determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization, with elevated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in the serum. Moreover, gut microbiota depletion reduced the survival time, increased the leptospiral load, and promoted the expression of proinflammatory cytokines after Leptospira infection. Intriguingly, fecal filtration and serum from moribund hamsters both increased the transcription of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-10, and TLR4 in macrophages compared with those from uninfected hamsters. These stimulating activities were inhibited by LPS neutralization using polymyxin B. Based on our findings, we identified an LPS neutralization therapy that significantly improved the survival rates in severe leptospirosis when used in combination with antibiotic therapy or polyclonal antibody therapy. In conclusion, our study not only uncovers the role of the gut microbiota in severe leptospirosis but also provides a therapeutic strategy for severe leptospirosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The septin cytoskeleton is extensively regulated by posttranslational modifications, such as phosphorylation, to achieve the diversity of architectures including rings, hourglasses, and gauzes. While many of the phosphorylation events of septins have been extensively studied in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the regulation of the kinases involved remains poorly understood. Here, we show that two septin-associated kinases, the LKB1/PAR-4-related kinase Elm1 and the Nim1/PAR-1-related kinase Gin4, regulate each other at two discrete points of the cell cycle. During bud emergence, Gin4 targets Elm1 to the bud neck via direct binding and phosphorylation to control septin hourglass assembly and stability. During mitosis, Elm1 maintains Gin4 localization via direct binding and phosphorylation to enable timely remodeling of the septin hourglass into a double ring. This mutual control between Gin4 and Elm1 ensures that septin architecture is assembled and remodeled in a temporally controlled manner to perform distinct functions during the cell cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to two classes of operators related to positively limited sets on Banach lattices, which we call positively limited operators and positively limited completely continuous operators, respectively. We study the relationship between these two classes of operators and other known classes of operators such as (L-, M-)weakly compact operators, almost limited operators, etc. Some lattice-topological properties of Banach lattices, the positive GP and the dual positive Schur property, are characterized in terms of positively limited operators or positively limited completely continuous operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cr(VI) is listed as the first category pollutant that needs strict control, posing a lasting risk to the environment and human body. Ion imprinting technology has attracted more and more researchers' attention due to its high selectivity. Here, a chromium(VI)-imprinted polymer (Cr(VI)-IIPs) was prepared by precipitation polymerization using potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) as the template ions, tert-butanol [C(CH3)3OH] as a pore-forming agent, Bisphenol A epoxy resins as the carrier, and hyperbranched polyamide-amines as curing and complexing agent. The research objective of this work is to crosslink epoxy resin as a matrix with hyperbranched polyamides to obtain ion imprinted materials with stable structure, acid and alkali resistance, low cost, and reusability. The detailed adsorption studies reveal that the adsorption behavior of the Cr(VI)-IIPs for Cr(VI) conforms to the quasi-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. At pH = 2 and 298K, the theoretical maximum adsorption capacity reached 263.15mg/g, reaching adsorption equilibrium within 120 min. Moreover, the adsorbent can be regenerated and the equilibrium adsorption amount will not decrease significantly. In addition, the column adsorption experiment shows that Cr(VI)-IIPs can be well applied to the treatment of actual wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Levodopa (L-DOPA) is the primary treatment for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism of its action is not entirely learned. This study aims to probe the action of L-DOPA on NLR pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) levels in the striatum (STR) and substantia nigra (SN) of mice with PD symptoms. Methods: PD was simulated by administering 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP; 25 mg/kg/d) to induce mice, followed by LDOPA (8 mg/kg/d) treatment. The behavioral performance of the mice was assessed using the pole test, balance beam, and rotarod test. After euthanasia with 120 mg/kg sodium pentobarbital, STR and SN were collected for evaluation of protein level of TH, NLR pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), ASC and Cleaved caspase-1 using Western blot and mRNA levels of TH, inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-18 using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Results: Treatment with L-DOPA significantly ameliorated the behavioral deficits caused by MPTP in mice with PD symptoms. L-DOPA administration resulted in reduced levels of apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (caspase recruitment domain) (ASC), NLRP3, and Cleaved caspase-1 protein levels, and decreased mRNA levels of IL-1β and IL-18 in the STR and SN. L-DOPA increased the TH mRNA and TH protein levels, while suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the STR and SN of mice with PD symptoms. Conclusions: L-DOPA improves the behavioral deficits in mice with PD symptoms possibly by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation and increasing TH levels in the STR and SN TH levels. These findings provide further perceptions into the property of L-DOPA in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a primary cause of dementia. The complement system is closely related to AD pathology and may be a potential target for the prevention and treatment of AD. In our study, we conducted a bioinformatics analysis to analyze the role of the complement system and its related factors in AD using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data. We also conducted a functional analysis. Our study verified that 23 genes were closely related to differentially expressed complement system genes in diseases after intersecting the disease-related complement system module genes and differentially expressed genes. The STRING database was used to predict the interactions between the modular gene proteins of the differential complement system. A total of 21 gene proteins and 44 interaction pairs showed close interactions. We screened key genes and created a diagnostic model. The predictive effect of the model was constructed using GSE5281 and our study indicated that the predictive effect of the model was good. Our study also showed enriched negative regulation of Notch signaling, cytokine secretion involved in the immune response pathway, and cytokine secretion involved in immune response hormone-mediated apoptotic signaling pathway. We hope that our study provides a promising target to prevent and delay the onset, diagnosis, and treatment of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coexistence of perisellar tumors and intracranial aneurysms was previously considered a rare phenomenon. In this study, we introduce our experience with surgical strategies for the treatment of such coexisting pathologies. This retrospective study reviews the medical records and intraoperative videos of patients with coexisting pathologies of perisellar tumors and aneurysms from Nov 2017 to Oct 2022. Our study involved 20 patients, including 9 males and 11 females. Three patients selected the single-stage endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA), including one with a type of MP trigeminal schwannoma with an anterior communicating aneurysm, 1 with a pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma with a left internal carotid artery paraclinoid aneurysm, and 1 with a recurrent pituitary adenoma with a right internal carotid artery paraclinoid aneurysm. Thirteen patients chose tumor resection first through the EEA with embolization or aneurysm conservation. There were also 2 patients with irregularly shaped aneurysms who chose embolization before tumor resection. All tumors were completely removed, with only a few patients experiencing recurrence and postoperative complications, and the follow-up of the aneurysms was also stable. There were also 2 patients who chose conservative management for both tumors and aneurysms, but unfortunately, one of them suffered from aneurysm rupture and eventually died. No cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, severe intracranial infection, or surgical-related hemorrhage was found in any patients. Staged surgery or conservative treatment for aneurysms can be considered a safe and effective strategy for the treatment of coexisting pathologies. However, in very selected cases, the single-stage EEA can be used as part of a comprehensive treatment for such coexisting pathologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of rural industries in Bijie City of Guizhou Province leads the comprehensive rural revitalization with industrial re- vitalization, takes high-quality development as the overall guide, focuses on industrial scale, standardization, branding, and marketization, and strives to extend the industrial chain and enhance the value chain to achieve the prosperity of rural industries. In this study, it investigated the current situation of rural industry development in Bijie City (improving the quality and efficiency of characteristic industries, expanding the quantity and efficiency of agricultural products processing industry, recruiting and cultivating large business entities, expanding and strengthening the brand of agricultural products, and upgrading the rural tourism). Through analysis, it found that there are problems such as small scale of production enterprises, insufficient cultivation of independent brands, short industrial chain, low added value, weak market expansion ability, imperfect interest connection mechanism, and insufficient participation of farmers. Finally, it came up with countermeasures for the development of rural industries in Bijie City, including improving supporting facilities and building an extension base; strengthening leading enterprises and focus on deep processing; highlighting regional characteristics and paying close attention to the docking of production and marketing; enhancing the characteristic brand and strengthening the support of science and technology; promoting collaboration and support, and making innovation in the connection of interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 diabetes often leads to compromised muscle endurance. Herein, we have explored the effect of Huanglian, a traditional Chinese medicine herb, on muscle endurance in patients with type 2 diabetes. To this end, type 2 diabetes patients aged 18-60 years were recruited and treated with anti-diabetic drugs, or anti-diabetic drugs plus 20 g of Huanglian daily, for one month. All subjects were instructed in muscle endurance assessment guided by the videos from the App in the clinic setting. The baseline and post-intervention muscle endurance values were recorded through the app and compared. The treatment group receiving Huanglian had higher muscle endurance than the control group. Multivariate regression analysis showed that lower limb muscle endurance (OR = 4.282, 95% CI: 1.537-11.928) and upper abdominal muscle endurance (OR = 4.632, 95% CI: 1.847-11.618) were correlated with Huanglian treatment. In conclusion, the level of muscle endurance of the lower limbs and upper abdominals is positively correlated with Huanglian decoction treatment in diabetic patients. The sensitivity of this video-guided test method is comparable to that of traditional equipment and more conducive to clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vertebrates, the pulsatile release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from neurons in the hypothalamus triggers secretion of anterior pituitary gonadotropins, which activate steroidogenesis, and steroids in turn exert typically homeostatic negative feedback on GnRH release. Although long-term episodic firing patterns of GnRH neurons in brain slices resemble the pulsatile release of GnRH and LH in vivo, neither the relationship between GnRH neuron firing and release nor whether this relationship is influenced by gonadal feedback are known. We combined fast-scan cyclic voltammetry and patch-clamp to perform simultaneous measurements of neuropeptide release with either spontaneous action potential firing or in response to neuromodulator or action-potential-spike templates in brain slice preparations from male mice. GnRH release increased with higher frequency spontaneous firing to a point; release reached a plateau after which further increases in firing rate did not elicit further increased release. Kisspeptin, a potent GnRH neuron activator via a Gq-coupled signaling pathway, triggered GnRH release before increasing firing rate, whether globally perfused or locally applied. Increasing the number of spikes in an applied burst template increased release; orchidectomized mice had higher sensitivity to the increased action potential number than sham-operated mice. Similarly, Ca2+ currents triggered by these burst templates were increased in GnRH neurons of orchidectomized mice. These results suggest removal of gonadal feedback increases the efficacy of the stimulus-secretion coupling mechanisms, a phenomenon that may extend to other steroid-sensitive regions of the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] The paper was to investigate the effects of different application rates of pesticides and fertilizers on wheat stripe rust and wheat yield. [Methods] Two-factor split block design was adopted. [Results] Different application rates of pesticides and chemical fertilizers would affect the incidence of wheat stripe rust, and further affect the yield of wheat. Triadimefon had no significant effect on wheat yield, and potassium sulfate compound fertilizer had significant effect on wheat yield, while their interaction had no significant effect on wheat yield. There were significant differences in wheat yield among the 15 treatment combinations, which may be due to the fact that the application rate of potassium sulfate compound fertilizer had extremely significant effect on wheat yield. [Conclusions] Under the wheat/green manure/ maze zonal rotation system in Bijie, the sowing width of wheat is guaranteed to be 0. 5 m under the 1. 65 m zonal cropping system, and the sowing rate of wheat is arranged according to the basic seedling of 1. 2 million plants/hm². In the early stage of wheat stripe rust, 15 % triadimefon WP can be sprayed evenly at the dose of 1 050 g/hm² by a high-power sprayer in a sunny day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing problem of antibiotic resistance has driven the search for virulence factors in pathogenic bacteria, which can serve as targets for the development of new antibiotics. Although whole-genome Tn5 transposon mutagenesis combined with phenotypic assays has been a widely used approach, its efficiency remains low due to labor-intensive processes. In this study, we aimed to identify specific genes and proteins associated with the virulence of Cronobacter sakazakii, a pathogenic bacterium known for causing severe infections, particularly in infants and immunocompromised individuals. By employing a combination of genetic screening, comparative proteomics, and in vivo validation using zebrafish and rat models, we rapidly screened highly virulent strains and identified two genes, rcsA and treR, as potential regulators of C. sakazakii toxicity toward zebrafish and rats. Proteomic profiling revealed upregulated proteins upon knockout of rcsA and treR, including FabH, GshA, GppA, GcvH, IhfB, RfaC, MsyB, and three unknown proteins. Knockout of their genes significantly weakened bacterial virulence, confirming their role as potential virulence factors. Our findings contribute to understanding the pathogenicity of C. sakazakii and provide insights into the development of targeted interventions and therapies against this bacterium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale brain networks undergo widespread changes with older age and in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Research in young adults (YA) suggest that the underlying functional architecture of brain networks remains relatively consistent between rest and task states. However, it remains unclear whether the same is true in aging and to what extent any changes may be related to accumulation of AD pathology such as b-amyloid (Ab) and tau. Here, we examined age-related differences in functional connectivity (FC) between rest and an object-scene mnemonic discrimination task using fMRI in young and older adults (OA; both females and males). We used an a priori episodic memory network (EMN) parcellation scheme associated with object and scene processing, that included anterior-temporal regions and posterior-medial regions. We also used positron emission topography to measure Ab and tau in older adults. The correlation between rest and task FC (i.e., FC similarity) was reduced in older compared with younger adults. Older adults with lower FC similarity in EMN had higher levels of tau in the same EMN regions and performed worse during object, but not scene, trials during the fMRI task. These findings link AD pathology, particularly tau, to a less stable functional architecture in memory networks. They also suggest that smaller changes in FC organization between rest and task states may facilitate better performance in older age. Interpretations are limited by methodological factors related to different acquisition directions and durations between rest and task scans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop an XGBoost model to predict the occurrence of acute lung injury (ALI) in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). Using the case database of Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, 1231 cases suffering from AP were screened, and after 137 variables were identified, the clinical characteristics of the samples were statistically analyzed, and the data were randomly divided into a training set (75%) to build the XGBoost model and a test set (25%) for validation. Finally, the performance of the model was evaluated based on accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, and subject characteristics working characteristic curves. The model performance is also compared with that of three other commonly used machine learning algorithms (support vector machine (SVM), logistic regression, and random forest). The age and laboratory tests of patients with AP combined with ALI differed from those of patients without combined acute lung injury. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the test set after model evaluation was 0.9534, the specificity was 0.7333, and the sensitivity was 0.7857, with arterial partial pressure of oxygen, bile acid, aspartate transaminase, urea nitrogen, and arterial blood pH as its most important influencing factors. In this study, the XGBoost model has advantages compared with other three machine learning algorithms. The XGBoost model has potential in the application of predicting acute lung injury after acute pancreatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New taxonomic and faunistic data for two species of the genus Acidota Stephens, 1829 from China are provided. A new species from Xizang (Linzhi) is described and illustrated: A. dawai Peng & Chen, sp. nov. Additional data (including photographs of the habitus and the type labels) on the type specimens of taxa described from Japan (A. crenata japonica Watanabe, 1990) and Taiwan (A. montana Smetana, 1993 and A. nivicola Smetana, 1993) are given. A key to Chinese species of Acidota is given. Acidota crenata (Fabricius, 1792) is recorded from Heilongjiang for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the government's enormous efforts to forestall widespread protests, China still witnessed many cross-provincial protests in the post-1989 era. How did Chinese citizens find the opportunity to stage cross-provincial protests in a political environment highly hostile to coordination beyond the community level? By tackling this puzzle, this study illuminates the Chinese state's sophisticatedly differentiated strategies for coping with collective protests. Rather than attribute state leaders' threat perceptions to static dimensions of protest movements, we posit that dynamic dimensions such as the pathway of scale shift often play a more important role. We propose a typology of pathways through which local protests spread across provincial borders--top-down, outside-in, and bottom-up--and elucidate how the interaction between the pathways and the nature of solidarity shaped government perception and strategy. Besides addressing an important puzzle in China and enhancing our understanding of the political environment in high-capacity authoritarian regimes, this study also underscores how an investigation of dynamic dimensions can provide new insights into the government's calculations and strategies for managing popular protests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory infections are a major trigger of asthma exacerbations. This study sought to estimate the overall proportion of viruses, atypical pathogens, and bacteria detected in adults with asthma exacerbations. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases and all related studies from the reviews and references were searched from inception to February 13, 2020. Two authors independently performed study selection, data extraction, as well as quality evaluation. Subsequently, meta-analysis, between-study heterogeneity, and publication bias assessment were conducted on RStudio. RESULTS: Forty-three eligible studies comprising 3511 adults were included, of which 21 publications mentioned multiple infections during acute asthma attacks. Meta-analysis showed an acute infection prevalence of 40.19% (95% confidence interval [CI] 34.53%-45.99%). Viruses, atypical pathogens, and bacteria were detected in 38.76% (95% CI 32.02%-45.71%), 8.29% (95% CI 2.64%-16.27%), and 7.05% (95% CI 3.34%-11.81%) of asthmatics during exacerbations, respectively. Rhinovirus infections are always the dominant trigger for exacerbations with a proportion of 20.02% (95% CI 14.84%--25.73%). Substantial heterogeneity across studies (Cochran Q test: 479.43, P < 0.0001, I² = 91.2%) was explained by subgroup analysis, indicating that year, region, population, respiratory secretion, detection method, pathogen, and study quality were all influencing factors. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis provided the first quantitative epidemiological data for adults, and in the future, more research and health-care supports are necessary in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When operating at high speed, aeroengines mounted on the aircrafts also perform complicated maneuvering flights along with the aircrafts. The engine rotor systems will undergo forced motions excited by base movements and mass unbalance, which may lead to severe vibrations. Squeeze film damper (SFD) is generally used for vibration damping in aeroengine, but it also introduces structural nonlinearity like bistable jump. Moreover, the reliability of SFD is also affected by base excitations. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the nonlinear dynamic behavior of rotor-SFD-support system excited by base motions. Taking a muti-disk rotor shaft supported by two SFDs with squirrel cages as the research object to simulate a gas generator in a turboshaft engine, the steady-state responses of the rotor system were calculated by multidimensional harmonic balance combined with alternating frequency/time domain method (MHB-AFT). The effects of base harmonic rotations and mass unbalance on steady-state responses of rotor system were investigated. The results indicate that the time-varying parametric excitations of base motions have strong effects on amplitude-frequency response of transverse displacement of rotor system. The critical speeds and resonant amplitudes of responses change with the magnitude and frequency of several base harmonic rotations. The variation of the frequency of base harmonic motion has the most significant impact on the amplitude-frequency response of transverse displacement of rotor system. The increase of base harmonic frequency will lead to multiple local peaks in the response curves, especially in the case of base harmonic rolling motion. In addition, the combination of base harmonic rotation around pitching and yawing axes results in significantly different response characteristics. Therefore, the influence of base harmonic motions should be considered during the structural design and damping optimization of SFDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The planetary boundary layer (PBL) height (PBLH) is an important parameter for both weather, climate and air quality models. Radiosonde is one of the commonly used instruments for PBLH determination and is generally accepted as a standard for other methods. However, mainstream approaches for the estimation of PBLH from radiosonde present some uncertainties and even show disadvantages under some circumstances and the results need to be visually verified, especially during the transition period of different PBL regimes. To avoid the limitations of individual methods and provide a benchmark estimation of PBLH, we propose an ensemble method based on high-resolution radiosonde data collected in Beijing in 2017. Seven existing methods including four gradient-based methods are combined along with statistical modification. The ensemble method is verified during afternoon, morning, and evening transition periods, respectively. The overestimation of PBLH can be effectively eliminated by setting threshold for gradient-based methods and the inconsistency between individual methods can be reduced by clustering. Based on the statistics of one-year observational analysis, the effectiveness of the ensemble method reaches up to 70.8%, an increase of 14.7% ~ 61.2% compared with the existing methods. Nevertheless, the ensemble method suffers to some extent from uncertainties caused by the removal of truly high PBLH, the profiles with a multi-layer structure, and the intermittent turbulence in the stable boundary layer (SBL). Finally, this method has been applied to characterize the diurnal and seasonal variations of different PBL regimes. Particularly, the average CBL height is found to be the highest in spring and the SBL is lowest in summer with about 200 m. The average PBLH at transition stage lies around 900 m and there is no obvious seasonal variation. The findings imply the effectiveness of the ensemble method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the age of globalization, enterprises have faced new challenges and opportunities for innovative behavior. Increasing cultural exchanges provide enterprises with a wealth of information and knowledge, but also exacerbate the risk of information loss. Therefore, information security has become an increasingly critical issue. Blockchain technology is an effective guarantee for the success of enterprise innovation in such circumstances. Enterprises can access information across national boundaries and avoid the risk of a cultural clash or a leak of information due to the security and traceability of blockchain technology. In the era of globalization, blockchain technology has become an umbrella for enterprises to exploit cultural diversity. This study presents a DDD model that illustrates how blockchain firms can benefit from cultural diversity to produce innovative products. Specifically, firms that utilize blockchain increase their innovation output by 36.17% compared to those that do not. Additionally, it explores how firms can benefit from the spillover of external knowledge and how traditional models of R&D through equipment purchases give way to new models of bringing in talent for knowledge exchange using blockchain. The model presented in this study provides a novel theoretical perspective on how emerging technologies affect corporate innovation, emphasizing the importance of blockchain technology to corporate innovation in an era of globalization with increasing cultural exchanges. It also provides a new perspective on the application of emerging technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pipe structures and opening conditions have an important influence on gas explosion, but little research has been done on the coupling analysis of the two. In order to reveal the effect of pipe structure on the flammability characteristics of hydrogen-air premixed gas under end-opening conditions, the flame structure, flame propagation velocity, explosion pressure and flow field distribution in the explosion process of hydrogen-air premixed gas in different pipe structures were analyzed by numerical simulation. The results show that the flame propagation velocity and pressure are less influenced by the end-opening structure in the initial ignition stage, however, when the flame propagates to the pipe end, the flame propagation velocity in each pipe structure is significantly enhanced. The 90° elbow has a certain inhibitory effect on the flame development, while the T-shaped bifurcation structure can effectively increase the degree of gas detonation. In pipe with large aspect ratio, due to the wall effect, the effect of acoustic oscillation disturbance on the flame front and the air-flow release effect of the end-opening, there are two peaks and two troughs in the pressure rise rate curve of each pipe-line structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the bioorthogonal reactions which explore glycan functions in complex biological systems. Topics include examines besides DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids as the other major macromolecular components of living systems are carbohydrates and considered all mammalian cells and extracellular matrices contain a high density of glycan biomolecules including glycoproteins, glycolipids, proteoglycans and polysaccharides.

We have structurally characterized the liquid crystal (LC) phase that can appear as an intermediate state when a dielectric nematic, having polar disorder of its molecular dipoles, transitions to the almost perfectly polar-ordered ferroelectric nematic. This intermediate phase, which fills a 100-y-old void in the taxonomy of smectic LCs and which we term the "smectic ZA," is antiferroelectric, with the nematic director and polarization oriented parallel to smectic layer planes, and the polarization alternating in sign from layer to layer with a 180 Å period. A Landau free energy, originally derived from the Ising model of ferromagnetic ordering of spins in the presence of dipole-dipole interactions, and applied to model incommensurate antiferroelectricity in crystals, describes the key features of the nematic-SmZA-ferroelectric nematic phase sequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron (B) is an essential element for plant growth. Many agricultural soils around the globe have either insufficient or excessive amounts of available B, with major implications for crop production. Understanding major limitations imposed by B nutritional disorders may allow breeding crops for improved B use efficiency as well as make them more resilient to excessive B, thus reducing yield penalties. It has become apparent that B-related physiological disorders are mediated in large part by their impact on plant hormone production and signaling. The aim of this review is to summarize current knowledge of the roles of hormones in plant responses to B and their impact on plant growth and development. The most significant effect of B deficiency is the inhibition of root elongation. Boron deficiency promotes the redistribution of auxin in the root elongation zone. Together with cytokinin signals and ethylene, this redistribution and modulation of auxin content triggers inhibition of the root cell elongation. Under B deficiency, root development is also regulated by brassinosteroids and jasmonic acid. Excess B can induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Abscisic acid and salicylic acid are both produced in response to B toxicity, and both can induce the antioxidant defense system to detoxify ROS. Another adaptation to B toxicity involves changes in the expression levels and activity of aquaporins in roots, thus reducing the uptake of water and delivery of B into the transpiration stream. In addition, abscisic acid mediates stomatal closure to further limit transpiration and the consequent accumulation of B in leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of PD-L1 expression in tumors provides key clues for improving immune checkpoint blockade efficacy or developing novel oncoimmunotherapy. Here, we showed that the FDA-approved sodiumglucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor canagliflozin dramatically suppressed PD-L1 expression and enhanced T cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Mechanistic study revealed that SGLT2 colocalized with PD-L1 at the plasma membrane and recycling endosomes and thereby prevented PD-L1 from proteasome-mediated degradation. Canagliflozin disturbed the physical interaction between SGLT2 and PD-L1 and subsequently allowed the recognition of PD-L1 by Cullin3SPOP E3 ligase, which triggered the ubiquitination and proteasome-mediated degradation of PD-L1. In mouse models and humanized immunetransformation models, either canagliflozin treatment or SGLT2 silencing significantly reduced PD-L1 expression and limited tumor progression -- to a level equal to the PD-1 mAb -- which was correlated with an increase in the activity of antitumor cytotoxic T cells. Notably, prolonged progression-free survival and overall survival curves were observed in the group of PD-1 mAb-treated patients with non-small cell lung cancer with high expression of SGLT2. Therefore, our study identifies a regulator of cell surface PD-L1, provides a ready-to-use small-molecule drug for PD-L1 degradation, and highlights a potential therapeutic target to overcome immune evasion by tumor cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider distributed statistical optimization and inference in the presence of heterogeneity among distributed data blocks. A weighted distributed estimator is proposed to improve the statistical efficiency of the standard "split-and-conquer" estimator for the common parameter shared by all the data blocks. The weighted distributed estimator is at least as efficient as the would-be full sample and the generalized method of moment estimators with the latter two estimators requiring full data access. A bias reduction is formulated for the weighted distributed estimator to accommodate much larger numbers of data blocks (relaxing the constraint from K = o(N1/2) to K = o(N2/3), where K is the number of blocks and N is the total sample size) than the existing methods without sacrificing the statistical efficiency at the same time. The mean squared error bounds, the asymptotic distributions, and the corresponding statistical inference procedures of the weighted distributed and the debiased estimators are derived, which show an advantageous performance of the debiased weighted estimators when the number of data blocks is large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the observation of the smectic AF, a liquid crystal phase of the ferroelectric nematic realm. The smectic AF is a phase of small polar, rod-shaped molecules that form two-dimensional fluid layers spaced by approximately the mean molecular length. The phase is uniaxial, with the molecular director, the local average long-axis orientation, normal to the layer planes, and ferroelectric, with a spontaneous electric polarization parallel to the director. Polarization measurements indicate almost complete polar ordering of the ~10 Debye longitudinal molecular dipoles, and hysteretic polarization reversal with a coercive field ~2 × 105 V/m is observed. The SmAF phase appears upon cooling in two binary mixtures of partially fluorinated mesogens: 2N/DIO, exhibiting a nematic (N)–smectic ZA (SmZA)–ferroelectric nematic (NF)–SmAF phase sequence, and 7N/DIO, exhibiting an N–SmZA–SmAF phase sequence. The latter presents an opportunity to study a transition between two smectic phases having orthogonal systems of layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on early cognitive function in elderly patients after single port thoracoscopic lobectomy. Methods: One hundred and nine patients who underwent single whole thoracoscopic lobectomy in Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to October 2021 were included in this single-center, retrospective observational study. According to the treatment records, before anesthesia, 56 patients received TEAS (TEAS-group), and 53 patients applied electrodes at the same acupoint without electrical stimulation (control-group). Preoperative and postoperative cognitive function (Mini mental state examination, MMSE score), serum neuron specific enolase (NSE), S100β protein and p-tau protein levels and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. Results: After operation, the MMSE of the TEAS-group was significantly better than that of the Controlgroup, with the MMSE of the TEAS-group returned to the preoperative level 72 hours after operation. Serum NSE, S100β and p-tau concentrations 24 hours and 72 hours after operation in the TEAS-group returned to their preoperative level and were significantly lower than those in the control-group. Hospitalization time of the TEAS-group was significantly shorter and hospitalization expenses were significantly lower comparing to the control-group. Conclusion: TEAS treatment could promote improved early postoperative cognitive function of elderly patients undergoing single port thoracoscopic lobectomy and could accelerate the recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogel-based biomedical applications are under rapid development. These applications usually demand hydrogels to have high toughness and high fatigue threshold. Recently, various fiber-reinforced composite hydrogels have been developed to meet this challenge. However, the effect of fiber geometry on the fracture and fatigue of composite hydrogels is still elusive. Here, we use a model composite hydrogel to study the influence of fiber width, fiber spacing, and fiber configuration on these properties. It is found that the toughness of the composite hydrogel does not increase monotonically with the fiber width or fiber spacing, but presents a peak. This is because the variation of fiber width and fiber spacing not only affects the volume of fiber in the fracture process zone but also influences the dissipated elastic energy density in that volume, which is affected by the stress concentration. The peak is a consequence of the trade-off between these two factors. Our study further shows that the shape of the fiber network affects the stress concentration in the fiber dramatically, thereby leading to a huge difference in the toughness and fatigue threshold of the composite hydrogels. This work highlights the importance of fiber size as well as the shape of fiber networks on the mechanical properties of composite hydrogels. It may help the design of tough and fatigue-resistant stretchable composite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicines have clear curative effects in the treatment of vitiligo with few side effects. Through literature research and clinical observation, the study summarized the etiology and pathogenesis of vitiligo in traditional Chinese medicine as "deficiency, toxin, and stasis" formulated the method of invigorating qi, promoting blood circulation and detoxification, and prescribed Fuse Hexue Jiawei Decoction for the treatment of vitiligo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented that focuses on the vulnerability of early career researchers (ECRs) in scientific publishing and the initiatives taken by The Journal of Neuroscience (JNeurosci) to bridge the gap between ECRs and journals. It states that JNeurosci established an Early Career Researcher Advisory Board in 2023 to address unique challenges faced by ECRs in the publishing process, enhance diversity and inclusivity, and lower publishing barriers.

We consider the geometric non-linear inverse problem of recovering a Hermitian connection A from the source-to-solution map of the cubic wave equation □Aϕ+κ|ϕ|²ϕ=f, where κ≠0 and □A is the connection wave operator in the Minkowski space R1+3. The equation arises naturally when considering the Yang-Mills-Higgs equations with Mexican hat type potentials. Our proof exploits the microlocal analysis of non-linear wave interactions, but instead of employing information contained in the geometry of the wave front sets as in previous literature, we study the principal symbols of waves generated by suitable interactions. Moreover, our approach relies on inversion of a novel non-abelian broken light ray transform, a result interesting in its own right. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a significant and inaugural project of the "Belt and Road" initiative which is considered as structure and manifesto for panoramic and fundamental collaboration between China and Pakistan. The CPEC project was initiated to develop economic growth and facilitate free trade between both countries. However, it has generated immense employment opportunities, education facilities, and improved quality of life for local citizens, specifically women, as well as international overreach. This study investigates and examines the benefits of CPEC project and its influence on women empowerment. Based on the background of the CPEC, this study has been carried out by applying a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods to fill the gap. Data was aggregated with the help of a survey questionnaire and interviews from the residents of the Thar region of Pakistan, which comes under CPEC route. In total, 306 samples were acquired and analysed using different statistical tools such as SPSS (Statistical package for social sciences) and PLS (Partial least squares) to formulate the study results. The findings revealed that the development of CPEC has remarkably improved the quality of life for women by providing enormous employment opportunities, education facilities, skills enhancement programs, and training facilities. The analyzed results will guide government policymakers and officials to promote operational activities in the region, develop new educational institutions, and create employment opportunities for the local community and women to obtain further development of CPEC projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To study the effect of bioactive whey protein-supplemented paclitaxel on nutritional status and tumor growth in a mouse model of subcutaneously transplanted triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Methods: Eighty (80) mice were equally assigned to chemotherapy and control groups. The chemotherapy-treated mice received bioactive whey protein-supplemented paclitaxel chemotherapy, while the control group received paclitaxel chemotherapy only. Differences in body weight, glutathione (GSH) contents in tumor tissue and blood, tumor volume and extent of tumor suppression, serum levels of CA153 and TSGF, and survival time were determined and compared between the two groups. Results: After 4 weeks, tumor tissue GSH was markedly lower in chemotherapy-exposed mice than in control mice, while blood GSH content in the chemotherapy group was significantly higher than that of control group (p < 0.05). After drug administration, volume of transplanted tumor and tumor weight were significantly lower in chemotherapy mice than in control mice, while levels of CA153 and TSGF in serum were down-regulated in chemotherapy-exposed mice, relative to control mice. Moreover, the mean survival time of mice in chemotherapy group was significantly longer than that in control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Bioactive whey protein-supplemented paclitaxel improves the nutritional status of mice, slows down weight loss, lowers the levels of tumor growth factors, suppresses tumor growth, prolongs survival period, and improves prognosis of subcutaneously transplanted triple negative breast cancer in mice. This therapeutic strategy can potentially be used. for the management of breast cancer but this requires prior successful clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses that Traveling waves are common in biological and synthetic systems, including the recent discovery that silver (Ag) colloids form traveling motion waves in H2O2 and under light. The research wad conducted on colloidal motion wave as a heterogeneous excitable system. Or they pave the way for using colloidal waves or as a tool for colloidal transport and for information transmission in microrobot ensembles.

We study the optimal lottery problem and the optimal mechanism design problem in the setting of a single unit-demand buyer with item values drawn from independent distributions. Optimal solutions to both problems are characterized by a linear program with exponentially many variables. For the menu size complexity of the optimal lottery problem, we present an explicit, simple instance with distributions of support size 2, and show that exponentially many lotteries are required to achieve the optimal revenue. We also show that, when distributions have support size 2 and share the same high value, the simpler scheme of item pricing can achieve the same revenue as the optimal menu of lotteries. The same holds for the case of two items with support size 2 (but not necessarily the same high value). For the computational complexity of the optimal mechanism design problem, we show that unless the polynomial-time hierarchy collapses (more exactly, PNP = P#P), there is no efficient randomized algorithm to implement an optimal mechanism even when distributions have support size 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a field-switching (FS) technique is employed with a flowing atmospheric pressure afterglow (FAPA) source in drift tube ion mobility spectrometry (DTIMS). The premise is to incorporate a tip-repeller electrode as a substitute for the Bradbury-Nielsen gate (BNG) so as to overcome corresponding disadvantages of the BNG, including the gate depletion effect (GDE). The DTIMS spectra were optimized in terms of peak shape and full width by inserting an aperture at the DTIMS inlet that was used to control the neutral molecules' penetration into the separation region, thus preventing neutral-ion reactions inside. The FAPA and repeller's experimental operating conditions including drift and plasma gas flow rates, pulse injection times, repeller positioning and voltage, FAPA current, and effluent angle were optimized. Ion mobility spectra of selected compounds were captured, and the corresponding reduced mobility values were calculated and compared with the literature. The 6-fold improvements in limit of detection (LOD) compared with previous work were obtained for 2,6-DTBP and acetaminophen. The enhanced performance of the FS-FAPA-DTIMS was also investigated as a function of the GDE when compared with FAPA-DTIMS containing BNG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decarboxylation of pyruvate is a central reaction in the carbon metabolism of all organisms. It is catalyzed by the pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) and the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex. Whereas PFOR reduces ferredoxin, the PDH complex utilizes NAD+. Anaerobes rely on PFOR, which was replaced during evolution by the PDH complex found in aerobes. Cyanobacteria possess both enzyme systems. Our data challenge the view that PFOR is exclusively utilized for fermentation. Instead, we show, that the cyanobacterial PFOR is stable in the presence of oxygen in vitro and is required for optimal photomixotrophic growth under aerobic and highly reducing conditions while the PDH complex is inactivated. We found that cells rely on a general shift from utilizing NAD(H)- to ferredoxin-dependent enzymes under these conditions. The utilization of ferredoxins instead of NAD(H) saves a greater share of the Gibbs-free energy, instead of wasting it as heat. This obviously simultaneously decelerates metabolic reactions as they operate closer to their thermodynamic equilibrium. It is common thought that during evolution, ferredoxins were replaced by NAD(P)H due to their higher stability in an oxidizing atmosphere. However, the utilization of NAD(P)H could also have been favored due to a higher competitiveness because of an accelerated metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stroke, also known as a cerebrovascular accident, is a medical emergency that causes temporary or permanent behavioral dysfunction in people. Sleep deprivation affects our brains in a variety of ways. The advantages of sleep much justify the risks of not having enough sleep. Sleep deprivation (SD) includes a variety of factors, including prolonged awake. Neuroimaging investigates SD's impact on attention, working memory, mood, and hippocampal learning. We analyzed how this data enriches our mechanistic understanding of these alterations and the clinical illnesses linked with sleep disruption. We have used Cronbach's alpha to test the reliability of a scale, so we then have 19 individual attributes responding to 174 participants via survey. The evaluated result shows the reliability statistics; the value for Cronbach's alpha is.962, which is very excellent as it reaches 1. So, there is very strong reliability. If the value falls under.6, we look back to the mean and standard deviation table and remove the attribute with low values for mean or standard deviation and try the remaining attributes. Cronbach's alpha tells us which attribute or item to delete to increase the reliability, and we also have analyzed the correlation among the class students while watching the same video lecture. We have collected data for at least ten students watching the same video using a webcam. Once the data is collected, we then have applied some correlation techniques to determine the class students' behavior towards the same video lecture. This way, we can see the overall behavior of the class upon a specific video lecture. The study further reveals that subjective happiness is influenced by its efficiency, entertainment value, and effectiveness. Does the research offer an original emphasis on analyzing how does lack of sleep affect our brains? Sleep loss frameworks are minimal compared to the benefits of sleep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using first-principles calculations, we investigate the defected phosphorene with vacancies under tensile conditions, specifically focusing on its stress-strain relation, band gap, and Li diffusion through the double vacancy. The analysis of the stress-strain relation indicates that, owing to the presence of vacancies, the mechanical properties of phosphorene are significantly degraded in the zigzag direction, including the ideal strength and Young's modulus. Moreover, it is found that tensile strain produces a remarkable reduction in the band gap of the defected phosphorene, and Li diffusion through the defected phosphorene is more energetically favorable compared with the pristine phosphorene, which can be further enhanced under biaxial tension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a common degenerative cardiovascular disease whose pathobiology is not clearly understood. The cellular heterogeneity and cell-type-specific gene regulation of vascular cells in human AAA have not been well-characterized. Here, we performed analysis of whole-genome sequencing data in AAA patients versus controls with the aim of detecting diseaseassociated variants that may affect gene regulation in human aortic smooth muscle cells (AoSMC) and human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC), two cell types of high relevance to AAA disease. To support this analysis, we generated H3K27ac HiChIP data for these cell types and inferred cell-type-specific gene regulatory networks. We observed that AAA-associated variants were most enriched in regulatory regions in AoSMC, compared with HAEC and CD4+ cells. The cell-type-specific regulation defined by this HiChIP data supported the importance of ERG and the KLF family of transcription factors in AAA disease. The analysis of regulatory elements that contain noncoding variants and also are differentially open between AAA patients and controls revealed the significance of the interleukin-6-mediated signaling pathway. This finding was further validated by including information from the deleteriousness effect of nonsynonymous single-nucleotide variants in AAA patients and additional control data from the Medical Genome Reference Bank dataset. These results shed important insights into AAA pathogenesis and provide a model for cell-type-specific analysis of disease-associated variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider an unconstrained optimization model where the objective is a sum of a large number of possibly nonconvex functions, though overall the objective is assumed to be smooth and convex. Our bid to solving such model uses the framework of cubic regularization of Newton's method. As well known, the crux in cubic regularization is its utilization of the Hessian information, which may be computationally expensive for large-scale problems. To tackle this, we resort to approximating the Hessian matrix via subsampling. In particular, we propose to compute an approximated Hessian matrix by either uniformly or non-uniformly sub-sampling the components of the objective. Based upon such sampling strategy, we develop accelerated adaptive cubic regularization approaches and provide theoretical guarantees on global iteration complexity of O(ffl1=3) with high probability, which matches that of the original accelerated cubic regularization methods Jiang et al. (2020) using the full Hessian information. Interestingly, we also show that in the worst case scenario our algorithm still achieves an O(ffl5=6 log(ffl1)) iteration complexity bound. The proof techniques are new to our knowledge and can be of independent interets. Experimental results on the regularized logistic regression problems demonstrate a clear effect of acceleration on several real data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a one-step synthesis of monodisperse nano-flowers by aqueous polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA), modulated by host-guest interactions. Owing to the low monomer swelling of nanoparticles restricted by host-guest complexation, hierarchical surficial micellar structures were generated at the outer surface of the vesicles, forming fractal nanoflowers with a diameter polydispersity as low as 1.01. Our method allows the straightforward synthesis of monodisperse hierarchical nano-particles for a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syntaxin helps in catalyzing membrane fusion during exocytosis. It also forms clusters in the plasma membrane, where both its transmembrane and SNARE domains are thought to homo-oligomerize. To study syntaxin clustering in live PC12 cells, we labeled granules with neuropeptide-Y-mCherry and syntaxin clusters with syntaxin- 1a green fluorescent protein (GFP). Abundant clusters appeared under total internal reflection (TIRF) illumination, and some of them associated with granules ("on-granule clusters"). Syntaxin- 1a-GFP or its mutants were expressed at low levels and competed with an excess of endogenous syntaxin for inclusion into clusters. On-granule inclusion was diminished by mutations known to inhibit binding to Munc18-1 in vitro. Knock-down of Munc18-1 revealed Munc18-dependent and -independent on-granule clustering. Clustering was inhibited by mutations expected to break salt bridges between syntaxin's Hb and SNARE domains and was rescued by additional mutations expected to restore them. Most likely, syntaxin is in a closed conformation when it clusters on granules, and its SNARE and Hb domains approach to within atomic distances. Pairwise replacements of Munc18-contacting residues with alanines had only modest effects, except that the pair R114A/I115A essentially abolished on-granule clustering. In summary, an on-granule cluster arises from the specific interaction between a granule and a dense cluster of syntaxin-Munc18-1 complexes. Off-granule clusters, by contrast, were resistant to even the strongest mutations we tried and required neither Munc18-1 nor the presence of a SNARE domain. They may well form through the nonstoichiometric interactions with membrane lipids that others have observed in cell-free systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity is associated with impaired immune function and chronic low-grade inflammation. Metabolic surgery is one of the most effective therapies for treating obesity and related metabolic disorders. We aimed to explore the pathophysiological roles of peripheral dendritic cells (DCs) and T lymphocytes in metabolic surgery. Method: In this observational cohort study, a total of 106 individuals, including obese participants with or without T2DM, overweight subjects and normal controls, were recruited. All obese participants underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy surgery and returned for the evaluation of the clinical indicators after surgery. We evaluated the frequencies of circulating DCs subsets (myeloid (mDCs) and plasmacytoid (pDCs)), the pro-inflammatory (Th1 and I Th17) and anti-inflammatory (Th2 and Treg) T cell subsets by flow cytometry. Results: Compared with normal controls, the frequencies of mDCs, Th1 and Th17 cells increased, while Treg and Th2 cells decreased in the obese participants. The frequency of mDCs and Th1 cells consistently declined after surgery compared with baseline in the obese patients and were restored to the levels observed in the normal controls after surgery. Moreover, the frequency of Treg cells was increased at 6 months after surgery in the obese patients with T2DM, and Th17 cells declined at 6 months after surgery in the severely obese patients without T2DM. Conclusion: This study indicates that metabolic surgery can effectively improve imbalanced immune cells in peripheral blood and restore the proportion of immune cells to a normal range during a 12-month follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin photoaging, which is a kind of exogenous aging, refers to skin elasticity degradation, skin roughening, and wrinkle formation processes because of cascading reactions of a series of kinases after growth factor receptors and cytokine receptors are activated on a cell surface under the UV effect. An extensively recognized skin photoaging mechanism is free radical-oxidative stress concept, proposed by Sohal who represents the authority of the US aging studies. Over the past decade, many new developments in the oxidative stress mechanism have been achieved in terms of the occurrence, development, prevention, and treatment of photodamage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Treatment of post-operative pelvic side-wall relapses of cervical cancer has always been a therapeutic challenge for radiation oncologists. Radiation dose boost to recurrent tumor by brachytherapy is necessary, but difficult to achieve. Our treatment center has successfully achieved precise transvaginal insertion of a pelvic side-wall mass, using a metal tube with real-time ultrasound guidance. This study investigates the efficacy and safety of image-guided high-dose-rate (HDR) interstitial brachytherapy (IBT) for patients with post-operative pelvic side-wall relapses. Material and methods: Between 2018 and 2020, 36 post-operative pelvic side-wall relapses of cervical cancer patients receiving external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) combined with HDR-IBT were analyzed retrospectively. Doses per fraction ranged from 6.0 to 7.0 Gy, whereas cumulative equivalent doses in 2 Gy fractions ranged from 80 to 100 Gy. Effects of prognostic factors on local control (LC) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed, and late toxicity data were evaluated. Results: A total of thirty-six patients were included, with a median follow-up of 19.3 months. The tumor response was obtained for all patients, with radiological complete remission in 20 (55.6%) patients. Two-years LC and PFS rates were 72.2% and 47.2%, respectively. Grade II rectal toxicity was observed in 5 patients (13.9%). Multivariate analyses for LC and PFS using proportional regression model were performed, in which shape of exophytic tumor was associated with a significantly better prognosis for both LC and PFS (HR = 0.071, 0.128, p = 0.005, 0.002). Clinical target volume (CTV) D90 remained associated with a significantly better prognosis for PFS (HR = 0.056, p = 0.000). Conclusions: A metal tube placed in the vagina, under the guidance of real-time ultrasound in transvaginal IBT for pelvis masses can be accurately achieved. The shape of exophytic tumor and CTV D90 were associated with a significantly better prognosis for PFS, and the shape of exophytic tumor was also associated with a better prognosis for LC. Therefore, radiation dose boost using IBT can improve the prognosis of patients with post-operative pelvic side-wall recurrences of cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the expression of lncRNAs in the ovaries of Qira black sheep at different stages of the estrous cycle, Qira black sheep were used as experimental materials in this experiment, and after estrus synchronization, ovarian tissues at four different stages of the estrous cycle were collected to extract total RNA. The samples at different stages were first subjected to genome-wide analysis using RNA-seq technology; target genes of lncRNAs were predicted using co-expression methods; and then GO and KEGG analysis of target genes was performed. Genes related to the estrous cycle of Qira black sheep were also selected to study their transcriptional differences. Finally, lncRNA-miRNA and mRNAlncRNA-miRNA interaction networks were established to further analyze the effect of lncRNA alignment on Qira black sheep reproduction. The results showed that in the differentially expressed part, 14 lncRNAs were differentially expressed in Estrous VS Diestrus; the differential expression levels of lncRNAs in the two comparison groups of Estrous VS Metestrus and Estrus VS Proestrus were 18 and 24, respectively. The results of GO and KEGG functional enrichment analysis showed that differentially expressed lncRNAs and their target genes were mainly involved in reproductionrelated pathways such as retinol metabolism, ovarian sterol production and endosterol biosynthesis. In the combined analysis of lncRNA-miRNA and mRNA-lncRNA-miRNA, genes related to reproduction, such as LNC011583, LNC003443 and bta-miR-202, were found, thus it can be seen that lncRNAs have some effect in the reproduction of Qira black sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer is the most fatal and frequently diagnosed malignant tumor. Neoadjuvant therapy is a promising approach for prolonging survival and increasing the chance of cure rates for patients with potentially resectable disease. Currently, many therapeutic alternatives, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, are continually being explored to enrich the content of neoadjuvant therapy. However, neoadjuvant therapy remains to have no unified evaluation standards. Overall survival (OS) is the “gold standard” for evaluating the clinical benefit of cancer treatment, but it needs years for a reliable evaluation. Hence, researchers need to identify surrogate endpoints that can predict OS accurately and reliably without long follow-up periods. In this review, we describe the research progress of different neoadjuvant therapies and explore their response evaluation, aiming to identify stronger predictors of OS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]