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Prosthetic eye is indispensable as filler after enucleation in patients with anophthalmia, whereas there are still many complications including postoperative infection and eye socket depression or extrusion during the conventional artificial eye material applications. Some Ca-silicate biomaterials showed superior bioactivity but their biological stability in vivo limit the biomedical application as long-term or permanent implants. Herein we aimed to understand the physicochemical and potential biological responses of zinc doping in wollastonite bioceramic used for orbital implants. The wollastonite powders with different zinc dopant contents (CSi-Znx) could be fabricated as porous implants with strut or curve surface pore geometries (cubic, IWP) via ceramic stereolithography. The experimental results indicated that, by increasing zinc-substituting-Ca ratio (up to 9%), the sintering and mechanical properties could be significantly enhanced, and meanwhile the bio-dissolution in vitro and biodegradability in vivo were thoroughly inhibited. In particular, an appreciable angiogenic activity and expected antibacterial efficacy (over 90 %) were synergistically achieved at 9 mol% Zn dopant. In the back-embedding and enucleation and implantation model experiments in rabbits, the superior continuous angiogenesis was corroborated from the 2D/3D fibrovascular reconstruction in the IWP-pore CSi–Zn9 and CSi–Zn13.5 groups within very short time stages. Totally, the present silicate-based bioceramic via selective Zn doping could produce outstanding structural stability and bifunctional biological responses which is especially valuable for developing the next-generation implants with vascular insertion and fixation in orbital reconstruction prothesis.

AbstractSageretia thea (Osbeck) M.C. Johnst (1968) is an important fruit and medicinal species of Rhamnaceae family. The complete chloroplast genome (cp) of Sageretia genus was sequenced and reported for the first time in this study. The cp genome had a total length of 161,352 bp, consisting of a largesingle-copy (LSC) region of 89,802 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,914 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions totaling 26,318 bp. The plastid genome contained 129 genes, including 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, 8 rRNA genes. The overall GC content of the genome was found to be 37.10%. Phylogenetic analysis based on comparison with 27 chloroplast genomes revealed that S. thea is closely related to genera Rhamnus and Berchemia. The findings of this study can provide fundamental insights for the conservation, exploitation, and systematic genomic investigation of Rhamnus plants.

Abstract Eukaryotic initiation translation factor 3 subunit h (EIF3H) plays critical roles in regulating translational initiation and predicts poor cancer prognosis, but the mechanism underlying EIF3H tumorigenesis remains to be further elucidated. Here, we report that EIF3H is overexpressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) and correlates with poor prognosis. Conditional Eif3h deletion suppresses colorectal tumorigenesis in AOM/DSS model. Mechanistically, EIF3H functions as a deubiquitinase for HAX1 and stabilizes HAX1 via antagonizing βTrCP-mediated ubiquitination, which enhances the interaction between RAF1, MEK1 and ERK1, thereby potentiating phosphorylation of ERK1/2. In addition, activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling induces EIF3H expression. EIF3H/HAX1 axis promotes CRC tumorigenesis and metastasis in mouse orthotopic cancer model. Significantly, combined targeting Wnt and RAF1-ERK1/2 signaling synergistically inhibits tumor growth in EIF3H-high patient-derived xenografts. These results uncover the important roles of EIF3H in mediating CRC progression through regulating HAX1 and RAF1-ERK1/2 signaling. EIF3H represents a promising therapeutic target and prognostic marker in CRC.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a crucial RNA modification involved in various biological activities. Computational methods have been developed for the detection of m6A sites in Saccharomyces cerevisiae at base-resolution due to their cost-effectiveness and efficiency. However, the generalization of these methods has been hindered by limited base-resolution datasets. Additionally, RMBase contains a vast number of low-resolution m6A sites for Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and base-resolution sites are often inferred from these low-resolution results through post-calibration. We propose MTTLm6A, a multi-task transfer learning approach for base-resolution mRNA m6A site prediction based on an improved transformer. First, the RNA sequences are encoded by using one-hot encoding. Then, we construct a multi-task model that combines a convolutional neural network with a multi-head-attention deep framework. This model not only detects low-resolution m6A sites, it also assigns reasonable probabilities to the predicted sites. Finally, we employ transfer learning to predict base-resolution m6A sites based on the low-resolution m6A sites. Experimental results on Saccharomyces cerevisiae m6A and Homo sapiens m1A data demonstrate that MTTLm6A respectively achieved area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) values of 77.13% and 92.9%, outperforming the state-of-the-art models. At the same time, it shows that the model has strong generalization ability. To enhance user convenience, we have made a user-friendly web server for MTTLm6A publicly available at http://47.242.23.141/MTTLm6A/index.php

Abstract Background Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) is a member of the apolipoprotein family with diverse functions. It is associated with the pathogenesis and prognosis of several types of tumors. However, the role of serum apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) in the prognosis of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate its influence on clinical outcomes in patients with DLBCL. Methods We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 1583 consecutive DLBCL patients admitted to the Fujian Medical University Union Hospital between January 2011 and December 2021. 949 newly diagnosed DLBCL patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled for statistical analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cut-off value for serum ApoA1 levels for prognostic prediction among patients with DLBCL. The correlations between serum ApoA1 levels and clinical and laboratory parameters were analyzed. Prognostic significance was analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Results Newly diagnosed patients with DLBCL demonstrated low serum ApoA1 levels (upper limit of normal), poorer performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score of 2–4), higher percentage of advanced stage and non-germinal center B-cell (non-GCB) subtype, more cases of > 1 extranodal site, higher International Prognostic Index (IPI) score (3–5), and higher incidence of relapse or refractory diseases compared with those with high serum ApoA1 levels (≥ 0.925 g/L). Low serum ApoA1 levels were an independent adverse prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) but not progression-free survival (PFS). Conclusions Low serum ApoA1 levels were associated with poor treatment response and inferior survival in newly diagnosed patients with DLBCL.

With the development of industry, more attention has been paid to the detection of metal ions in wastewater, especially with portable detection probes. Here, we prepared a multiple shape memory hydrogel containing cucurbit[6]uril-carbon dots, which can specifically recognize Fe3+ ions and Hg2+ ions. The self-assembly binding mode between CB[6] groups and carbon dots improves the structural stability of the hydrogel. The hydrogel is light yellow in natural light. It shows brown maple in the presence of Fe3+ ions and bright white in the presence of Hg2+ ions, indicating the adsorption of iron and mercury ions on the hydrogel. The fluorescence quenching of hydrogel is caused by ultraviolet competitive absorption of Fe3+ ions or Hg2+ ions, and the detection limit can reach 10−7 M. This visualized gel probe facilitates the development of portable detection devices. Meanwhile, the dynamic covalent borate bonds, acylhydrazone bonds and reversible crystallization of polyvinyl alcohol chains were used to achieve the shape transformation and excellent mechanical properties of the hydrogel.

BackgroundTinnitus is a complex and heterogeneous disease that has been identified as a common manifestation of COVID-19. To gain a comprehensive understanding of tinnitus symptoms in individuals following COVID-19 infection, we conducted an online survey called the China Ear Nose and Throat Symptom Survey in the COVID-19 Pandemic (CENTSS) among the Chinese population. ObjectiveOur objective was to investigate tinnitus and ear-related symptoms after COVID-19 infection in the Chinese population, with the aim of providing a solid empirical foundation for improved health care. The findings from CENTSS can contribute to the development of enhanced management strategies for tinnitus in the context of long COVID. By gaining a better understanding of the factors contributing to tinnitus in individuals with COVID-19, health care providers can tailor interventions to address the specific needs of affected patients. Furthermore, this study serves as a basis for research on the long-term consequences of COVID-19 infection and its associated tinnitus symptoms. MethodsA quantitative, online, cross-sectional survey study design was used to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on experiences with tinnitus in China. Data were collected through an online questionnaire designed to identify the presence of tinnitus and its impacts. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze individuals' demographic characteristics, COVID-19 infection–related ear symptoms, and the cognitive and emotional implications of tinnitus. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to model the cross-sectional baseline associations between demographic characteristics, noise exposure, educational level, health and lifestyle factors, and the occurrence of tinnitus. ResultsBetween December 19, 2022, and February 1, 2023, we obtained responses from 1262 Chinese participants representing 24 regions, with an average age of 37 years. Among them, 540 patients (42.8%) reported experiencing ear-related symptoms after COVID-19 infection. Only 114 (9%) of these patients sought medical attention specifically for their ear symptoms, while 426 (33.8%) did not seek hospital care. Tinnitus emerged as the most prevalent and impactful symptom among all ear-related symptoms experienced after COVID-19 infection. Of the respondents, female participants (688/888, 77.78%), younger individuals (

The universal application of the hub-and-spoke maritime network makes feeder line network key to restricting the quality and efficiency of maritime transportation. However, container liner routes in feeder line network are susceptible to the changes in shipment demand and international fuel prices. Therefore, based on the hub-and-spoke maritime network, this paper constructs a robust optimization model of container liner routes in feeder line network. Under the capacity and time constraints, routes optimization and ship equipment under uncertain environment are analysed. An improved tabu search algorithm was designed based on the characteristics of the model. The example analysis proves that the model can still ensure the robustness of routes under uncertain environment, which is more applicable than the deterministic model.

Abstract Background Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is one of the most lethal tumors in the world with a poor prognosis. Thus, an accurate prediction model, which identify patients within high risk of pancreatic adenocarcinoma is needed to adjust the treatment and elevate the prognosis of these patients. Methods We obtained RNAseq data of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) from UCSC Xena database, identified immune-related lncRNAs (irlncRNAs) by correlation analysis, and identified differential expressed irlncRNAs (DEirlncRNAs) between pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues from TCGA and normal pancreatic tissues from TCGA and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx). Further univariate and lasso regression analysis were performed to construct prognostic signature model. Then, we calculated the areas under curve and identified the best cut-off value to identify high- and low-risk patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The clinical characteristics, immune cell infiltration, immunosuppressive microenvironment, and chemoresistance were compared between high- and low-risk patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Results We identified 20 DEirlncRNA pairs and grouped the patients by the best cut-off value. We proved that our prognostic signature model possesses a remarkable efficiency to predict prognosis of PAAD patients. The AUC for ROC curve was 0.905 for 1-year prediction, 0.942 for 2-year prediction, and 0.966 for 3-year prediction. Patients in high-risk group have poor survival rate and worse clinical characteristics. We also proved that patients in high-risk groups were in immunosuppressive status and may be resistant to immunotherapy. Anti-cancer drug evaluation was performed based on in-silico predated tool, such as paclitaxel, sorafenib, and erlotinib, may be suitable for PAAD patients in high-risk group. Conclusions Overall, our study constructed a novel prognostic risk model based on pairing irlncRNAs, exhibited a promising prediction value in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Our prognostic risk model may help distinguish PAAD patients suitable for medical treatments.

To investigate the effect of microwave treatment on the physicochemical and digestive properties of loquat kernel starch, the changes of crystal structure, gelatinization characteristics, particle morphology, solubility, swelling force, transparency and digestibility of loquat kernel starch under different heating time and power of microwave treatment was studied by using the X-ray diffraction (XRD), rheometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Englyst methods. It was found that the difference in the heating time (90, 120, 150 s) and power of microwave treatment (150, 300, 450 W) revealed the different effect on the properties of loquat kernel starch. The crystal form of loquat kernel starch, which remained C type, was not affected by the microwave treatment. With the increase of microwave heating time and power, the gelatinization characteristics (peak viscosity, valley viscosity, final viscosity), solubility, and swelling power of loquat kernel starch gradually increased, and the surface morphology of loquat kernel starch was partly changed. The contents of fast digestible starch (RDS), slow digestible starch (SDS) and resistant starch (RS) of loquat kernel primary starch were 9.45%, 6.75%, and 83.8%, respectively. The contents of RDS increased to 12.03% and 13.45% with the increase of microwave heating time and power, respectively, whereas the content of SDS decreased to 2.93% and 2.03% under the same treatment, which indicated that the microwave treatment could considerably change the digestibility of loquat kernel starch. Microwave treatment could effectively change the structure and physicochemical properties of loquat kernel starch, and improve in vitro digestion rate of starch.

Abstract As one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide, glaucoma is characterized by structural damage and functional loss. Glaucoma patients often have a long follow-up and prognosis prediction is an important part in treatment. However, existing public glaucoma datasets are almost cross-sectional, concentrating on segmentation on optic disc (OD) and glaucoma diagnosis. With the development of artificial intelligence (AI), the deep learning model can already provide accurate prediction of future visual field (VF) and its progression with the support of longitudinal datasets. Here, we proposed a public longitudinal glaucoma real-world appraisal progression ensemble (GRAPE) dataset. The GRAPE dataset contains 1115 follow-up records from 263 eyes, with VFs, fundus images, OCT measurements and clinical information, and OD segmentation and VF progression are annotated. Two baseline models demonstrated the feasibility in prediction of VF and its progression. This dataset will advance AI research in glaucoma management.

Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua (P. cyrtonema) rhizomes are rich in flavonoids and other secondary metabolites, exhibiting remarkable antioxidant, anti-tumor, and immunomodulatory effects. Polygonatum flavonoid-biosynthesis-related genes have been characterized already. However, a comprehensive overview of Polygonatum flavonoid biosynthesis pathways is still absent. To articulate the accumulation of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathways, we examined transcriptome changes using Illumina HiSeq from five different tissues and the RNA-seq of 15 samples had over 105 Gb of a clean base, generating a total of 277,955 unigenes. The cDNA libraries of the fruits (F), leaves (L), roots (R), stems (S), and rhizomes (T) of three-year-old P. cyrtonema plants generated 57,591, 53,578, 60,321, 51,530, and 54,935 unigenes. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that 379 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were in the group of F _vs_ T, L _vs_ T, R _vs_ T, and S _vs_ T, and the transcripts of flavonoid-biosynthesis-related DEGs were principally enriched in rhizomes. In addition, combined with WGCNA and the FPKM of five tissues’ transcription, nine differentially expressed transcription factor families (MYB, WRKY, AP2/ERF, etc.) were characterized in the red module, the red module positively correlated with rhizome flavonoid accumulation. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) further indicated that BZIP1, C3H31, ERF114, and DREB21 are differentially expressed in rhizomes, accompanied in rhizome development in P. cyrtonema. Therefore, this study provides a foundation for further research into uncovering the accumulation of flavonoid biosynthesis in the rhizomes of P. cyrtonema.

Abstract Background By evaluating equity and effectiveness, this study provides evidence-based knowledge for scientific decision-making and the optimization of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) configuration and utilization at the provincial level. Methods Using data from 2017, we applied a Gini coefficient to analyze the equity of MRI services in 11 sample cities in Henan province. An agglomeration degree was then applied to measure equity from the perspective of population and geography, and a data envelopment analysis was used to evaluate MRI efficiency. Results The overall Gini coefficient of MRI allocation by population in the 11 sample cities is 0.117; however, equity varies considerably among the sample cities. The sample’s comprehensive efficiency is only 0.732, indicating the overall ineffectiveness of provincial MRI utilization. The pure technical and scale efficiencies of four sample cities are below 1, indicating lower MRI effectiveness than the rest. Conclusions Although the overall equity of configuration at the provincial level is relatively good, equity varies at the municipal level. Our results demonstrate a low MRI utilization efficiency; accordingly, policymakers should dynamically adjust the policy based on equity and efficiency.

Abstract Increasing evidences have demonstrated that pyroptosis exerts key roles in the occurrence, development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, the mechanisms of pyroptosis in COPD remain largely unknown. In our research, Statistics were performed using R software and related packages in this study. Series matrix files of small airway epithelium samples were downloaded from the GEO database. Differential expression analysis with FDR

Abstract Aim Prone positioning during general anaesthesia is one of the most difficult practices for the perioperative nurse. Patients in this position are vulnerable to many preventable complications. However, no studies have developed an evidence‐based tool to improve nursing practice during general anaesthesia and prone positioning. This study aimed to develop and test a general anaesthesia and prone position nursing checklist for use by the circulating nurse. Design A prospective pre‐post study was performed between October 2020 and March 2021. Methods The WHO checklist development model and evidence‐based methods guided the checklist development process. We prospectively observed circulating nurses that attended to prone general anaesthesia during posterior lumbar spine surgery for 3 months before and after the introduction of the general anaesthesia and prone position nursing risk checklist. The main outcomes were successful delivery of essential prone positional nursing practices during each surgery and the nurse's opinion of the checklist's efficacy and utility. Results A general anaesthesia and prone position nursing checklist comprised of 4 pause points and 22 necessary nursing practices was developed. Seventy‐two nurses participated in this study. Use of the checklist significantly increased the average performance of essential practices during each surgery from 72.72%–95.45%. Three measures had a compliance rate of 100%. The delivery rate of 14 measures was significantly improved, 91.7% of nurses considered the checklist easy to use, and 94.4% nurses would want the checklist to be used if they underwent a prone position and general anaesthesia operation.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of ear-nose-throat (ENT) symptoms in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infected patients resulting from local transmission.Methods: A convenience sampling network survey was conducted among individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 to examine the characteristics and progression of ENT symptoms associated with local transmission. The survey comprised 52 questions, and univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to assess the rate, severity, and outcome of ENT symptoms across different genders and age groups.Results: Among the 1,366 individuals included in the investigation, a peak in new infections occurred on 20th December, and the majority (78.4%) were female. The most common symptoms reported were coughing (90.6%), nasal congestion (77.2%), and runny nose (74.3%). Otologic symptoms were predominantly represented by tinnitus (29.7%).Conclusion: The rate of specific symptoms showed a significant correlation with age and gender. It is crucial to provide timely medical intervention, especially for female patients. This study offers a comprehensive understanding of the symptom spectrum in individuals infected with the virus, providing valuable insights for the development of targeted symptom management strategies.

Abstract Numerous studies have demonstrated that individual proteins can moonlight. Eukaryotic Initiation translation factor 3, f subunit (eIF3f) is involved in critical biological functions; however, its role independent of protein translation in regulating colorectal cancer (CRC) is not characterized. Here, it is demonstrated that eIF3f is upregulated in CRC tumor tissues and that both Wnt and EGF signaling pathways are participating in eIF3f's oncogenic impact on targeting phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) during CRC development. Mechanistically, EGF blocks FBXW7β‐mediated PHGDH ubiquitination through GSK3β deactivation, and eIF3f antagonizes FBXW7β‐mediated PHGDH ubiquitination through its deubiquitinating activity. Additionally, Wnt signals transcriptionally activate the expression of eIF3f, which also exerts its deubiquitinating activity toward MYC, thereby increasing MYC‐mediated PHGDH transcription. Thereby, both impacts allow eIF3f to elevate the expression of PHGDH, enhancing Serine–Glycine–One–Carbon (SGOC) signaling pathway to facilitate CRC development. In summary, the study uncovers the intrinsic role and underlying molecular mechanism of eIF3f in SGOC signaling, providing novel insight into the strategies to target eIF3f‐PHGDH axis in CRC.

Traditional image encryption algorithms transform a plain image into a noise-like image. To lower the chances for the encrypted image being detected by the attacker during the image transmission, a visually meaningful image encryption scheme is suggested to hide the encrypted image using another carrier image. This paper proposes a visually meaningful encrypted image algorithm that hides a secret image and a digital signature which provides authenticity and confidentiality. The recovered digital signature is used for the purpose of identity authentication while the secret image is encrypted to protect its confidentiality. Least Significant Bit (LSB) method to embed signature on the encrypted image and Lifting Wavelet Transform (LWT) to generate a visually meaningful encrypted image are designed. The proposed algorithm has a keyspace of 139.5-bit, a Normalized Correlation (NC) value of 0.9998 which is closer to 1 and a Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) with a value greater than 50 ​dB. Different analyses are also performed on the proposed algorithm using different images. The experimental results show that the proposed scheme is with high key sensitivity and strong robustness against pepper and salt attack and cropping attack. Moreover, the histogram analysis shows that the original carrier image and the final visual image are very similar.

This paper presents a new asymmetric image encryption and hiding algorithm based on SHA-3 and compressive sensing. First, to resist the chosen-plaintext attack (CPA) and the known-plaintext attack (KPA), SHA-3 is employed to calculate the hash values of the plain image, and they are transformed into the initial values of the chaotic map. Second, the plain image is divided into blocks which are processed by sparse transform, scrambling, compressive measurement, and merged. Then they are quantized and scrambled again to get an encrypted image. Third, the encrypted image is filled with zeros to the same size as the plain image. Then three numbers from the hundreds digit, tens digit, and single digit of each pixel are extracted respectively. Finally, the carrier image is transformed by integer wavelet transform (IWT) to get four coefficients, and then the above three numbers are embedded into low-frequency coefficients respectively. By inverse IWT, the carrier image containing secrets (CICS) can be obtained. The experimental results show that the algorithm has strong imperceptibility and key sensitivity. Especially, when the embedding coefficient is set to 1.0, the NC value between the carrier image (CI) and the CICS can reach 0.9999, and the PSNR value can reach about 43 dB.

Background: Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV) initiate and accelerate the development of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), and KSHV possesses many cancer-associated genes, including KSHV-derived microRNA miR-K12–1, which has been identified to be closely associated with KS progression. However, the detailed mechanisms by which miR-K12–1 facilitates HIV-related gastrointestinal KS development are still not fully delineated. Objectives: This study strived to evaluate the effect of miR-K12–1 on the progression of HIV-related gastrointestinal KS. Materials and methods: The expression levels of miR‐K12–1 in HIV-related gastrointestinal KS tissues were determined by RT‐qPCR. Proliferation and apoptosis were assessed by colony formation, CCK-8 and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression of all proteins was detected by Western blot. The in vivo effect of miR‐K12–1 on the formation of a tumor was explored by using the mouse xenograft model. Results: In this study, we uncovered that KSHV-miR-K12–1 was upregulated in HIV-related gastrointestinal KS tissues and associated with poor outcome in HIV-related gastrointestinal KS patients. Compared with the control group, after miR-K12–1 inhibitor transfection, BCBL-1 cell viability was decreased, and the cell apoptosis was significantly increased, whereas transfection of miR-K12–1 mimics promoted cell proliferation and mitosis. In addition, our rescuing experiments verified that miR-K12–1 promoted cell proliferation via activating the PI3K/Akt pathway, and inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway by LY294002 abrogated the tumor-promoting effects of miR-K12–1 in HIV-related gastrointestinal KS. Conclusions: In summary, we concluded that KSHV-derived miR-K12–1 activate the PI3K/Akt pathway to initiate and accelerate the development of KS, which convinces us that miR-K12–1 can be used as potential biomarkers for KS diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.

Introduction: This study aimed to compare the effects of pressure on the ball on physiological responses and time-motion characteristics during football small-sided games between elite youth male players.Methods: 56 elite male youth football players (age: 15.43 ± 0.52 years) performed a 2+GK vs. 2+GK game on a 30 m × 15 m pitch area with two playing conditions: 1) free play (FP), the player has no limitation to play; 2) pressure on the ball (PB), the player has directly and aggressively closed down space (located within 1.5 m) between themselves and the opposition player with the ball and can compete for possession. The percentage of time spent in different maximum heart rate (HRmax) zones, mean heart rate, blood lactate acid concentration, total distance covered, distance covered in three speed zones (sprint, high speed, and moderate speed), number of high speed runs, number of sprint runs, top speed, number of direction changes, and ball recovery time were monitored.Results: We found very significantly higher number of high speed runs (p < 0.001; ES = 1.154), number of direction changes (p < 0.001; ES = 2.347), ball recovery time (p < 0.001; ES = 3.529), percentage of time spent in 90%–100% HRmax (p < 0.001; ES = 3.033), mean heart rate (p < 0.001; ES = 1.940), blood lactate acid concentration (p < 0.001; ES = 2.245) and significantly higher high speed running distance covered (p = 0.004; ES = 0.520) in the PB condition. Conversely, the FP condition showed very significantly higher moderate speed running distance covered (p < 0.001; ES = 1.814) and significantly higher percentage of time spent in 80%–90% HRmax (p = 0.012; ES = 0.440). No significant differences were revealed on sprint running distance covered (p = 0.407; ES = 0.140), number of sprint runs (p = 0.103; ES = 0.279), top speed (p = 0.130; ES = 0.258) and percentage of time spent in 60%–70% HRmax (p = 0.106; ES = 0.276), 70%–80% HRmax (p = 0.358; ES = 0.155).Discussion: We found that pressure on the ball had a substantial impact on the intensity of training, as evidenced by a significantly increased high speed running performance, number of directional changes, percentage of time spent at 90%–100% of maximum heart rate, mean heart rate, and blood lactate acid concentration. Additionally, ball recovery time decreased significantly.

Abstract During the lifetime of females, mammary epithelial cells undergo cyclical expansion and proliferation depending on the cyclical activation of mammary gland stem/progenitor cells (MaSCs) in response to the change of hormone level. The structural shrink of mammary duct tree and the functional loss of mammary gland occur along with inactivation of MaSCs in old females, even leading to breast cancer occasionally. However, the gene expression signature in MaSCs across the lifespan remains unclear. Herein, we tested the tissue regeneration ability of CD24+CD49fhigh MaSCs over six time points from neonatal (4-day-old) to aged mice (360-day-old). Further RNA-seq analyses identified four clusters of gene signatures based on the gene expression patterns. A subset of stemness-related genes was identified, showing the highest level at day 4 of the neonatal age, and the lowest level at the old age. We also identified an aging-related gene signature showing significant change in the old mice, in which an association between aging process and stemness loss was indicated. The aging-related gene signature showed regulation of cancer signaling pathways, as well as aging-related diseases including Huntington disease, Parkinson disease, and Alzheimer disease. Moreover, 425, 1056, 418, and 1107 gene variants were identified at D20, D40, D90, and D180, respectively, which were mostly reported to associated with tumorigenesis and metastasis in cancer. In summary, the current study is the first to demonstrate the gene expression shift in MaSCs from neonatal to aging, which leads to stemness loss, aging, aging-related diseases, and even breast cancer in old mice.

Abstract Background Taurine serves a variety of nutritional and physiological roles, and it is mostly transported in cells via taurine transporter (TauT). The effect of taurine transporter in cerebral cortex is still unknown. We employed TMT label-based proteomics to find differences in proteins in the cerebral cortex of TauT knockout rats in this investigation. The goal of this research was to see how TauT deletion affected protein alterations in brain tissue and to see if there was a new research area for TauT. Methods The cerebral cortex of TauT knockout rats and wild-type control rats were analyzed using TMT-based proteomics, and differentially expressed proteins were analyzed by bioinformatics analysis means such as GO and KEGG, the association between the proteins was found by PPI, and biologically significant and interesting proteins were selected for verification by WB and immunohistochemistry. Results There were total of 8275 proteins found, but only 35 differentially expressed proteins were identified (27 up-regulated and 8 down-regulated), and gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to predict the biological pathways and functional classification of the proteins. The results show that these differentially expressed proteins are mainly enriched in lysine degradation, cell cycle, chronic myeloid leukemia, and longevity regulating pathways-multiple species, renal cell carcinoma, pathways in cancer, etc. To verify the proteomic data, we analyzed the expression of Annexin6 and Pik3r2 by western blotting and immunofluorescence. The results are consistent with proteomics, which proves the reliability of our proteomics data. Conclusion Through TMT-based proteomics, we have a comprehensive understanding of the effect of TauT knockout on the changes of other proteins in the cerebral cortex, providing new evidence for further understanding the function of TauT.

Paleo-oxbow lake sediments can provide archives to reconstruct paleo-channel evolution and flooding history of the river. Multi-proxy approaches including detailed sediment stratigraphy, sedimentology and geochemistry have been implemented in a high-resolution sedimentary section of paleo-oxbow lake of the Yellow River within the Zoige Basin on the NE Tibetan Plateau, to reconstruct regional environmental changes and extreme overbank flooding history. Our results suggest that not only traditional sedimentological proxies, but also chemical elements can be applied in defining sequences with different genetic types, especially the paleoflood deposits in the paleo-oxbow profile. Two units of late-Holocence extreme overbank flooding deposits (OFDs) are identified in terms of the significantly higher proportions of sand, high contents of SiO2, Na2O, Ba, low contents of Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, K2O, Ti, Rb and high values of Zr/Fe, Zr/Rb ratios. These extraordinary flood events within the Zoige Basin were dated back to 2,960 ± 240–2,870 ± 270 a and 1840 ± 200–1700 ± 160 a, in response to the mid-Holocene climatic optimum to the late Holocene and the Dark Age Cold Period (DACP). And the strong rainfall caused by the abnormal atmospheric circulation during the period of climate transition and abrupt change may led to the frequent occurrence of extreme flood events in the source region of the Yellow River. These findings are important for understanding the response of regional fluvial system to high climatic instability and provide a new perspective for us to analyze the risk of flood disasters on the Tibetan Plateau under the background of climate change.

Abstract Chemotherapy is the main treatment option for advanced osteosarcoma, which is the most common type of primary bone malignancy. However, patients develop resistance rapidly and many succumb to the disease. Niclosamide, an anthelmintic drug, has been recently identified to display potent and selective anti-cancer activity. In this work, we show that niclosamide at sub-micromolar concentrations inhibits proliferation and migration, and induces apoptosis in both parental and chemo-resistant osteosarcoma cells, with much less toxicity in normal osteoblastic cells. Interestingly, chemo-resistant osteosarcoma cells are more sensitive to niclosamide compared to parental cells. We further identify that inhibition of β-catenin is the underlying mechanism of niclosamide’s action in osteosarcoma cells. In addition, we reveal that chemo-resistant osteosarcoma cells display increased β-catenin activity compared to parental cells, which might explain the hypersensitivity of chemo-resistant cells to niclosamide. Our work provides pre-clinical evidence that niclosamide can be repurposed for treating osteosarcoma. Our findings also suggest the therapeutic value of β-catenin to overcome osteosarcoma chemo-resistance.

With COVID-19 raging and individuals exercising at home, the adoption of fitness wearable technology (FWT) that help people monitor their physical state has become a pressing matter. Here, we try to bridge the gap that no researcher has examined the link between perceived usefulness (PU) and FWT adoption by using meta-analysis to comprehend the detailed numerical values and moderating factors affecting the relationship. A total of 24 articles with 7180 re-pendants were investigated from January 1, 2015 to March 1, 2022 A.D, producing significant results as follows: (1) There is publication bias in relevant research, and sensitivity analysis suggests that PU influences FWT adoption positively; (2) Subgroup test and regression analysis suggested that cultural background, gender, and COVID-19 can deepen this relationship to varying degrees. More precisely, female (r=0.669) have a greater impact on FWT adoption than men (r=0.658). In addition, users in other countries (r=0.670) are more concerned about PU than Chinese users (r=0.658). Regression analysis showed that after the COVID-19 outbreak, the coefficient (r=0.762) of PU on FWT adoption increased significantly, indicating that people need FWT-assisted exercise to understand and maintain their own physical fitness. The research opens up new ideas for different governments and scholars to promote mass fitness and public health during the COVID-19, providing a reference for the scientific research and development of PU and marketing promotion of the related enterprises’ FWT.

Mixed forests are usually associated with higher resource utilization compared to the corresponding monocultures; however, the tree mixing effects of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) ecological stoichiometry in coastal forest ecosystems remains largely unknown. We compared the C, N, P stoichiometry in different ecosystem components (i.e., canopy layer, herb layer, litter layer, 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm soils) among two monocultures (Casuarina equisetifolia and Eucalyptus saligna) and their mixture in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, China. We also assessed the effects of the main microhabitat factors (wind speed, soil salinity, soil moisture and pH) on C, N, P stoichiometry. Two monocultures and their mixture showed the same elemental pattern of “low C and high P” for both the canopy and herb layers, and soil, indicating evident N limitations; however, the mixture intensified the N deficiency more. The mixture showed stronger correlations among the C, N, P stoichiometry than the monocultures. Redundancy and hierarchical partitioning analysis showed the overall and independent effects of the microhabitat factors on the C, N, P stoichiometry separately, in which soil moisture presented more effects on shallow soil (20–40 cm) C, N, and P, while soil salinity mainly affected the herb and litter layers; wind speed had greater effects on canopy layer C, N, P stoichiometry. These results are expected to provide a management reference for the regeneration of degraded plantations in the southern Zhejiang province of China.

As a group of naturally occurring peptides in various foods, γ-glutamyl peptides possess a unique Kokumi taste and health benefits. However, few studies have focused on the functionality of γ-glutamyl peptides. In this study, the γ-[glutamyl] (n=1, 2, 3)-tryptophan peptides were synthesized from a solution of glutamine (Gln) and tryptophan (Trp) employing L-glutaminase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. Four different γ-glutamyl peptides were identified from the reaction mixture by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Under optimal conditions of pH 10, 37 °C, 3 h, 0.1 mol/L Gln: 0.1 mol/L Trp = 1:3, and glutaminase at 0.1% (m/v), the yields of γ-l-glutamyl-l-tryptophan (γ-EW), γ-l-glutamyl-γ-l-glutamyl-l-tryptophan (γ-EEW) and γ-l-glutamyl-γ-l-glutamyl-γ-l-glutamyl-l-tryptophan (γ-EEEW) were 51.02%, 26.12% and 1.91% respectively. The antioxidant properties of the reaction mixture and the two peptides (γ-EW, γ-EEW) identified from the reaction media were further compared. Results showed that γ-EW exhibited the highest DPPH•, ABTS•+ and O2•−-scavenging activity (EC50 = 0.2999 mg/mL, 67.6597 μg/mL and 5.99 mg/mL, respectively) and reducing power (EC50 = 4.61 mg/mL), while γ-EEW demonstrated the highest iron-chelating activity (76.22%). Thus, the synthesized mixture may be used as a potential source of antioxidant peptides for food and nutraceutical applications.

Abstract Background Fatty acid metabolism is reportedly associated with various cancers. However, the role of pretreatment serum free fatty acid (FFA) levels in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) prognosis is still unclear, and our study aimed to better elucidate its influence on clinical outcomes. Methods The medical records of 221 newly diagnosed DLBCL patients admitted to Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from January 2011 to December 2016 were analysed retrospectively. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine a cut-off value for pretreatment serum FFA levels for prognostic prediction in DLBCL patients. The relationship between pretreatment serum FFA levels and clinical and laboratory parameters was analysed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results Newly diagnosed DLBCL patients with high pretreatment serum FFA levels (≥0.495 mmol/l) had more B symptoms, higher serum lactate dehydrogenase levels (> upper limit of normal), >1 extranodal site, and higher International Prognostic Index score (3–5) compared to those with low pretreatment serum FFA levels (

Artificial induction of polyploidy is an efficient technique for improving biological properties and developing new varieties of many plants. In this study, we analyzed and compared differences in characteristics (morphological and biological) of diploid and tetraploid Anoectochilus roxburghii plants. We found significant differences between tetraploid plants and their diploid counterparts. The tetraploid plants exhibited dwarfing and stockiness. They were also bigger and had more voluminous roots and larger stomata than the diploid plants. Moreover, the biochemical analyses showed that the contents of some amino acids and minerals elements were significantly higher in tetraploid plants. The chlorophyll content of the leaves exhibited no definitive changes, but the photosynthetic performance was higher in the tetraploid plants. In addition, contents of major bioactive compounds, such as kinsenoside and some flavonoids, were enhanced in tetraploids. This is the first detailed analysis of characteristics in diploid and tetraploid A. roxburghii plants. The results may facilitate breeding programs with the species.

Background: Recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO) is reported to stimulate platelet production and increase peripheral platelet counts; it is primarily used to manage chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. However, the effect of rhTPO in patients with pneumonia and thrombocytopenia remains uncertain.Objective: To assess the association of rhTPO and platelet counts in ICU patients with pneumonia and thrombocytopenia.Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed in the ICU department, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. From January 2016 to April 2021, patients with pneumonia and thrombocytopenia were allocated to two groups—the rhTPO and no-rhTPO groups—according to whether they received rhTPO treatment or not during their ICU stay. Demographical and clinical data were collected and analyzed using statistical software; p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Out of 327 patients, 149 were in the rhTPO group and 178 were in the no-rhTPO group. Within the first 7 days, platelet counts increased more for patients in the rhTPO group compared with those in the no-rhTPO group (99.21 ± 102.613 vs. 2.08 ± 43.877, p = 0.000). The clinical recovery rate of platelets increased within 7 days (65.8 vs. 18.5%, p = 0.000) and, after 7 days of enrollment, hemorrhagic scores decreased more apparently in the rhTPO group (2.81 ± 2.856 vs. 1.16 ± 2.123, p = 0.000). Further, bleeding events ceased in 66.7% of the patients in the rhTPO group compared with 37.3% of the patients in the no-rhTPO group (p = 0.000). Less red-blood-cells transfusions were needed in the rhTPO group (3.639 ± 4.630 vs. 5.818 ± 6.858, p = 0.009). Furthermore, through logistic regression, rhTPO administration was found to be an independent indicator that affected the platelet recovery rate within 7 days.Conclusion: This study finds that rhTPO administration is associated with increased platelet counts, alleviated bleeding, and reduced blood transfusion. For patients with pneumonia and thrombocytopenia, rhTPO may be an effective therapeutic drug; however, more RCT trails are needed to confirm our observation.

Background and objectiveOrofacial pain, in particular, chronic orofacial pain remains a great challenge in clinical practice. To better understand the underlying mechanism of disease, it is essential to apply a feasible and stable preclinical measurement of facial pain. Here, we introduced a novel electrical noxious stimulator in freely behavioral rodents and examined its validation in both naïve and chronic orofacial pain animals.MethodsOne subcutaneous device of electrical stimulator was implanted in the facial region for delivery of the nociceptive input. The sensory component of orofacial pain was assessed by response scoring tool, and conditioned place aversion (CPA) paradigm for pain affect respectively. To confirm its usage in chronic pain state, the chronic constriction injury of the infraorbital nerve (ION-CCI) model was then applied.ResultsWe found that responsive scores increased with stimulation intensity, and acted in a dosage-dependent manner, which can be attenuated by the administration of morphine intraperitoneally. Naïve rats displayed significant aversive reaction to the noxious electrical stimulation (25V) in the CPA testing. In addition, an obvious sensory hypersensitivity to electrical stimulation was confirmed by the increased response scores in ION-CCI rats. Furthermore, ION-CCI animal showed significant avoidance to electrical stimulation at relatively low intensity (10V), which was innoxious to naïve rats.ConclusionOur findings may provide an alternative pre-clinical measurement of orofacial pain, to quantitively assess both sensory and affective component of orofacial pain.

Rhododendron × pulchrum, an important horticultural species, is widely distributed in Europe, Asia, and North America. To analyze the phylogenetic and organelle genome information of R. × pulchrum and its related species, the organelle genome of R. × pulchrum was sequenced and assembled. The complete mitochondrial genome showed lineage DNA molecules, which were 816,410 bp long and contained 64 genes, namely 24 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, 3 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and 37 protein-coding genes. The chloroplast genome of R. × pulchrum was reassembled and re-annotated; the results were different from those of previous studies. There were 42 and 46 simple sequence repeats (SSR) identified from the mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes of R. × pulchrum, respectively. Five genes (nad1, nad2, nad4, nad7, and rps3) were potentially useful molecular markers. The R. × pulchrum mitochondrial genome collinear alignment among five species of the Ericaceae showed that the mitochondrial genomes of these related species have a high degree of homology with R. × pulchrum in this gene region, and the most conservative genes were trnC-GCA, trnD-GUC, trnM-CAU, trnN-GUU, trnY-GUA, atp4, nad4, nad2, nad5, ccmC, and rrn26. The phylogenetic trees of mitochondrial genome showed that R. simsii was a sister to R. × pulchrum. The results verified that there was gene rearrangement between R. × pulchrum and R. simsii mitochondrial genomes. The codon usage bias of 10 Ericaceae mitochondrial genes and 7 Rhododendron chloroplast genes were influenced by mutation, while other genes codon usages had undergone selection. The study identified 13 homologous fragments containing gene sequences between the chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes of R. × pulchrum. Overall, our results illustrate the organelle genome information could explain the phylogenetics of plants and could be used to develop molecular markers and genetic evolution. Our study will facilitate the study of population genetics and evolution in Rhododendron and other genera in Ericaceae.

A new strategy for the sequential C–H oxidation/asymmetric phosphonylation of primary alcohols has been developed. It involves a combination of Cu(I)/TEMPO/NMI (N-methylimidazole) oxidation, under an air atmosphere, with chiral Al (salalen)-catalyzed enantioselective addition. Various primary alcohols, including benzylic alcohols, allylic alcohols, propargylic alcohols, alkyl alcohols, and other alcohols containing oxygen-, sulfur-, and nitrogen-heterocycles were smoothly converted into chiral α-hydroxy phosphonates with good yields and high enantioselectivities. Inhibitor of CD45 and a plant growth regulator can be easily synthesized by this new method.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most frequent subtype of lung cancer worldwide. However, the survival rate of LUAD patients remains low. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play vital roles in the prognostic value and the immunotherapeutic response of LUAD. Thus, discerning lncRNAs associated with m6A in LUAD patients is critical. In this study, m6A-related lncRNAs were analyzed and obtained by coexpression. Univariate, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and multivariate Cox regression analyses were conducted to construct an m6A-related lncRNA model. Kaplan-Meier analysis, principal-component analysis (PCA), functional enrichment annotation, and nomogram were used to analyze the risk model. Finally, the potential immunotherapeutic signatures and drug sensitivity prediction targeting this model were also discussed. The risk model comprising 12 m6A-related lncRNAs was identified as an independent predictor of prognoses. By regrouping the patients with this model, we can distinguish between them more effectively in terms of the immunotherapeutic response. Finally, candidate compounds aimed at LUAD subtype differentiation were identified. This risk model based on the m6A-based lncRNAs may be promising for the clinical prediction of prognoses and immunotherapeutic responses in LUAD patients.

Objective To investigate the occurrence rate and risk factors of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in lung cancer patients following lobectomy and application of analgesic pumps. Methods This retrospective study reviewed clinical data from patients that had undergone lobectomy for lung cancer under general anaesthesia. The risk factors of PONV were analysed using binary logistic regression models. Results A total of 203 patients (97 females) were enrolled. The rate of PONV was 29.6% (60 of 203 patients) for all patients, 42.3% (41 of 97 patients) for female patients and 17.9% (19 of 106 patients) for male patients. Female patients undergoing thoracotomy (odds ratio [OR] 7.770, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.747, 34.568) or having surgery durations ≥120 min (OR 4.493, 95% CI 1.502, 12.851) were significantly more susceptible to PONV. The risk of PONV in female patients that received postoperative dolasetron (100 mg, once a day) was significantly lower (OR 0.075, 95% CI 0.007, 0.834). For male patients, the risk of PONV was significantly lower in those with a body mass index ≥24 kg/m 2 (OR 0.166; 95% CI 0.035, 0.782). Conclusion Female and male patients have different risk factors for PONV following lobectomy for lung cancer and application of analgesic pumps.

BackgroundIncreasing evidence has demonstrated that pyroptosis exerts key roles in the occurrence, development, and prognosis of uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC). However, the mechanism of pyroptosis and its predictive value for prognosis remain largely unknown.MethodsUCEC data were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The differentially expressed genes in UCEC vs. normal cases were selected to perform a weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA). Forty-two UCEC-associated pyroptosis-related genes were identified via applying differential expression analysis. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) and gene correlation analyses were applied to explore the relationship between 21 UCEC key genes and 42 UCEC-associated pyroptosis-related genes. The expression of 42 UCEC-associated pyroptosis-related genes of different grades was also calculated. The immune environment of UCEC was evaluated. Furthermore, pyroptosis-related genes were filtered out by the co-expression. Univariate and a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox analyses were implemented to yield a pyroptosis-related gene model. We also performed consensus classification to regroup UCEC samples into two clusters. A clinically relevant heatmap and survival analysis curve were implemented to explore the clinicopathological features and relationship between two clusters. Furthermore, a Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was implemented to analyze the risk model.ResultsTwenty-one UCEC key genes and 42 UCEC-associated pyroptosis-related genes were identified. The PPI and gene correlation analysis showed a clear relationship. The expression of 42 UCEC-associated pyroptosis-related genes of different grades was also depicted. A risk model based on pyroptosis-related genes was then developed to forecast overall survival among UCEC patients. Finally, Cox regression analysis verified this model as an independent risk factor for UCEC patients.ConclusionsThe expression of pyroptosis-related gene may influence UCEC occurrence, development, and prognosis.

PurposeGlaucoma is the main cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. However, the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma remain difficult because of the lack of an effective glaucoma grading measure. In this study, we aimed to propose an artificial intelligence system to provide adequate assessment of glaucoma patients.MethodsA total of 16,356 visual fields (VFs) measured by Octopus perimeters and Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA) were collected, from three hospitals in China and the public Harvard database. We developed a fine-grained grading deep learning system, named FGGDL, to evaluate the VF loss, compared to ophthalmologists. Subsequently, we discuss the relationship between structural and functional damage for the comprehensive evaluation of glaucoma level. In addition, we developed an interactive interface and performed a cross-validation study to test its auxiliary ability. The performance was valued by F1 score, overall accuracy and area under the curve (AUC).ResultsThe FGGDL achieved a high accuracy of 85 and 90%, and AUC of 0.93 and 0.90 for HFA and Octopus data, respectively. It was significantly superior (p < 0.01) to that of medical students and nearly equal (p = 0.614) to that of ophthalmic clinicians. For the cross-validation study, the diagnosis accuracy was almost improved (p < 0.05).ConclusionWe proposed a deep learning system to grade VF of glaucoma with a high detection accuracy, for effective and adequate assessment for glaucoma patients. Besides, with the convenient and credible interface, this system can promote telemedicine and be used as a self-assessment tool for patients with long-duration diseases.

With the emergence of the remanufacturing industry, scheduling problems related to remanufacturing systems have drawn considerable interest from scholars. There are usually two execution modes of remanufacturing for reprocessing components, i.e., replacement mode and repair mode. However, few studies have focused on the job shop scheduling problem that considers the trade-off between the two execution modes. Thus, a new job shop scheduling method with job families (JSS-JF) is proposed, which can handle the selection of appropriate execution modes for reprocessing components with different damaged conditions. It decomposes the scheduling problem into three sub-problems: (1) execution mode selection; (2) replacement job assignment and sequencing; and (3) repair machine assignment and operation sequencing. The scheduling objective is to minimize the total completion time and total cost of job families. To solve the proposed JSS-JF model, an extended artificial bee colony algorithm with a new three-dimensional encoding scheme is presented to find a near-optimal solution of the proposed JSS-JF model. The crossover and mutation operators, local search, and elite replacement strategy are also integrated in the proposed algorithm. The experiments are conducted for verifying the practicality and effectiveness of the presented algorithm by comparing with six baseline algorithms.

The global green development has led many ports to impose measures to reduce emissions and improve port efficiency. As large-scale construction can do damage to the environment, it is not supported under the green strategy, which makes it more important to make full use of existing resources in the port competition. While, whether there is a relationship between emissions and port efficiency, and whether the relationship can reflect the problems in port management are vital factors need to be considered when making port development strategy. To solve the two problems, this paper takes the case of Shanghai Port and Busan Port, and uses the three-stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to evaluate the efficiency of the two ports respectively. Pollutant emissions from the ports are selected as an environmental variable in the second stage to examine their effects on the redundancy of input variables. The results indicate that the efficiency of Shanghai Port is insufficient due to excessive scale and pollutant emissions. Based on the results, some suggestions are given to improve the drawbacks. Furthermore, the use of the three-stage DEA to study the annual change in performance of a single target in this paper is also a novelty. First published online 20 November 2019

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of dexmedetomidine-assisted intravenous inhalation combined anesthesia on cerebral oxygen metabolism and serum Th1/Th2 levels in elderly patients with colorectal cancer.MethodFrom April 2018 to May 2020,100 elderly patients undergoing elective laparoscopic radical resection of colorectal cancer were prospectively selected and randomly divided into observation group and control group. Before induction of anesthesia, the loading dose of dexmedetomidine was given at 0.5 μg/kg, and the infusion time was 15 min. After tracheal intubation, 0.4 μg/kg/h dexmedetomidine was continuously pumped, and the infusion was stopped 40 min before the end of the operation. In the control group, the same amount of 0.9% sodium chloride was injected intravenously in the same way. 30 min before induction of anesthesia (T0), immediately before induction of anesthesia (T1), immediately after tracheal intubation (T2), 40 min before operation (T3), and immediately after operation (T4), record the blood oxygen content of the artery and internal jugular vein Difference (D(a-jv)O2), brain oxygen uptake rate (COER%), brain oxygen saturation (rSO2) mean. VAS scale, Ramsay scale, MoCA scale were taken at 6, 12, 24, and 48 h postoperatively to evaluate analgesia, sedation, and cognitive function. And monitor the levels of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-4 (IL-4), myelin basic protein (MBP), neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100β. The occurrence of restlessness and adverse reactions during the recovery period of the two groups were compared.ResultThe levels of D(a-jv)O2, COER%, and rSO2 in the control group and observation group were higher than the preoperative basic values at T2, T3, and T4 (P < 0.05); The levels of D(a-jv)O2, COER%, and rSO2 in the observation group were lower than those in the control group at T2, T3, and T4 (P < 0.05). The VAS score and Ramsay score of the observation group were lower than those of the control group at 6, 12, 24, and 48 h after surgery, while the MoCA score was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, the serum IFN-γ, MBP, NSE and S100β levels of the observation group were lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05), and the ratio of IFN-γ/IL-4 was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The overall incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was lower than that in the control group [32.0% (16/50) vs. 12.0% (6/50), P < 0.05].ConclusionDexmedetomidine-assisted combined intravenous and inhalation anesthesia is beneficial to reduce perioperative cerebral oxygen metabolism and improve postoperative immunosuppression in elderly patients with colorectal cancer. It has a certain protective effect on nerve injury after operation, thus improving the cognitive function of patients and reducing the occurrence of adverse reactions.

Labels provide a quick and effective solution to obtain people interesting content from large-scale social network information. The current interest label extraction method based on the subgraph stream proves the feasibility of the subgraph stream for user label extraction. However, it is extremely time-consuming for constructing subgraphs. As an effective mathematical method to deal with fuzzy and uncertain information, rough set-based representations for subgraph stream construction are capable of capturing the uncertainties of the social network. Therefore, we propose an effective approach called RS_UNITE_SS (namely, rough-set-based user-networked interest topic extraction in the form of subgraph stream), which is suitable for large-scale social network user interest label extraction. Specifically, we first propose the subgraph division algorithm to construct a subgraph stream by incorporating a rough set. Then, the algorithm for user real-time interest label extraction based on upper approximation (RILE) is proposed by using sequentially characteristics of the subgraph. Empirically, we evaluate RS_UNITE_SS over real-world datasets, and experimental results demonstrate that our proposed approach is more computationally efficient than existing methods while achieving higher precision value and MRR value.

Abstract Objective This study investigated the influence of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on lung function in early convalescence phase. Methods A retrospective study of COVID-19 patients at the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were conducted, with serial assessments including lung volumes (TLC), spirometry (FVC, FEV1), lung diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO),respiratory muscle strength, 6-min walking distance (6MWD) and high resolution CT being collected at 30 days after discharged. Results Fifty-seven patients completed the serial assessments. There were 40 non-severe cases and 17 severe cases. Thirty-one patients (54.3%) had abnormal CT findings. Abnormalities were detected in the pulmonary function tests in 43 (75.4%) of the patients. Six (10.5%), 5(8.7%), 25(43.8%) 7(12.3%), and 30 (52.6%) patients had FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio, TLC, and DLCO values less than 80% of predicted values, respectively. 28 (49.1%) and 13 (22.8%) patients had PImax and PEmax values less than 80% of the corresponding predicted values. Compared with non-severe cases, severe patients showed higher incidence of DLCO impairment (75.6%vs42.5%, p = 0.019), higher lung total severity score (TSS) and R20, and significantly lower percentage of predicted TLC and 6MWD. No significant correlation between TSS and pulmonary function parameters was found during follow-up visit. Conclusion Impaired diffusing-capacity, lower respiratory muscle strength, and lung imaging abnormalities were detected in more than half of the COVID-19 patients in early convalescence phase. Compared with non-severe cases, severe patients had a higher incidence of DLCO impairment and encountered more TLC decrease and 6MWD decline.

Abstract Neolamarckia cadamba is an important fast growing tree species used for pulping and wood material in industry for it’s desirable wood properties. As one of the most important content in wood, lignin provides structural integrity, strength, and hydrophobicity to the thickened cell walls and is the major factor contributing to biomass recalcitrance. It does not reduce the palatability of forage grass for animals, but it hinders the isolation of cellulose fibers and the efficient enzymatic depolymerization of cellulose and hemicellulose into fermentable sugars in biorefining processes by limiting the access by hydrolytic enzymes to their polysaccharide substrates. This work focused on analyzing the functions of NcCSE (Caffeoyl Shikimate Esterase, GenBank accession number: MG739672) and NcHCT (Hydroxycinnamoyl Transferase,GenBank accession number: MG739673) in the lignin biosynthetic process in order to improve the potential for utilization of leaves and wood from N. cadamba. The mutant phenotype of cse-2 was dramatically complemented to WT in the stable transgenic lines cse-35S::NcCSE, but overexpression of NcHCT in the cse-2 mutant did not have the same result as cse-35S::NcCSE, providing only partial complementation.

Improvement of carcass features is an essential goal in pig genetic breeding programs. Backfat (BF) and loin muscle area (LMA) are important carcass production metrics and useful indicators of pig production performance and lean meat rate. However, the genetic architecture of BF and LMA traits remains elusive. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and genes associated with these traits, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using imputation-based whole genome sequencing data for four phenotypes (adjusted 100 kg BF and LMA, adjusted 100 kg BF EBV and LMA EBV) in 1131 pigs from 3 breeds (French Yorkshire, Landrace, and Duroc). After genotype imputation and quality control, 14,163,315 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were retained for further analysis. For the adjusted 100 kg BF trait, using the 2-LOD drop method, a QTL with a 13.4 Kb interval (2.91 to 2.93 Mb on SSC2) and containing a SHANK2 gene was defined. In addition, two QTLs with 135.40 Kb (from 66.10 to 66.23 Mb) and 3.12 Kb (from 66.886 to 66.889 Mb) intervals containing CCND2 and TSPAN11 genes, respectively, were found on SSC5. For the BF-EBV trait, two QTLs (128.77 Kb from 66.10 to 66.23 Mb on SSC5 and 42.10 Kb from 2.89 to 2.93 Mb on SSC2) were identified. Notably, CCND2 and SHANK2 were the only candidate genes in their respective QTL interval. Furthermore, we detected a 3.33 Kb (66.106 to 66.110 Mb on SSC2) haplotype block which was detected as affecting the BF_EBV trait, which only contained the CCND2 gene. Thus, we suggested CCND2 and SHANK2 as strong candidate genes for regulating the BF trait for pigs. The empirical confidence intervals of the QTLs were 1.14 Mb (165.65 to 166.79 Mb on SSC6) for adjusted 100 kg LMA and 1.49 Mb (165.26–166.74 Mb on SSC6) for LMA-EBV. These two confidence intervals contained 13 and 28 annotated genes, respectively. Our results provide a deeper understanding of the genetic basis of pig carcass traits. The identified molecular markers will be useful for selecting breeding lines for breeding pigs with superior carcass traits.

Background Ovarian cancer seriously threatens the lives and health of women, and early diagnosis and treatment are still challenging. Pre-targeting is a promising strategy to improve the treatment efficacy of ovarian cancer and the results of ultrasound imaging. Purpose To explore the effects of a pre-targeting strategy using streptavidin (SA) and paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded phase-shifting poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles with perfluoro-n-pentane (PTX-PLGA-SA/PFPs) on the treatment and ultrasound imaging of ovarian cancer. Methods PTX-PLGA/PFPs were prepared with a single emulsion (O/W) solvent evaporation method and SA was attached using carbodiimide. The encapsulation efficiency of PTX and the release characteristics were assessed with high performance liquid chromatography. The phase-change characteristics of the PTX-PLGA-SA/PFPs were investigated. The anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) antibody (Ab) was covalently attached to PTX-PLGA/PFPs via carbodiimide to create PTX-PLGA-Ab/PFPs. The targeting efficiency of the nanoparticles and the viability of ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells were evaluated in each group using a microscope, flow cytometry, and cell counting kit 8 assays. Results THE PTX-PLGA-SA/PFPs were spheres with a size of 383.0 ± 75.59 nm. The encapsulation efficiency and loading capability of the nanoparticles for PTX were 71.56 ± 6.51% and 6.57 ± 0.61%, respectively. PTX was burst-released up to 70% in 2–3 d. When irradiated at 7.5 W for 3 min, the PTX-PLGA-SA/PFPs visibly enhanced the ultrasonography images (P

While increased glycolysis has been identified as a cancer marker and attracted much attention in thyroid cancer (THCA), the prognostic role of it remains to be further elucidated. Here we aimed to determine a specific glycolysis-associated risk model to predict THCA patients' survival. We also explored the interaction between this signature and tumor immune microenvironment and performed drug screening to identify specific drugs targeting the glycolysis-associated signature. Six genes (CHST6, POM121C, PPFIA4, STC1, TGFBI, and FBP2) comprised the specific model, which was an independent prognostic indicator in THCA patients determined by univariate, LASSO and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis confirmed the excellent clinical performance of the prognostic signature. According to the specific gene signature, patients were categorized into high- and low-risk subgroups. The high-risk group was characterized by decreased immune score and elevated tumor purity, as well as worser survival prognosis compared to the low-risk group. We also validated the expression of these genes in clinical samples and in-vitro experiments. Lastly, we identified potential drugs targeting the glycolysis-associated signature. The derived glycolysis-related signature is an independent prognostic biomarker for THCA patients and might be used as an efficacy of biomarker for drug-sensitivity prediction.

The oil tanker shipping market always presents periodicity following varied laws in different periods. However, most of the studies on the tanker freight rate market are short-term projections, while those on its long-term periodicity characteristics are mostly qualitative ones. In order to study the periodic variation law of the tanker market, this paper uses quantitative methods to figure out the cycle duration and amplitude of different scales of Aframax tanker's freight, and predicts the long-term variation trend of freight rate on that basis. This paper selects the one-year charter freight rate of Aframax tankers (110,000 DWT D/H) to comprehensively analyze the Aframax tanker freight market variation law, and further divides the cycle into three major categories. With the help of wavelet analysis, this paper quantifies the periodic volatility of the Aframax tanker shipping market, and figures out a quarterly cycle of 11.2 months, a short-term cycle of 3.7 years, and a medium-to-long-term cycle of 11.9 years. Based on the cycle characteristics, the paper predicts the market cycle trend to the next medium-to-long-term cycle and further to the year 2030, so as to offer some reference to oil tanker shipping market players for better decision-making. Keywords: Crude oil, Maritime transportation, Aframax tanker shipping, Wavelet analysis, Cycle division

In recent years, credit scoring has received wide attention from financial institutions with the rating accuracy influencing both risk control and profitability to a considerable extent. This paper presents a novel multi-stage self-adaptive classifier ensemble model based on the statistical techniques and the machine learning techniques to improve the prediction performance. First, the multi-step data preprocessing is employed to process the original data into the standardized data and generate more representative features. Second, base classifiers can be self-adaptively selected from the candidate classifier repository according to their performance in datasets and their parameters are optimized by the Bayesian optimization algorithm. Third, the ensemble model is integrated through these optimized base classifiers, and it can generate new features through multi-layer stacking and obtain the classifier weights in the ensemble model through the particle swarm optimization. The proposed model is applied to credit scoring to test its prediction performance. In the experimental study, three real-world credit datasets and four evaluation indicators are adopted for the performance evaluation. The results show that compared to single classifier and other ensemble classification methods, the proposed model has better performance and better data adaptability. It proves the reliability and practicability of the proposed model and provides effective decision support for the relevant financial institutions.

Abstract. Research into pedagogical translanguaging in second/foreign language education has largely been focused on the interplay between two languages, one of which is usually English. Little attention has been paid to the practice of trilingual translanguaging (translanguaging between three languages), and how this can be helpful in the acquisition of a third language. This study, conducted in two Spanish as a third language classrooms in a Chinese university, aims to explore teachers’ translanguaging practices as well as the teachers’ and students’ attitudes to these practices. Analysis of data collected through audio-assisted classroom observation, interviews, and questionnaires reveals that teachers proactively and flexibly mobilize their multilingual resources in classroom talk. Students in general express positive attitudes towards teachers’ translanguaging practices, and express a wish to experience a greater amount of bilingual translanguaging between English (L2) and Spanish (L3). Meanwhile, having access to the views of L3 learners on teachers’ classroom talk proves to be a crucial component in the understanding of how L3 teaching and learning can take place in the most effective way. This study calls for further research into translanguaging practice in multilingual classrooms and its impact on students’ learning.