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Based on the surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) instrument, we established a new method of analyzing morphine in urine by processing a calibration curve. According to an inhibition immunoassay, gradient concentration of morphine and morphine-BSA fixed on the chip competitively combine with morphine antibody on the chip. Given the three mathematical models, the data of SPRi signals generated from SPRi with morphine was processed to obtain the calibration curve. Ultrafiltration was used to pretreat blank urine samples with adding morphine, and then investigated the advantages and disadvantages of each model. With a limit detection of 6.57 ng·mL−1, the method and mathematical models can provide robust support for SPRi sensors used in further environmental detection, such as the epidemiological study of sewage.

Abstract Background Bisphenol A (BPA) is a common environmental pollutant, and its specific mechanisms in cancer development and its impact on the tumor immune microenvironment are not yet fully understood. Methods Transcriptome data from osteosarcoma (OS) patients were downloaded from the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) database. BPA-related genes were identified through the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), yielding 177 genes. Differentially expressed genes were analyzed using the GSE162454 dataset from the Tumor Immune Single Cell Hub 2 (TISCH2). We constructed the prognostic model using univariate Cox regression and LASSO analysis. The model was validated using the GSE16091 dataset. GO, KEGG, and GSEA analyses were performed to investigate the mechanisms of BPA-related genes. Results A total of 15 BPA-related genes were identified as differentially expressed in OS. Univariate Cox regression and LASSO analysis identified four key prognostic genes (FOLR1, MYC, ESRRA, VEGFA). The prognostic model exhibited strong predictive performance with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.89, 0.6, and 0.79 for predicting 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival, respectively. External validation using the GSE16091 dataset confirmed the model's high accuracy with AUC values exceeding 0.88. Our results indicated that the prognosis of the high-risk population is generally poorer, which may be associated with alterations in the tumor immune microenvironment. In the high-risk group, immune cells showed predominantly low expression levels, while immune checkpoint genes were significantly overexpressed, along with markedly elevated tumor purity. These findings revealed a correlation between upregulation of BPA-related genes and formation of an immunosuppressive microenvironment, leading to unfavorable patient outcomes. Conclusion Our study highlighted the significant association of BPA with OS biology, particularly in its potential role in modulating the tumor immune microenvironment. We offered a fresh insight into the influence of BPA on cancer development, thus providing valuable insights for future clinical interventions and treatment strategies.

Abstract Objectives The aim of this study was to develop machine learning-based models for predicting acute cerebral infarction (ACI) in patients. Methods We extracted the data of ACI patients and non-ACI patients (as control) from two hospitals. The Lasso algorithm was employed to select the most crucial features associated with ACI. Five machine learning algorithms-based models were trained, which was performed with 10-fold cross-validation. Then, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, and F1-score were calculated in the training models. Accordingly, the training models with excellent performance was selected as the final predictive model. The relative importance of variables was analyzed and ranked. Results A total of 150 patients were diagnosed with ACI (50.00%), with a higher proportion of males (70.67% vs. 44.00%) compared to the non-ACI patients. The logistic regression model exhibited a good performance in predicting ACI in the training set, as evidenced by its highest AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, and F1-score. Furthermore, feature importance analysis showed that blood glucose, gender, smoking history, serum homocysteine, folic acid, and C-reactive protein were the top six crucial variables of the logistic regression. Conclusions In our work, the ACI risk prediction model developed by the logistic regression exhibited excellent performance. This could contribute to the identification of risk variables for ACI patients and enables clinicians timely and effective interventions.

Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare neurological disorder characterized by chronic and progressive axial muscle rigidity and paroxysmal painful muscle spasms. The present case study described an SPS patient (increased anti-GAD65 antibody in serum and cerebrospinal fluid) with co-occurring Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and decreased C3 complement levels. The clinical presentation, diagnostic approach, and treatment employed for this unique case were comprehensively described in detail. In this case, we comprehensively presented a case of SPS with co-occurring Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and an associated decrease in serum C3 complement, as well as a discussion on the current data on this topic.

The plastid is an essential organelle for its role in photosynthesis and energy production and its genomic information is always employed as important evolutionary markers to explore the relationship among species. Agarwood (Aquilaria), prized for its aromatic blend, finds extensive use in various cultures as incense and perfume. Despite its high economic importance, the phylogenetic status among Aquilaria based on plastomes remains ambiguous due to the lack of available plastomic resources. To bridge this knowledge gap, 22 Aquilaria plastomes were newly sequenced, similar variation patterns in this genus were determined, including a shared 16 bp extension of the rps19 gene and seven highly variable regions. The analysis highlighted the highest prevalence of the A/T motif among simple sequence repeats in these plastomes. Further phylogenetic analysis revealed Aquilaria's phylogenetic implications with an expanded dataset. This comprehensive plastomic resource not only enhances our understanding of Aquilaria evolution but also presents potential molecular markers for DNA barcoding.

Objective: A novel electrochemical sensor with high sensitivity was developed for the quantitative analysis of rutin in tartary buckwheat. Methods: A layer of titanium dioxide was loaded on the surface of ferric oxide nano materials (Fe3O4) to prepare core-shell Fe3O4@titanium dioxide (Fe3O4@TiO2) nano composites, and nano gold (Au) was loaded on its surface for preparing a new type of Fe3O4@TiO2@Au nanocomposites. Then an electrochemical sensor was constructed for quantitative analysis of rutin. The optimal working conditions of the sensor were determined by electrochemical characterizing of nano materials, rutin and optimizing, buffer pH, enrichment time, enrichment potential and other conditions. Results: Fe3O4@TiO2@Au had good adsorption and conductivity, which could effectively improve the sensitivity of the sensor. Rutin concentration and its corresponding oxidation peak current show linear relationship in the concentration range of 0.02~20 μmol/L and 20~200 μmol/L, respectively. The detection limit (S/N=3) was 0.006 4 μmol/L, and the linear range was wide and detection limit was low. It is obviously better than other electrochemical sensors, and the sensor prepared had good repeatability, stability and good anti-interference ability to common co-existing objects. Conclusion: The prepared sensor had the advantages of simple operation, low cost and the potential of recycling of nanocomposites, which provides a more effective method for rapid quantitative analysis of rutin.

Recently, some new Qi-Nan clones of Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Spreng which intensively produces high-quality agarwood have been identified and propagated through grafting techniques. Previous studies have primarily focused on ordinary A. sinensis and the differences in composition when compared to Qi-Nan and ordinary A. sinensis. There are few studies on the formation mechanism of Qi-Nan agarwood and the dynamic changes in components and endophytic fungi during the induction process. In this paper, the characteristics, chemical composition, and changes in endophytic fungi of Qi-Nan agarwood induced after 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years were studied, and Qi-Nan white wood was used as the control. The results showed that the yield of Qi-Nan agarwood continued to increase with the induction time over a period of 3 years, while the content of alcohol extract from Qi-Nan agarwood reached its peak at two years. During the formation of agarwood, starch and soluble sugars in xylem rays and interxylary phloem are consumed and reduced. Most of the oily substances in agarwood were filled in xylem ray cells and interxylary phloem, and a small amount was filled in xylem vessels. The main components of Qi-Nan agarwood are also chromones and sesquiterpenes. With an increasing induction time, the content of sesquiterpenes increased, while the content of chromones decreased. The most abundant chromones in Qi-Nan agarwood were 2-(2-Phenethyl) chromone, 2-[2-(3-Methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl) ethyl] chromone, and2-[2-(4-Methoxyphenyl) ethyl] chromone. Significant differences were observed in the species of the endophytic fungi found in Qi-Nan agarwood at different induction times. A total of 4 phyla, 73 orders, and 448 genera were found in Qi-Nan agarwood dominated by Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Different induction times had a significant effect on the diversity of the endophytic fungal community in Qi-Nan. After the induction of agarwood formation, the diversity of Qi-Nan endophytic fungi decreased. Correlation analysis showed that there was a significant positive correlation between endophytic fungi and the yield, alcohol extract content, sesquiterpene content, and chromone content of Qi-Nan agarwood, which indicated that endophytic fungi play a role in promoting the formation of Qi-Nan agarwood. Qi-Nan agarwood produced at different induction times exhibited strong antioxidant capacity. DPPH free radical scavenging activity and reactive oxygen species clearance activity were significantly positively correlated with the content of sesquiterpenes and chromones in Qi-Nan agarwood.

With the development of ESL education in recent years, real-time language translation has gradually become a research hotspot in the field of natural language communication. In this paper, the data processing technology of real-time translation is introduced, and then a Transducer (RNN-T) model based on real-time language translation is constructed based on the BPE subword segmentation method under the condition of probability gradient calculation algorithm and transcription network. Secondly, this model determines and tests the content involved in the process of real-time language translation and finally obtains results to improve the quality of real-time language translation. The experimental results show that the accuracy of character translation among the six language models is 85.8%, 86.2%, 88%, 93.4%, 94.03%, and 94.36%, respectively. In addition, the error rate of inserting, deleting, and replacing characters is < 20%. Compared with the other four models, the word error rate of the RNN-Transducer algorithm is reduced by 1.59%, 3.94%, 3.86%, and 9.01%, and the RTF is reduced by 3.91%, 10.96%, 10.09%, and 7.94%, respectively, which reflects the superiority of the RNN-Transducer method proposed in this paper.

Natural silk fiber derived from the Bombyx mori (B. mori) silkworm has long been used as a luxury raw material in textile industry because of its shimmering appearance and durability, and as surgical suture for its high strength and flexibility. Regenerated silk fibroin, as the main protein extracted from the cocoons of the B. mori silkworm, recently has gained considerable attention due to its outstanding properties, including facile processability, superior biocompatibility, controllable biodegradation, and versatile functionalization. Tremendous effort has been made to fabricate silk fibroin into various promising materials with controlled structural and functional characteristics for advanced utilities in a multitude of biomedical applications, flexible optics, electronics devices, and filtration systems. Herein, reverse engineered silk fibroin extraction methods are reviewed, recent advances in extraction techniques are discussed. Fabrication methods of silk fibroin materials in various formats are also addressed in detail; in particular, progress in new fabrication technologies is presented. Attractive applications of silk fibroin-based materials are then summarized and highlighted. The challenges faced by current approaches in production of silk fibroin-based materials and future directions acquired for pushing these favorable materials further toward above mentioned applications are further elaborated.

Abstract Sandalwood is one of the most expensive woods in the world and is well known for its long-lasting and distinctive aroma. In our study, chromosome-level genome assemblies for two sandalwood species (Santalum album and S antalum yasi) were constructed by integrating NGS short reads, RNA-seq, and Hi-C libraries with PacBio HiFi long reads. The S. album and S. yasi genomes were both assembled into 10 pseudochromosomes with a length of 229.59 Mb and 232.64 Mb, containing 21,673 and 22,816 predicted genes and a repeat content of 28.93% and 29.54% of the total genomes, respectively. Further analyses resolved a Santalum-specific whole-genome triplication event after divergence from ancestors of the Santalales lineage Malania, yet due to dramatic differences in transposon content, the Santalum genomes were only one-sixth the size of the Malania oleifera genome. Examination of RNA-seq data revealed a suite of genes that are differentially expressed in haustoria and might be involved in host hemiparasite interactions. The two genomes presented here not only provide an important comparative dataset for studying genome evolution in early diverging eudicots and hemiparasitic plants but will also hasten the application of conservation genomics for a lineage of trees recovering from decades of overexploitation.

Objective To identify the causative agent of an acute diarrhea outbreak in a school in Taian, Shandong, and to analyze the genetic characteristics of the pathogenic virus. Methods A total of nineteen samples including anal swabs from the diarrheal patients and related staff in the school canteen and environmental samples were collected. These samples were tested for common pathogens causing viral diarrhea by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), followed by high-throughput sequencing to obtain the viral genome sequences of the qPCR positive samples. Genetic characterizations of the causative agent were further studied including nucleotide and amino acid sequence identity and phylogenetic analysis. Results Seven of the 19 samples tested positive for adenovirus by qPCR, with the positive rate of 36.8%. Whole-genome sequences of human adenovirus serotype 41 (HAdV-F41) were obtained from the anal swab of Patient 10 and the tableware of Patient 4, with the nucleotide and amino acid identity of 100% between them. Phylogenetic analyses of the full-length genome, hexon gene, and fiber gene sequences showed that the HAdV-F41 strain discovered in this study had high homology with strains previously described from China, the United States, Japan, Iraq, and other countries. Conclusion Our findings indicated that HAdV-F41 was the causative agent responsible for the acute diarrhea outbreak in Taian, which shared high homology with previously reported HAdV-F41 strains worldwide. These results enriched the genetic resource of HAdV-F41 in Shandong and provided a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of acute diarrhea in children caused by adenoviruses.

Intermodular recognition in polyketide synthase (PKS) is a key prerequisite for catalysis and assembly-line engineering. Here, the authors present a specific domain interaction between modules and an evolution-oriented strategy for PKS engineering derived from the enoylreduction module of azalomycin F.

Renewable energy resources and electric vehicles give pressure on the smart grid. Once a large number of electric vehicles do batch charging at peak time, the dynamic resource allocation ability of the smart grid appears to be very important. This article proposes one composite game model to describe the interaction process during the charging. The smart grid area covers numbers of charging stations which satisfy spatial non-equilibrium distribution. Each vehicle has enough remaining energy to reach each charging station in the considering field. This paper considers preferential policies to the cost-sensitive drivers. From the view of energy management, preferential policies from charging stations will fluctuate the energy demand. To do dynamic dispatching strategy in power supply, the model describe two type of interactions, one is between stations and vehicles, the other is between vehicles. The model help strategy managers understand more about energy demand which hopefully can assist them do reasonable dynamic dispatching strategy.

To reveal the mechanism of anti-renal fibrosis effects of an n-butanol extract from Amygdalus mongolica, renal fibrosis was induced with unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and then treated with an n-butanol extract (BUT) from Amygdalus mongolica (Rosaceae). Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the sham-operated, renal fibrosis (RF) model, benazepril hydrochloride-treated model (1.5 mg kg−1) and BUT-treated (1.75, 1.5 and 1.25 g kg−1) groups and the respective drugs were administered intragastrically for 21 days. Related biochemical indices in rat serum were determined and histopathological morphology observed. Serum metabolomics was assessed with HPLC-Q-TOF-MS. The BUT reduced levels of blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine and albumin and lowered the content of malondialdehyde and hydroxyproline in tissues. The activity of superoxide dismutase in tissues was increased and an improvement in the severity of RF was observed. Sixteen possible biomarkers were identified by metabolomic analysis and six key metabolic pathways, including the TCA cycle and tyrosine metabolism, were analyzed. After treatment with the extract, 8, 12 and 9 possible biomarkers could be detected in the high-, medium- and low-dose groups, respectively. Key biomarkers of RF, identified using metabolomics, were most affected by the medium dose. A. mongolica BUT extract displays a protective effect on RF in rats and should be investigated as a candidate drug for the treatment of the disease.

Objective To summarize the clinical, imaging and genetic characteristics of spinocerebellar ataxia 2 (SCA2) families presenting as Parkinsonism. Methods and Results Two families with autosomal dominant SCA2 with Parkinson's syndrome diagnosed by genetic test in Peking University First Hospital from May 2019 to December 2020 were included. The probands in 2 families manifested as lead⁃pipe like rigidity and cerebellum ataxia. Electronystagmography (ENG) in proband of family 1 showed gaze nystagmus, understable saccade, decreased smooth tracking ability and disappeared optokinetic nystagmus, proband of family 2 showed slow saccade, decreased smooth tracking ability and decreased optokinetic nystagmus. Head MRI in both probands of 2 families showed slightly enlarged third ventricle, while the proband of family 2 showed atrophy in brain stem and cerebellar. Whole exome sequencing (WES) in 2 probands showed no gene mutations, Sanger sequencing showed dynamic mutation of ATXN2 gene and the copy number of cytosine⁃adenine⁃guanine (CAG) with 37 repeats. Two probands were finally diagnosed as SCA2, and two pedigrees were diagnosed as SCA2 pedigrees. Conclusions SCA2 can present as Parkinsonism, which is easily to be misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease due to the effective treatment of levodopa. ENG is helpful in detecting subclinical cerebellar lesions. For Parkinsonism patients with family history, especially when cerebellar lesions are involved, ATXN2 gene testing is recommended.

Heterobasidion annosum is one of the most aggressive pathogens of Pinus forests in Europe, causing considerable economic losses. To detect H. annosum for disease diagnosis and control, we developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) reaction with a primer set designed from the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) DNA sequences of H. annosum. In our study, this LAMP assay was found to be capable of efficiently amplifying the target gene within 60 min at 63°C. In specificity tests, H. annosum was positively detected, and other species were negative. The detection limit of this assay was found to be 100 pg·μL-1, and the assay was also successfully tested for use with basidiospore suspensions and wood samples. This study provides a rapid method for diagnosing root and butt rot caused by H. annosum, which will be of use in port surveillance of logs imported from Europe.

Among the different nanostructures that have been demonstrated as promising materials for various applications, three–dimensional (3D) nanostructures have attracted significant attention as building blocks for constructing high-performance nanodevices because of their unusual mechanical, electrical, thermal, optical, and magnetic properties arising from their novel size effects and abundant active catalytic/reactive sites due to the high specific surface area. Considerable research efforts have been devoted to designing, fabricating, and evaluating 3D nanostructures for applications, including structural composites, electronics, photonics, biomedical engineering, and energy. This review provides an overview of the nanofabrication strategies that have been developed to fabricate 3D functional architectures with exquisite control over their morphology at the nanoscale. The pros and cons of the typical synthetic methods and experimental protocols are reviewed and outlined. Future challenges of fabrication of 3D nanostructured materials are also discussed to further advance current nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common pathological type of primary liver cancer, with high fatality rate. The pathogenesis of HCC is complex, and the specific occurrence and development mechanism is still in the exploratory stage. CircRNA is a special endogenous noncoding RNA and mainly participates in the regulation of gene expression at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. By regulating gene transcription, it acts as a molecular sponge of miRNA, participates in protein translation, and interacts with RNA binding protein (RBP). CircRNA is involved in the occurrence and development of HCC. Its abnormal expression in HCC cells is related to the pathological characteristics of HCC tissue, regulates the expression of downstream target genes, miRNA and proteins, participates in the proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of HCC cells, and regulates tumor microenvironment and signal pathways, suggesting that circRNA may be a potential novel biomarker and therapeutic target for the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC. This paper reviews the biological mechanism of circRNA, its role in HCC, and research progress in diagnosis and treatment.

All-silica zeolite membranes are highly desired for natural gas upgrading but the size-exclusion effect is compromised by defects generated during high-temperature detemplation. Here, the authors develop a strategy to fabricate ultra-selective DD3R zeolite membranes via tuning the zeolite flexibility under rapid template decomposition.

In order to achieve accurate prediction and optimization of milling surface residual stress. In this paper, Al7075-T6 aluminum alloy was taken as the research object. Firstly, a surface residual stress prediction model was proposed by analyzing the forces of orthogonal milling model and considering the machining parameters, milling force and heat. Compared with the traditional exponential empirical model, the superiority of the improved prediction model was proved. Taguchi algorithm and average signal-to-noise ratio were used to analyze the significant effect of process parameters on residual stress on workpiece surface, and the optimal process parameters for residual compressive stress generation were obtained. The optimized process parameters were verified by experiment and prediction model. The results show that compared with the traditional exponential model, the prediction accuracy of surface residual stress in X direction and Y direction is improved by 18.5% and 8.2%, respectively. After parameter optimization, the residual compressive stress in X and Y direction increases by 16.0% and 6.3%. The surface roughness value did not decrease obviously, which provides a theoretical basis for active control of residual stress of aerospace thin-walled parts.

Abstract Background Agarwood is a highly sought-after resinous wood for uses in medicine, incense, and perfume production. To overcome challenges associated with agarwood production in Aquilaria sinensis, several artificial agarwood-induction treatments have been developed. However, the effects of these techniques on the metabolome of the treated wood samples are unknown. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of four treatments: fire drill treatment (F), fire drill + brine treatment (FS), cold drill treatment (D) and cold drill + brine treatment (DS)) on ethanol-extracted oil content and metabolome profiles of treated wood samples from A. sinensis. Results The ethanol-extracted oil content obtained from the four treatments differed significantly (F

Abstract Background Perinatal events which result in compromised oxygen delivery to the fetus can lead to Birth Asphyxia (BA). While the incidence, risk factors and outcomes of BA have been characterized, less is known in low resource settings. Aim To determine the incidence of Birth Asphyxia (BA) in Nepal and to evaluate associated risk factors and outcomes of this condition. Methods A nested observational study was conducted in 12 hospitals of Nepal for a period of 14 months. Babies diagnosed as BA at ≥37 weeks of gestation were identified and demographics were reviewed. Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression followed by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results The incidence of BA in this study was 6 per 1000 term livebirths and was higher among women 35 years and above. Predictors for BA were instrumented vaginal delivery (aOR:4.4, 95% CI, 3.1–6.1), fetal distress in labour (aOR:1.9, 95% CI, 1.0–3.6), malposition (aOR:1.8, 95% CI, 1.0–3.0), birth weight less than 2500 g (aOR:2.0, 95% CI, 1.3–2.9), gestational age ≥ 42 weeks (aOR:2.0, 95% CI, 1.3–3.3) and male gender (aOR:1.6, 95% CI, 1.2–2.0). The risk of pre-discharge mortality was 43 times higher in babies with BA (aOR:42.6, 95% CI, 32.2–56.3). Conclusion The incidence of Birth asphyxia in Nepal higher than in more resourced setting. A range of obstetric and neonatal risk factors are associated with BA with an associated high risk of pre-discharge mortality. Interventions to improve management and decrease rates of BA could have marked impact on outcomes in low resource settings.

Abstract Background Dalbergia odorifera is an economically and culturally important species in the Fabaceae because of the high-quality lumber and traditional Chinese medicines made from this plant, however, overexploitation has increased the scarcity of D. odorifera. Given the rarity and the multiple uses of this species, it is important to expand the genomic resources for utilizing in applications such as tracking illegal logging, determining effective population size of wild stands, delineating pedigrees in marker assisted breeding programs, and resolving gene networks in functional genomics studies. Even the nuclear and chloroplast genomes have been published for D. odorifera, the complete mitochondrial genome has not been assembled or assessed for sequence transfer to other genomic compartments until now. Such work is essential in understanding structural and functional genome evolution in a lineage (Fabaceae) with frequent intergenomic sequence transfers. Results We integrated Illumina short-reads and PacBio CLR long-reads to assemble and annotate the complete mitochondrial genome of D. odorifera. The mitochondrial genome was organized as a single circular structure of 435 Kb in length containing 33 protein coding genes, 4 rRNA and 17 tRNA genes. Nearly 4.0% (17,386 bp) of the genome was annotated as repetitive DNA. From the sequence transfer analysis, it was found that 114 Kb of DNA originating from the mitochondrial genome has been transferred to the nuclear genome, with most of the transfer events having taken place relatively recently. The high frequency of sequence transfers from the mitochondria to the nuclear genome was similar to that of sequence transfer from the chloroplast to the nuclear genome. Conclusion For the first-time, the complete mitochondrial genome of D. odorifera was assembled in this study, which will provide a baseline resource in understanding genomic evolution in the highly specious Fabaceae. In particular, the assessment of intergenomic sequence transfer suggests that transfers have been common and recent indicating a possible role in environmental adaptation as has been found in other lineages. The high turnover rate of genomic colinearly and large differences in mitochondrial genome size found in the comparative analyses herein providing evidence for the rapid evolution of mitochondrial genome structure compared to chloroplasts in Faboideae. While phylogenetic analyses using functional genes indicate that mitochondrial genes are very slowly evolving compared to chloroplast genes.

Objective To summarize the key points of neuroendoscopic transcranial resection for cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumors. Methods Twenty⁃eight patients with CPA tumors diagnosed and treated in Xiangya Hospital Central South University from January 2019 to December 2020 were included, and all of them underwent neuroendoscopic transcranial surgery to remove CPA tumors. Results All the 28 patients were successfully treated with neuroendoscopic transcranial resection of tumors in CPA region, and the tumors were totally removed. After operation, 9 cases of acoustic neuroma, 8 cases of meningioma, 9 cases of cholesteatoma, one case of hemangioblastoma, and one case of trigeminal neurinoma were confirmed by postoperative pathology. Postoperative facial nerve function was grade Ⅲ in 3 cases, grade Ⅱ in 6 cases, and grade Ⅰ in 19 cases. One patient had no obvious recovery of auditory nerve function injury, and 2 patients had dizziness, vertigo and nausea after operation. No complications such as cerebrospinal fluid leakage, meningitis and incision infection occurred, and no death occurred. At 3 months of follow ⁃ up, no tumor recurrence was seen on MRI, and no new neurological symptoms occurred. Conclusions Neuroendoscopic transcranial resection of CPA tumors has many advantages, but also has some shortcomings, and has a good development in the future.

Induction of heartwood formation in 6-year-old Indian sandalwood (Santalum album L.) trees by treatment with carbon dioxide, ethylene, nitrogen, and wounding was investigated. All treatments induced fragrant heartwood formation upward and downward from the drill hole. The amount of heartwood formed above and below the drill hole depended on the treatment in the order nitrogen>carbon dioxide>ethylene>wounding, whereas the radial extension proportion was, in order, nitrogen>carbon dioxide>ethylene=wounding. Based on the chemical analysis (GC–MS) and evaluation of the essential oil quality and heartwood properties, heartwood induced by carbon dioxide showed the maximum similarities to naturally formed heartwood, which included the same color, similar chemical composition, reasonable oil content, and quality essential oil, whereas ethylene, nitrogen, and wounding treatment showed fewer similarities to natural heartwood. The results suggest that carbon dioxide is a promising candidate gas elicitor for inducing heartwood formation in young S. album.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of orexin-A(OX-A) on the expression and function of glial glutamate transporter-1(GLT-1) and delayed neuronal death (DND) in hippocampus CA1 region of transient global cerebral ischemia(tGCI) in rats. Methods The rats were randomized into sham group, model group, OX-A group and OX-A+LY294002 group. The binding and glutamate uptake of GLT-1 in hippocampal CA1 region were detected by the [3H]-glutamate labeling method. The content of glutamate in hippocampal CA1 region was determined by the glutamate quantitative kit. The pathological changes of neurons in hippocampal CA1 region were observed by Nissol, NeuN and Fluro-Jade C staining. The expressions of GLT-1, p-PI3K and p-Akt in hippocampal CA1 region were detected by Western blot. Results OX-A promoted the binding and glutamate uptake of GLT-1, increased glutamate content, GLT-1 expression and PI3K/AKT signaling activity, and inhibited DND in the hippocampal CA1 region of tGCI rats (P＜0.05); However, LY294002 attenuated the above therapeutic effects of OX-A(P＜0.05). Conclusions OX-A can increase the expression and function of GLT-1 and reduce DND in the hippocampal CA1 region of tGCI rats by enhancing the activity of I3K/AKT signal.

The purpose of this study was to retrospectively investigate the prognostic significance of the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) in patients with middle and advanced thoracic malignant tumors (esophageal and lung cancer) prior to and after radiotherapy. The clinical data of 74 patients with middle-advanced stage lung and esophageal cancer who received radiotherapy in Jiangsu Shengze hospital from January 2017 to December 2021 were screened for this retrospective analysis. Peripheral blood was collected, and LMR was recorded before and within one week following radiotherapy. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was established to obtain the best cut-off value for overall survival (OS). The correlation between LMR and prognosis before and after radiotherapy was examined. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to create the survival curve, and Cox proportional hazard regression model was used for univariate and multivariate analysis. The median follow-up time was 15 months, and the median age was 70 years. According to the ROC curve, the best critical value of LMR prior to radiotherapy was 2.46, AUC=0.719, while the best critical value of LMR after radiotherapy was 1.07, AUC=0.682. The Cox risk ratio model showed that clinical stage, diagnosis, combination therapy, and LMR before and after radiotherapy were all related to prognosis. Multivariate analysis revealed that clinical stage, combination therapy, and LMR before and after radiotherapy were independent prognostic factors in patients with middle and advanced lung and esophageal cancer following radiotherapy (p

BACKGROUND The Ordos Basin is one of the most important areas in China because it hosts lots of sandstone-type uranium deposits and a variety of other energy and mineral resources. The occurrence of uranium minerals is of great significance to the genetic understanding and prospecting of sandstone-type uranium deposits. However, the complex mineral composition, fine grain size, and various types and occurrences of uranium minerals make the initial identification stage of the study difficult. Currently, radiograph and electron probe microanalysis (EMPA) have played an important role in the identification of uranium minerals. Radiography can be used to obtain the position, occurrence and radioactive form of all uranium minerals in the light film at one time, but the mineral type cannot be identified. Moreover, it is a lengthy process and must be performed in darkness. Electron probe can be used to obtain the backscattered image of the uranium mineral. However, it takes time and effort to find uranium minerals with small content and small particle size in thin slices at high magnification, and it is impossible to quickly determine the types of associated minerals in BSE images. OBJECTIVES To find a more rapid and accurate method for identifying uranium minerals. METHODS The automatic mineral analysis system (AMICS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) were used to identify minerals from sandstone-type uranium deposits in the north, south, and west margins of the Ordos Basin. RESULTS The minerals in the study were identified as coffinite, pitchblende, uraninite and uranophane. Pyrite and titanium oxide were closely related to uranium minerals, and other associated minerals were identified as quartz, rutile, feldspar, mica and kaolinite. CONCLUSIONS AMICS-SEM-EDS in situ analysis technology proves to be a reliable method for the rapid identification of uranium minerals, associated minerals, and their occurrences.

Pennes’ bioheat equation is the most widely used thermal model for studying heat transfer in biological systems exposed to radiofrequency energy. In their article, “Effect of Surface Cooling and Blood Flow on the Microwave Heating of Tissue,” Foster et al. published an analytical solution to the one-dimensional (1-D) problem, obtained using the Fourier transform. However, their article did not offer any details of the derivation. In this work, we revisit the 1-D problem and provide a comprehensive mathematical derivation of an analytical solution. Our result corrects an error in Foster’s solution which might be a typo in their article. Unlike Foster et al., we integrate the partial differential equation directly. The expression of solution has several apparent singularities for certain parameter values where the physical problem is not expected to be singular. We show that all these singularities are removable, and we derive alternative non-singular formulas. Finally, we extend our analysis to write out an analytical solution of the 1-D bioheat equation for the case of multiple electromagnetic heating pulses.

Abstract Porous mullite hollow fiber membranes were prepared with a combined phase-inversion and sintering method, using three sintering additives including yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ), small mullite particles (SMP), and titanium oxide (TiO2) to promote the particle sintering. The results indicated that all the three additives could improve the sintering performance of mullite hollow fiber membranes due to the decrease in activation energy of mullite grains. Both YSZ and TiO2 could react with mullite grains to generate composite oxides (e.g., ZrSiO4 and Al2TiO5) during sintering, following a reaction-sintering mechanism. Interestingly, the newly generated ZrSiO4 was instable and further decomposed into monoclinic ZrO2 and SiO2 in the sintering process. The decomposition could avoid excessive embedment of composite oxides among mullite grains which have negative impact on mechanical strength of mullite hollow fibers. Overall, the doping of YSZ provided a better promotion effect on the sintering of mullite hollow fiber membranes, where the microstructural and mechanical properties are insensitive to the doping content and sintering temperatures, so it could be used as the candidate for the large-scale preparation of mullite hollow fibers.

Objective To explore the expression of OPA interacting protein 5 (OIP5) in pancreatic cancer and its effect on the proliferation of PANC-1 cells. Methods The expression of OIP5 in pancreatic cancer and adjacent tissues was evaluated by database; the expression of OIP5 mRNA and protein in human pancreatic cancer cell lines like MIAPaCa-2, PANC-1, KP-3 and BxPC-3 was detected by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot, respectively; the expression of OIP5 gene silencing plasmid (pGCSIL-shOIP5)and control plasmid(pGCSIL-shCtrl)were observed, respectively infected with PANC-1 cells, then divided into OIP5 gene silencing group and shctrl control group. 5 days later, RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect slow virus knockdown efficiency, and flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis. MTT and cell count were carried out in OIP5 gene silencing group and shctrl control group for 5 consecutive days. OIP5 gene silencing group and shctrl control group were incubated for 10 days to form colonies, then Giemsa staining was used to count total number of sets. Results The expression of OIP5 mRNA in pancreatic cancer was significantly higher than that in normal pancreatic tissue(P＜0.05), and the overall survival rate in patients with high expression of OIP5 was significantly lower than that in patients with low expression of OIP5 (P＜ 0.05), and the disease-free survival rate was also significantly lower (P＜0.05); the expression of OIP5 was higher in MIAPaCa-2, PANC-1 and KP-3, but lower in BXPC-3 cell line; the results of MTT showed that OIP5 was silenced in the 4th day. The proliferation rate of PANC-1 cells was significantly decreased on the 4th and the 5th day (P＜0.01); the number of cell colonies (9 on average) after OIP5 silencing was significantly lower than that in shctrl control group (40 on average) (P＜0.01); the apoptosis rate of PANC-1 cells after OIP5 silencing was 8.3% and 4.5% higher than that of shctrl (P＜0.01). Conclusions OIP5 is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer cell lines. OIP5 gene can regulate the proliferation, apoptosis and clonal formation of PANC-1 cells, suggesting that OIP5 may play a role as a oncogene in the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer, thus providing a potential biomarker for targeted treatment of pancreatic cancer.

The quality changes of paddy during storage are greatly affected by external conditions. The external factors include temperature, moisture, air proportion, pests and microorganisms, etc., especially under the condition of high temperature of stored grain and high moisture of rice, mold of rice grows faster, which leads to the reduction of rice quality. This paper introduced the effects of storage conditions on paddy quality and the harmfulness of pests and harmful microorganisms to paddy storage. The research on existing paddy storage and new grain storage technologies were further discussed. The development of new technologies such as grain storage, the use of CO2 to detect rice mold, and the development of natural antifungal agents has provided more effective technical guarantees for the safe storage of paddy in our country. However, some new technologies have higher requirements on grain silos and it is difficult to realize nationwide popularization.

Abstract Background Annually, 18 million babies are born to mothers 18 years or less. Two thirds of these births take place in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Due to social and biological factors, adolescent mothers have a higher risk of adverse birth outcomes. We conducted this study to assess the incidence, risk factors, maternal and neonatal health consequences among adolescent mothers. Methods We conducted an observational study in 12 hospitals of Nepal for a period of 12 months. Patient medical record and semi-structured interviews were used to collect demographic information of mothers, intrapartum care and outcomes. The risks of adverse birth outcomes among adolescent compared to adult mothers were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Results During the study period, among the total 60,742 deliveries, 7.8% were adolescent mothers. Two third of the adolescent mothers were from disadvantaged ethnic groups, compared to half of adult mothers (66.1% vs 47.8%, p-value

Objective To investigate the clinical features of cancer patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) and related risk factors. Methods A retrospective case-control study was conducted to investigate the clinical and survival outcomes of cancer patients with VTE. Statistical analysis of VTE-related influencing factors was performed using chi-square test, Log rank test and proportional hazard regression model (Cox model). GraphPad Prism8.0 was used to draw the survival curve. Results We collected 11 620 patients with new-onset cancer, including 385 patients with VTE. The incidence of VTE in cancer patients was 3.31%. The incidence of VTE in malignant lymphoma patients was the highest (4.78%), followed by colorectal cancer (4.40%) and breast cancer (4.08%). Patients treated with combination therapy had a higher rate of VTE. TNM staging was positively correlated with the proportion of VTE in cancer patients. The median survival time was 17.90 months (95%CI: 10.21-25.59), and the 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 51.89%, 37.76% and 18.88%, respectively. Multivariate analysis results showed that age, gender and TNM staging were independent risk factors affecting the survival and prognosis of patients. Conclusion Patients with malignant tumors are prone to VTE. High-risk patients should be closely observed to prevent VTE.

BACKGROUND Uranium mineral dating has been difficult to ascertain in mineralization chronology. With the development of in situ U-Pb isotope dating technology, it is possible to directly date ore minerals (uranium minerals). However, due to complex occurrences of sandstone-type U deposits, high requirements for laser ablation during in situ dating, and the lack of suitable external calibration standards, the dating accuracy needs to be improved. OBJECTIVES To solve the problem of shortage of reference materials for in situ U-Pb dating of sandstone-type uranium deposit. METHODS Two micro in situ U-Pb isotope dating methods are used for sandstone-type uranium deposits, attempting to solve the problem of no matrix-matched standards and improve the dating technology of sandstone-type uranium deposits. A laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer combined with an electron probe for micro-area in situ U-Pb isotope dating technology was established (LA-MC-ICP-MS & EMPA). RESULTS By optimizing the analytical technique, the Chenjiazhuang granite-type uranium deposit in Qinling was tested, and the ages were consistent with those determined by the isotope dilution-thermoionization mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS), which demonstrated the feasibility of non-matrix matched reference materials for isotope dating. This method was used to data Hongqinghe and Tarangalle sandstone-type uranium deposits in the Ordos Basin. At the same time, in situ U-Pb isotope dating of Hongqinghe and Ningdong sandstone-type uranium samples was carried out by fs-laser ablation multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (fsLA-MC-ICP-MS). In situ U-Pb isotope ages were obtained for these two deposits, indicating that femtosecond laser ablation technology had a good application prospect in the dating of sandstone-type uranium deposits. CONCLUSIONS Combined LA-MC-ICP-MS and EMPA method can be selected for analysis of simple-texture and relatively old minerals, whereas fsLA-MC-ICP-MS method is recommended for samples requiring high spatial resolution.

2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by SARS-COV-2 virus, and lacks specifically effective treatment till now. Its clinical manifestations and the concerning studies at home and abroad have shown that viral sepsis caused by SARS-COV-2 virus has typical characteristics of pathophysiology of sepsis, that is, early cytokine storm and subsequent immunosuppression stage. At present, although great attention has been paid to the treatment and clinical research on cytokine storm, the later stage of immunosuppression is neglected. Patients' lower immunity, secondary infection and multiple organ failure are quite common, and all these lead to rapid deterioration and even death. Therefore, it is of great significance to pay attention to the investigation and treatment of sepsis immunosuppression stage caused by COVID-19, and to study the drugs with bidirectional immune regulation such as artesunate so as order to reduce the mortality of patients with severe or critical COVID-19. What's more, we strongly recommend that chloroquine phosphate should be used with great caution for severe and critical patients.

Evaluating the pyrolysis of lignocellulose via theoretical and computational approaches is of great importance for the efficient utilization of biomass. In this work, the dynamic changes in physicochemical properties of eucalyptus and bamboo during plant-rich metallic element-catalyzed pyrolysis process were investigated, and their thermal decomposition behaviors were explored by kinetic analysis. Results showed that the metal absorption capacity and thermal stability of eucalyptus were better than those of bamboo. The temperatures corresponding to the initial devolatilization and the highest weight loss value of eucalyptus/bamboo decreased in the catalysis order of Mg > Fe > Ca > Cu > K > Na. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) results showed that the thermal stability of ester bond of glucuronoarabinoxylan was higher than that of acetyl groups. The maximum weight loss rate could be observed for samples with the lowest metal-loaded concentration (5%). Moreover, Mg and Fe presented the better catalytic performance for facilitating the lignocellulose pyrolysis in comparison with other investigated metallic elements.

Objective To analyze the characteristics of laboratory biomarkers associated with hypercoagulability in patients undergoing lung cancer surgery during the perioperative period and its diagnostic value for deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Methods We enrolled 143 patients treated with lung cancer surgery based on eligibility criteria. The lower extremity deep vein was examined perioperatively by compressed ultrasonic (CUS) to determine the DVT. The laboratory biomarkers associated with hypercoagulability were measured. We analyzed the area under curve (AUC) of ROC and cutoff in DVT (+) and DVT (-) groups with significant different biomarkers. Results Thirty-three patients with DVT were first diagnosed from the postoperative 3rd day (POD3) to 7th day (POD7). The fibrinogen degradation product (FDP), D-Dimer, brain natriuretic peptide and C reactive protein were significantly increased in the postoperative POD1-POD7 (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in the change levels of FDP and D-D during the perioperative period between the DVT (+) and DVT (-) groups (P < 0.05). The AUC and diagnostic cutoff values of POD1-FDP, POD3-FDP, POD3-D-D were 0.726 and 4.65μg/ml, 0.811 and 4.85 μg/ml, 0.772 and 1.55 μg/ml, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of serial test were 46.5% and 94.9% for the combined diagnosis. Conclusion The value of increased levels of POD1-FDP, POD3-FDP and POD3-D-Dimer for DVT diagnosis is moderate. The combined diagnosis with serial test could improve the specificity of diagnosis.