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Nickel-based superalloy Inconel 718 was prepared by selective laser melting and carbon element invasion was unexpectedly generated. In this work, the microstructural evolution, phase transformation and mechanical properties variations in the As-built state and after four conventional heat treatments (SHT + Age, SHT, Age, SR), as well as the effect of carbon intrusion, were studied. The results showed that the brittle phase Laves increased due to poor printing, and all the Laves phases were reduced and eliminated after heat treatment. The Laves phases generated the δ phase in the near areas and the γ ′ / γ ″ phase in the relatively distant areas due to diffusion effect. However, the NbC phase could not be eliminated after heat treatment and remains at the grain boundaries. Age heat treatment produces a special Laves phases, ductile network Laves phase. The intrusion of carbon element was observed by XRD and EDS. The diffused C element captures the Nb element, robbing the element of the main strengthening phase γ ″ and causing the reduction of ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and microhardness of SHT (538 Mpa, 307 Mpa, 286 HV), SR (739 Mpa, 454 Mpa, 241 HV) and SHT + Age (1051 Mpa, 903 Mpa, 485 HV) under high-temperature treatment than As-built (786 Mpa, 510 Mpa, 322 HV). Under lower temperatures on Age (1097 Mpa, 863 Mpa, 479 HV), the effect of carbon intrusion is not obvious. However, the solid solution strengthening and interstitial strengthening of carbon element greatly increase the ductility of SHT (8.54%) and SR (12.12%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) triggers viral myocarditis, with no effective vaccine yet. This fecal‐oral transmitted pathogen has prompted interest in mucosal immunization strategies to impede CVB3 spread. We developed a new attenuated vaccine strain, named CVB3(mu). The potential of CVB3(mu) to stimulate mucosal immune protection remains to be elucidated. This study evaluates the attenuation characteristics of CVB3(mu) via a rapid evolution cellular model and RNA sequencing. Its temperature sensitivity and safety were evaluated through in vitro and in vivo experiments. The mucosal immunity protection of CVB3(mu) was assessed via intranasal immunization in Balb/c mice. The results indicate that CVB3(mu) exhibits temperature sensitivity and forms smaller plaques. It sustains fewer genetic mutations and still possesses certain attenuated traits up to the 25th passage, in comparison to CVB3(WT). Intranasal immunization elicited a significant serum neutralizing antibodies, and a substantial sIgA response in nasal washes. In vivo trials revealed CVB3(mu) protection in adult mice and passive protection in suckling mice against lethal CVB3(WT) challenges. In conclusion, CVB3(mu), a live attenuated intranasal vaccine, provides protection involving humoral and mucosal immunity, making it a promising candidate to control CVB3 spread and infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate prediction of bone metastasis-free survival (BMFS) after complete surgical resection in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may facilitate appropriate follow-up planning. The aim of this study was to establish and validate a preoperative CT-based deep learning (DL) signature to predict BMFS in NSCLC patients. We performed a retrospective analysis of 1547 NSCLC patients who underwent complete surgical resection, followed by at least 36 months of monitoring at two hospitals. We constructed a DL signature from multiparametric CT images using 3D convolutional neural networks, and we integrated this signature with clinical-imaging factors to establish a deep learning clinical-imaging signature (DLCS). We evaluated performance using Harrell's concordance index (C-index) and the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic. We also assessed the risk of bone metastasis (BM) in NSCLC patients at different clinical stages using DLCS. The DL signature successfully predicted BM, with C-indexes of 0.799 and 0.818 for the validation cohorts. DLCS outperformed the DL signature with corresponding C-indexes of 0.806 and 0.834. Ranges for area under the curve at 1, 2, and 3 years were 0.820–0.865 for internal and 0.860–0.884 for external validation cohorts. Furthermore, DLCS successfully stratified patients with different clinical stages of NSCLC as high- and low-risk groups for BM (p < 0.05). CT-based DL can predict BMFS in NSCLC patients undergoing complete surgical resection, and may assist in the assessment of BM risk for patients at different clinical stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) of the stomach is rare. Moreover, it is usually found in pediatric patients with systemic diseases and may be associated with a poor prognosis. Solitary gastric LCH in adults is extremely rare and is often misdiagnosed or missed. The aim of our study was to review cases of gastric LCH and explore the characteristics of the disease further. A retrospective study of all patients admitted with solitary gastric LCH was conducted between 2013 and 2023. Clinical manifestations, endoscopic and pathological features, immunophenotypes, and molecular changes were collected from medical records. We examined four cases (one female, three males) of gastric LCH. The affected patients were between 33 and 70 years of age. Endoscopically, three patients presented with a solitary polyp or elevated lesions, whereas one patient showed no abnormalities. Under a microscope, all cases showed abnormal proliferation of histiocytoid cells infiltrating in a nested or sheet-like fashion. The tumor cells were medium-sized, with a slightly eosinophilic cytoplasm, irregular or renal-shaped nuclei, folded nuclear membranes, visible nuclear grooves, and the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the background. Immunohistochemically, all lesions expressed CD1a, S-100, langerin, and cyclinD1. One case showed diffuse BRAF V600E positivity. Follow-up data were available for all patients from 4 to 36 months, and all patients were alive without recurrence or progress at the time of manuscript preparation. Combined with previously reported data, solitary adult gastric LCH is more common in male patients, most of whom are asymptomatic or exhibit only mild gastrointestinal symptoms, with a good prognosis. Endoscopy often reveals solitary polyps or protruding lesions; rare cases may progress to multifocal/multisystem lesions, necessitating long-term close follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, thickeners are frequently added to foods to ensure safe diets for dysphagia patients. Konjac glucomannan (KGM) is a commonly used food thickener with health benefits as an excellent dietary fiber, but its rheological properties, such as no yield stress and poor gelling, prevent its direct use as a dysphagia thickener. This study exploited the potential of KGM as a dysphagia thickener through its synergistic interaction with xanthan gum (XG) and investigated the effects of dispersion media (water, juice, and soy milk) on the rheological properties and oral tribology of the KGM-XG thickener. The KGM-XG thickener (15:5 mass ratio of KGM to XG) was added to the dispersion media in an amount of 0.3–0.9% (w/w). The results showed the thickener had the strongest pseudoplasticity and apparent viscosity in water, exhibiting weak gel properties and yield behavior; whereas in juice and soy milk, apparent viscosity decreased due to the medium components interfering with KGM and XG synergistic interaction, and weak gel properties and yield behavior were only exhibited at higher levels (> 0.3%, w/w). The thickener had better ability to resist deformation and recovery in water than in juice and soy milk. The Stribeck curves effectively reflected the oral tribological behavior of the thickened systems, and the addition of the thickener reduced the friction coefficients of water and juice but had no significant effect on soy milk. Overall, KGM-XG is a promising thickener for dysphagia diets and offers a viable strategy for adding more dietary fiber to dietary formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotational speed measuring is important in order tracking under non-stational working conditions. However, sometimes, encoders or coded discs are not easy to mount due to the limited measurement environment. In this paper, a new in situ gravity acceleration decomposition method (GAD) is proposed for rotational speed estimation, and it is applied in the order tracking scene for fault diagnosis of a gearbox under non-stationary working conditions. In the proposed method, a MEMS accelerometer is locally embedded on the rotating shaft or disc in the tangential direction. The time-varying gravity acceleration component is sensed by the in situ accelerometer during the rotation of the shaft or disc. The GAD method is established to exploit the gravity acceleration component based on the linear-phase finite impulse response (FIR) filter and complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN) methods. Then, the phase signal of time-varying gravity acceleration is derived for rotational speed estimations. A motor–shaft–disc experimental setup is established to verify the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed method in comparison to a mounted encoder. The results show that both the estimated average and instantaneous rotational speed agree well with the mounted encoder. Furthermore, both the proposed GAD method and the traditional vibration-based tacholess speed estimation methods are applied in the context of order tracking for fault diagnosis of a gearbox. The results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method in the detection of tooth spalling faults under non-stationary working conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using non-amphiphilic polysaccharide to stabilize oil-in-water emulsions is still a challenge in food industry. Polysaccharide microgels showed emulsifying capacity, however, the stability of the formed emulsions is far from the requirements of the food industry. In this work, agarose microgel/Tween-20 suspensions were prepared and further employed in oil-in-water emulsion stabilization. Focuses were taken on the impact of Tween-20 on the emulsifying properties of agarose microgels. Results suggested that Tween-20 could complex with agarose microgels, and microamounts of Tween-20 (0.02 wt%) could apparently improve the emulsifying performance of microgels. Dynamic interfacial pressure and interfacial adsorption of microgels indicated that appropriate amount of Tween-20 (≤0.04 wt%) could benefit the interfacial adsorption of agarose microgels, while excessive Tween-20 (≥0.08 wt%) could compete with agarose microgels for adsorption sites on oil/water interface. Results of this work supporting that surfactant complexing could be a promising solution to prepare polysaccharides based Mickering emulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, tenderness has been assessed through shear force testing, which is inherently destructive, the accuracy is easily affected, and it results in considerable sample wastage. Although this technology has some drawbacks, it is still the most effective detection method currently available. In light of these drawbacks, non-destructive testing techniques have emerged as a preferred alternative, promising greater accuracy, efficiency, and convenience without compromising the integrity of the samples. This paper delves into applying five advanced non-destructive testing technologies in the realm of meat tenderness assessment. These include near-infrared spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging, Raman spectroscopy, airflow optical fusion detection, and nuclear magnetic resonance detection. Each technology is scrutinized for its respective strengths and limitations, providing a comprehensive overview of their current utility and potential for future development. Moreover, the integration of these techniques with the latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology is explored. The fusion of AI with non-destructive testing offers a promising avenue for the development of more sophisticated, rapid, and intelligent systems for meat tenderness evaluation. This integration is anticipated to significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of the quality assessment in the meat industry, ensuring a higher standard of safety and nutritional value for consumers. The paper concludes with a set of technical recommendations to guide the future direction of non-destructive, AI-enhanced meat tenderness detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (PE-TLIF) has become one of the most popular minimally invasive surgeries today. However, the issue of hidden blood loss (HBL) in this surgery has received little attention. This study aims to examine the HBL in PE-TLIF surgery and the effect of tranexamic acid (TXA) on blood loss. Methods: In our research, We conducted a retrospective analysis of 300 patients who underwent PE-TLIF from September 2019 to August 2023. They were divided into 2 groups based on whether they received intravenous TXA injection before surgery. The variables compared included: demographic data, pre-and postoperative hemoglobin (HB), hematocrit (HCT), platelets (PLT), red blood cells (RBC), total blood loss (TBL), visible blood loss (VBL), HBL, operation time, postoperative hospital stay, inflammatory markers, coagulation parameters, and adverse events. Results: Regarding demographic characteristics, besides the operation time, no significant differences were observed between the two groups. Compared with the control group, the TXA group showed a significant reduction trend in TBL, HBL, and VBL (P < 0.05). On the first day after surgery, there were significant differences in prothrombin (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and D-dimer (D-D) levels between the two groups. Similarly, HCT also found similar results on the third day after surgery. No adverse events occurred in either group. Conclusion: Research has found that there is a significant amount of HBL in patients undergoing PE-TLIF. Intravenous injection of TXA can safely and effectively reduce perioperative HBL and VBL. Additionally, compared to the control group, the TXA group shows a significant reduction in operation time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the pressing requirement for prompt and precise heart rate acquisition during neonatal resuscitation, an adaptive motion artifact filter (AMF) is proposed in this study, which is based on the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) approach and takes advantage of the gradual, time-based changes in heart rate. This method is intended to alleviate the pronounced interference induced by random body movement (RBM) on radar detection in neonates. The AMF analyzes the frequency components at different time points in the CWT results. It extracts spectral peaks from each time slice of the frequency spectrum and correlates them with neighboring peaks to identify the existing components in the signal, thereby reducing the impact of RBM and ultimately extracting the heartbeat component. The results demonstrate a reliable estimation of heart rates. In practical clinical settings, we performed measurements on multiple neonatal patients within a hospital environment. The results demonstrate that even with limited data, its accuracy in estimating the resting heart rate of newborns surpasses 97%, and during infant movement, its accuracy exceeds 96%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To obtain rapeseed protein with low phytic acid (PA), soy protein isolate (SPI) was used to investigate the interactions between SPI and PA. The influence of pretreatment (soaking using salt solution and dialysis) of the defatted rapeseed meal on the PA and protein content in the final rapeseed proteins was also studied. The results showed that electrostatic interactions dominated the protein–PA interaction, which was affected by pH and ionic strength. Accordingly, the pH and ionic strength in the soaking medium also influenced the PA remained in the rapeseed proteins. The PA content decreased with the ionic strength (400–800 mM) and relatively low PA was obtained at pH 6.0 (soaking environment). Finally, 52.8 % of the PA have been removed and PA content remained in rapeseed protein isolate (RPI) reached about 0.84 mg/g, at the same time, the protein content was maintained around 86.70 %. Overall, soaking using salt solution and dialysis could be an effective method to achieve high quality rapeseed protein with low PA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A skeletal pose estimation method, named RVRU-Pose, is proposed to estimate the skeletal pose of vulnerable road users based on distributed non-coherent mmWave radar. In view of the limitation that existing methods for skeletal pose estimation are only applicable to small scenes, this paper proposes a strategy that combines radar intensity heatmaps and coordinate heatmaps as input to a deep learning network. In addition, we design a multi-resolution data augmentation and training method suitable for radar to achieve target pose estimation for remote and multi-target application scenarios. Experimental results show that RVRU-Pose can achieve better than 2 cm average localization accuracy for different subjects in different scenarios, which is superior in terms of accuracy and time compared to existing state-of-the-art methods for human skeletal pose estimation with radar. As an essential performance parameter of radar, the impact of angular resolution on the estimation accuracy of a skeletal pose is quantitatively analyzed and evaluated in this paper. Finally, RVRU-Pose has also been extended to the task of estimating the skeletal pose of a cyclist, reflecting the strong scalability of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces the Bi-Level Source-Grid-Load Synergistic Optimization (BL_SGLSO) model, which effectively balances the competing objectives of water conservation and carbon emission reduction in the power industry. The model aims to establish a clean and low-carbon electric power system by harmoniously reconciling these two critical goals. Through the application of bi-level programming, the BL_SGLSO model adeptly manages the preferences and conflicts of decision makers at various levels while capturing regional interactions and the intricacies of electricity transmission. Key findings reveal that non-fossil energy conversion technologies are poised to become the dominant force in electricity generation, accounting for an impressive 89.34% share by 2050. To mitigate the spatial mismatch between power load and resource allocation, the development of new transmission pathways and the expansion of the "power transmission from west to east" initiative are paramount. Furthermore, the implementation of a carbon-reducing power system offers significant potential for conserving water resources and alleviating water stress. These insights provide invaluable guidance for decision makers seeking to optimize multi-regional electric power systems for both water efficiency and low-carbon outcomes while simultaneously promoting the adoption of renewable energy sources and fostering synergistic development across regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Most signatures are constructed on the basis of RNA or protein expression levels. The value of vascular invasion-related signatures based on lncRNA pairs, regardless of their specific expression level in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is not yet clear. Methods: Vascular invasion-related differentially expressed lncRNA (DElncRNA) pairs were identified with a two-lncRNA combination strategy by using a novel modeling algorithm. Based on the optimal cutoff value of the ROC curve, patients with HCC were classified into high- and low-risk subgroups. We used KM survival analysis to evaluate the overall survival rate of patients in the high- and low-risk subgroups. The independent indicators of survival were identified using univariate and multivariate Cox analyses. Results: Five pairs of vascular invasion-related DElncRNAs were selected to develop a predictive model for HCC. High-risk subgroups were closely associated with aggressive clinicopathological characteristics and genes, chemotherapeutic sensitivity, and highly expressed immune checkpoint inhibitors. Conclusions: We identified a signature composed of 5 pairs of vascular invasion-related lncRNAs that does not require absolute expression levels of lncRNAs and shows promising clinical predictive value for HCC prognosis. This predictive model provides deep insight into the value of vascular invasion-related lncRNAs in prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Triple-negative breast cancer has poorer prognosis than other molecular subtype of breast cancer. RSRC2 is a newly discovered tumor suppressor gene. Our study found RSRC2 expression was lost in triple-negative breast cancer tissues. Low expression of RSRC2 was associated with worse prognosis of breast cancer patients. SCIN was identified as a novel transcriptional target of RSRC2 in triple-negative breast cancer cells. The clarification of relationship between RSRC2 and SCIN provided a new sight for triple-negative breast cancer treatment. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a shorter survival time and higher mortality rate than other molecular subtypes. RSRC2 is a newly discovered tumor suppressor gene. However, the potential functional mechanism of RSRC2 in TNBC remains unknown so far. Multiple bioinformatics databases were used. A Human Transcriptome Array 2.0 analysis, ChIP-seq analysis, ChIP-qPCR, RT-qPCR, Western blot, cell function assays in vitro and a metastatic mouse model in vivo were performed to demonstrate the role of RSRC2 in TNBC. Through the analysis of various databases, RSRC2 expression was the lowest in TNBC tissues compared to other molecular subtypes. The low expression of RSRC2 was associated with a worse prognosis for patients with breast cancer. The transcriptome array, ChIP-seq and bioinformatics analysis identified that GRHL2 and SCIN might have a close relationship with RSRC2. The functional bioinformatics enrichment analysis and functional cell experiments showed that RSRC2 was involved in cell adhesion, cell proliferation, cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, RSRC2 expression suppressed SCIN expression but not GRHL2 expression. SCIN re-expression in the RSRC2 overexpression cells or SCIN knockdown in the RSRC2 knockdown cells reversed the cellular function caused by RSRC2. Mechanistically, RSRC2 transcriptionally inhibited SCIN expression. In summary, our study reveals that RSRC2 acts as a tumor suppressor in TNBC development and progression through negatively regulating SCIN-mediated cell function, thus providing a potential target for TNBC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apples are rich in vitamins and dietary fiber and are one of the essential fruits in people's daily diet. China has always been a big apple consumer, and with the improvement of people's life quality, nutrition, and health requirements, the demand for high-quality apples has increased year by year. Apple mold heart disease is one of the main diseases affecting apple quality. However, this disease cannot be easily detected from the surface, so it is difficult to detect mold heart disease. Therefore, this paper focuses on the analysis of seven non-destructive detection technologies, including near infrared spectroscopy technology, hyperspectral technology, Raman spectroscopy technology, electronic nose technology, acoustic technology, electrical technology, and magnetic technology, summarizes their application status in the detection of apple mold heart disease, and then analyzes their advantages and disadvantages. Combined with the current rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, this paper proposes the future development trends of using non-destructive technologies to detect apple mold heart disease. It is expected to provide basic theory and application references for the intelligent detection of apple mold heart disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum uric acid (SUA) has been discovered to be associated with bone mineral density (BMD), but its relationship with trabecular bone score (TBS) remains unclear. Thus, the aim of our study was to investigate the association between SUA levels and TBS. Our study included 5895 individuals over 20 years old (3061 men and 2834 women) from NHANES 2005–2008. To analyze the association between SUA and TBS, multivariate linear regression models with covariate adjustments were applied. Furthermore, population description, stratified analysis, single factor analysis, smooth curve fitting, interaction analysis, and threshold effect and saturation effect analysis were also conducted. After adjusting for covariates, SUA showed a strong negative relationship with total TBS (β = 0.319; 95% CI 0.145–0.494; P < 0.001). The relationship between SUA levels and total TBS was found to be nonlinear, with inflection points at 4.8 mg/dL for the overall population, 4.2 mg/dL for women, and 5.7 mg/dL for non-Hispanic whites, indicating a saturation effect. Additionally, no interactions were found in any of the subgroups. Our study found a negative association between SUA and total TBS in adults. Maintaining SUA at a saturated level can benefit in preventing osteoporosis and fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For stability control of gob-side entry (GSE) in a deep mine, surrounding rock reinforcement and roof cutting are commonly used technical methods. However, there is still a lack of scientific quantitative design guidelines for the above two methods. In this paper, taking the bearing capacity of the surrounding rock as the starting point, a mechanical model of a GSE surrounding rock structure in a deep mine is established, and a mathematical expression for the load-bearing capacity of the yield pillar and the longwall panel rib are obtained. Taking the ultimate bearing capacity of the yield pillar and longwall panel rib as metrics, the state of GSE surrounding rock is divided into four categories according to the relationship between the actual bearing load and the ultimate bearing capacity of the yield pillar and longwall panel rib. For each condition, corresponding manual control and quantitative design methods are proposed, and the control method is preliminarily applied through field engineering examples. This study can provide theoretical and technical support for the stability control of a GSE in a deep mine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the effect of addition of citrus fiber (CF; 5% and 10%, which consists mainly of soluble pectin and insoluble cellulose) on physical properties and microstructure of meat analogs based on soy protein isolate and wheat gluten using high‐moisture extrusion. Layered structure or microstructure of meat analogs was observed by scanning electron microscope and confocal laser scanning microscope. Compared to the control (without CF), meat analogs with CF addition showed disorder layered microstructure, which was interconnected with smaller fibers. Rheological measurements (strain sweep and frequency sweep) show that the incorporation of CF resulted in meat analogs with softer texture. The moisture content of meat analogs increased significantly upon the addition of CF, which was also correlated with juiciness. Sensory evaluation and dynamic salt release results confirm that the saltiness of meat analogs with CF addition was enhanced due to the structural changes of phase‐separated structures, achieving salt reduction by 20% and showing a saltiness similar to the control sample. This research provides a novel approach to modulate the saltiness perception of meat analogs by modifying the phase separation of protein/polysaccharides. Practical Application: Citrus fiber is added to the plant protein matrix to prepare meat analogs with high moisture content and enhanced saltiness perception via modifying the phase separation of protein/polysaccharides. This work provided a potential target for the meat industry to produce the meat analogs with less salt intake. Further research can be conducted using modified fibrous or inner structure of meat analogs to improve its quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a simple and convenient technology to fabricate micron-to-nanoscale fibers with controllable structure, electrostatic spinning has produced fiber films with many natural advantages, including a large specific surface area and high porosity. Maize zein, as a major storage protein in corn, showed high hydrophobicity and has been successfully applied as a promising carrier for encapsulation and controlled release in the pharmaceutical and food areas. Proteins exhibit different physical and chemical properties at different pH values, and it is worth investigating whether this change in physical and chemical properties affects the properties of electrospun fiber films. We studied the pH effects on zein solution rheology, fiber morphology, and film properties. Rotational rheometers were used to test the rheology of the solutions and establish a correlation between solution concentration and fiber morphology. The critical concentrations calculated by the cross-equation fitting model were 17.6%, 20.1%, 20.1%, 17.1%, and 19.5% (w/v) for pH 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively. The secondary structure of zein changed with the variation in solution pH. Furthermore, we analyzed the physical properties of the zein films. The contact angles of the fiber membranes prepared with different pH spinning solutions were all above 100, while zein films formed by solvent evaporation showed hydrophilic properties. The results indicated that the rheological properties of zein solutions and the surface properties of the film were affected by the pH value. This study showed that zein solutions can be stabilized to form electrospun fibers at a variety of pH levels and offered new opportunities to further enhance the encapsulation activity of zein films for bioactive materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A joint radar-communication (JRC) system utilizes the integrated transmit waveform and a single platform to perform radar and communication functions simultaneously. Admittedly, the multibeam waveform design approach could transmit the assigned waveforms in different beams with the aid of spatial and temporal degrees of freedom. However, a high sidelobe level (SLL) in the beampattern reduces energy efficiency and expands exposure probability. In this study, we propose a novel spatial–temporal joint waveform design method based on the beamforming algorithm to form a low SLL beampattern. Waveform synthesis constraints are considered to synthesize desired radar and communication waveforms at designated directions. Furthermore, we impose the constant modulus constraint to lessen the impact of the high peak-to-average ratio (PAPR). The optimization process of the whole model can be summarized as two stages. First, the covariance matrix is created by convex optimization with respect to the minimum SLL. Second, the integrated transmit waveform is tuned through an alternating projection algorithm. Based on the simulation findings, we demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the traditional methods in terms of low SLL and waveform synthesis. Meanwhile, we validate the effectiveness of the proposed method using semi-physical experiment results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have shown that the Total Generalized Variation (TGV) is highly effective in preserving sharp features as well as smooth transition variations for image processing tasks. However, currently there is no existing work that is suitable for applying TGV to 3D data, in particular, triangular meshes. In this article, we develop a novel framework for discretizing second-order TGV on triangular meshes. Further, we propose a TGV-based variational method for the denoising of face normal fields on triangular meshes. The TGV regularizer in our method is composed of a first-order term and a second-order term, which are automatically balanced. The first-order term allows our TGV regularizer to locate and preserve sharp features, while the second-order term allows our regularizer to recognize and recover smoothly curved regions. To solve the optimization problem, we introduce an efficient iterative algorithm based on variable-splitting and augmented Lagrangian method. Extensive results and comparisons on synthetic and real scanning data validate that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art visually and numerically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate brachytherapy is a validated treatment for prostate cancer. During the procedure, the accuracy of needle placement is critical to the treatment's effectiveness. However, the inserted needle could deflect from the preset trajectory because of the needle deflection, tissue shifting caused by the interaction between the needle and soft tissue, as well as the effects of pre‐inserted needles. There are significant challenges in needle placement areas, especially in prostate brachytherapy, because multiple needles are required for the effectiveness of radiation. To overcome these limitations, relevant research is carried out in mechanical, computer science, and material science areas. With the development of surgical robotics, researchers are also exploring the possibilities of raising the accuracy of needle placement with surgical‐assisted robotics. This study provides a review over the last 3 decades in each of the component research areas that constitutes a surgical robotics system, including needle steering approaches, needle‐tissue deformation models, path planning algorithms and different automatic level surgical robotics systems used for prostate cancer treatment, especially prostate brachytherapy. Further directions for researchers are also suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content is one of the essential indicators for evaluating the freshness of beef. This study proposed a new method for predicting the TVB-N content in beef by using deformation region volume based on airflow and multipoint laser technique. When the airflow acted on the beef sample, the multipoint laser sensor was used to measure the displacement of different positions in the deformed region of the beef surface, and the deformation region was reconstructed according to the displacement information. The regression model of TVB-N content was built by multivariate calibration analysis based on the deformation region volume after different pretreatment methods. The prediction model was determined by comparing the models based on the whole deformed region volume data and the characteristic variable intervals. The prediction model with characteristic variable intervals after Savitzky-Golay (S-G) smoothing yields optimum results with the root mean square error for the prediction set of 2.735 mg/100 g and the correlation coefficient of 0.867. This study demonstrated the feasibility of the quantification and nondestructive method for TVB-N content in beef based on airflow and multipoint laser technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the microstructure and mechanical properties of MIG (Melt Inert Gas) lap welded 6005 aluminum alloy plates. Microstructure analysis (OM) of the joint showed that 15~30 μm small grains were observed at the fusion line. Mechanical analysis shows that the small grains are broken by shielding gas and molten pool flow force. Hardness test shows that there is a softening zone (41~43 HV) in HAZ much lower than BM and WZ. The low cycle fatigue test showed that the performance of lap joint decreased sharply, and the fatigue strength of weld decreased significantly, which was only 27.34% of the base metal. The fatigue fracture (SEM) of the weld observed slip band cracking and a large number of brittle fracture characteristics. Using the stress concentration factor K t for analysis, it was found that the cause of brittle fracture was mostly stress concentration. Lap joint stress concentration model appears in two ways: firstly, at the weld toe, the weld is subjected to eccentric force, secondly, there is a small gap between the two plates at the weld root, which cracks along the direction of 45° of the maximum shear stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Currently, the molecular mechanism of the interaction between lncRNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs) and the target of miRNAs in tumor vasculogenic mimicry (VM) formation have not been clarified. Our aim is to study the interaction between lncRNA n339260 and miRNA30e-5p in the formation of VM.Methods: Animal xenografts were established, 104 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients' frozen tissues were obtained and HCC cells in vitro were used to observe the role of n339260 in HCC progression.Results: In vivo experiment showed lncRNA n339260 promoted tumor growth and VM formation. LncRNA n339260 and miRNA30e-5p were found to be associated with VM formation, metastasis and survival time in HCC patients. In vitro experiment showed that LncRNA n339260 could inhibit miRNA30e-5p expression and TP53INP1 was found to be the downstream targets of miRNA30e-5p. Snail, MMP2, MMP9, VE-cadherin, vimentin and N-cadherin overexpression and the downregulation of TP53INP1 and E-cadherin were observed in HCCLM3 and HepG2 cells overexpressing lncRNA n339260 or in cells with decreased expression of miRNA30e-5p.Conclusion: LncRNA n339260 promotes the development of VM, and lncRNA n339260 may enhance Snail expression by decreasing the expression of miRNA30e-5p, thereby reducing TP53INP1 expression. Therefore, a potential lncRNA n339260- miRNA30e-5p- TP53INP1 regulatory axis was associated with HCC progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hidden blood loss (HBL) is a growing area of interest for spinal surgeons. Simultaneously, spine surgeons' pursuit of minimally invasive spine surgery has never ceased, as evidenced by the increasing number of articles comparing percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (Endo-TLIF) and minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (Mis-TLIF). However, there has been no comparison of HBL between Endo-TLIF and Mis-TLIF. This study aimed to compare HBL, visible blood loss (VBL), and total blood loss (TBL) following Endo-TLIF and Mis-TLIF and evaluate the clinical significance of these procedures.Methods: Between October 2017 and October 2019, 370 patients underwent lumbar interbody fusion at our institution and were followed up for at least 24 months. Our study included 41 Endo-TLIF and 43 Mis-TLIF cases. We recorded each patient's age, height, weight, and haematocrit and calculated the TBL, which was used to indirectly obtain the HBL. Additionally, we compared the clinical outcomes of these two groups, including visual analogue scores for the lumbar spine and leg (VAS-Back; VAS-Leg), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, disease type, operative segment, and intervertebral fusion and complication rates.Results: Endo-TLIF had significantly lower HBL, VBL, and TBL values than Mis-TLIF (P < 0.05 for all). Although Endo-TLIF contained significantly less HBL than Mis-TLIF, the HBL to TBL ratio was statistically greater in Endo-TLIF (91%) than in Mis-TLIF (87%). Concerning clinical outcomes, VAS-Back, VAS-Leg, ODI, JOA, and Endo-TLIF demonstrated greater improvement rates than Mis-TLIF one week post-operatively. However, at the final follow-up, VAS-Back, VAS-Leg, ODI, and JOA scores all demonstrated a trend toward sustained improvement, with no statistically significant between-procedure difference. There were no statistically significant between-procedure differences in disease type, surgical segment, and complication or fusion rates.Conclusion: Endo-TLIF significantly reduced HBL, VBL, and TBL compared to Mis-TLIF and improved short-term clinical outcomes; however, long-term clinical outcomes and fusion rates remained comparable between the two groups, as did the incidence of peri-operative complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This meta-analytic study examined the effects of exercise training on depressive symptoms in mild stroke patients and the moderating effects of exercise type, therapeutic method, culture, sex, and gross domestic product (GDP) in the patient's country.Methods: The Metafor package in R was chosen to conduct the meta-analysis, and the quality of each empirical study was evaluated according to the grading system in Cochrane. We included 36 empirical studies and 1477 patients.Results: The results showed that the treatment effect of exercise training on depression in mild stroke patients was significant. The moderating effects of culture and therapeutic method were significant, but not for exercise type, sex, or GDP in the patient's country. The moderating effect of culture can be explained by the therapeutic method in different cultures.Conclusion: Fitness exercise is an effective method for improving depressive symptoms in mild stroke patients. Its effectiveness is moderated by the therapeutic method but is not affected by demographics, exercise type, gender, or GDP level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a lack of information about regulatory T cells (Tregs) and inflammatory phenotypes in patients with asthma. In this study, we aimed to compare the characteristics of Tregs in patients with eosinophilic asthma.Methods: Forty healthy and 120 stable asthmatic patients were recruited. Sputum and airway inflammatory phenotypes were assessed, and all patients were followed for one year. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected and stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and Dermatophagoides farina (Derp) to detect CD4+CD25+FOXP3+T cells and Foxp3 levels. Interleukin (IL)-13, IL-5, IL-17, IL-9, and interferon (IFN)-γ levels were measured.Results: 38.33% of patients had eosinophilic asthma, 13.33% had neutrophilic asthma, 6.67% had mixed granulocytic asthma, and 41.67% had pauci-granulocytic asthma. The eosinophilic asthma patients had a relatively high Asthma Control Test (ACT) score, an increased prediction and improvement FEV1 (%) rate, and elevated total IgE serum levels (P < 0.05). T helper cell 2 (Th2) cytokines IL-13 and IL-5 were predominantly expressed in the eosinophilic phenotype, while the Th1 cytokine IFN-γ and Th17 cytokine were found in the neutrophilic phenotype. IL-10 was significantly lower in eosinophilic asthmatic patients compared to the controls (P < 0.05). CD4+CD25+FOXP3+T cells (%Tregs) and Foxp3 gene expression in the PHA stimulated eosinophilic asthma samples were significantly lower compared to the control samples (P < 0.05). The airway inflammation phenotypes remained stable after one-year of therapy.Conclusion: Asthmatic patients with the eosinophilic phenotype in this study were deficient in Tregs, as characterized by a Th2 cell-biased pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the aging population growth in the world, the prevalence of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) is rapidly increasing and receiving widespread attention. Although there are numerous articles on the topic, the research status and hotspot analysis are unclear. Objective: The goal of this study is to identify trends in the OVCF field and to analyze the most highly cited original articles published in the Web of Science Index on OVCF using bibliometric analysis. Methods: All OVCF data were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection, and the number of citations, institutions, journals, countries, and years of publication in this field were visually analyzed using VOSviewer, the bibliometrics online analysis platform, and Excel software. Simultaneously, the top 100 most cited articles were extracted and analyzed. Results: A total of 756 publications were related to OVCF were included from 1900 to 2022. In recent years, the number of articles on OVCF significantly increased. They are mainly from 41 countries/regions and 202 journals, led by China and the United States. Among all countries, China had the most significant contribution on OVCF (n = 363), and it also was cited most often (n = 3337). The institution with the most articles was Soochow University (n = 40). Osteoporosis International was the journal with most studies and has published 50 on this field. The journal of Spine was cited most often (n = 1968). The most productive periods were from 2016 to 2020, which received 294 articles and 4868 citations. After the analysis, the "vertebroplasty" and "kyphoplasty" of OVCF have been the most common research hotspots. Conclusion: This study represents an updated bibliometric analysis of OVCF. The aim is to identify current research hotspots and future trends to guide clinicians and researchers in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent malignancy in women worldwide and the leading cause of female cancer–associated death in the world. Grainyhead-like 2 (GRHL2) is an important gene involved in human cancer progression. However, the role of GRHL2 in BC is unknown. Methods: In this study, we used in vitro experiments to verify the role of GRHL2 expression in BC progression. We used 14 databases to analyse the expression level of GRHL2 in BC and its prognostic and diagnostic value. In addition, the correlation between GRHL2 expression and immune cell infiltration and DNA methylation was also analysed. Results: At the cellular level, overexpression of GRHL2 induced E-cadherin expression in BC cells with a mesenchymal phenotype and resulted in a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) phenotype, which is more strongly correlated with tumour aggressiveness than a pure mesenchymal phenotype. Through analysis of various databases, we found that tumour tissue had a higher expression level of GRHL2. High expression of GRHL2 was associated with worse prognosis of BC patients and indicated that GRHL2 had significant diagnostic value. Grainyhead-like 2 is also related to immune infiltration and regulated by DNA methylation. Furthermore, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses showed that GRHL2 -related signalling pathways in BC were related to tumour cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. Conclusions: In summary, evidence indicates that GRHL2 can be used as a prognostic and diagnostic biomarker for BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem CO 2 –H 2 O data measured by infrared gas analyzers in open-path eddy-covariance (OPEC) systems have numerous applications, such as estimations of CO 2 and H 2 O fluxes in the atmospheric boundary layer. To assess the applicability of the data for these estimations, data uncertainties from analyzer measurements are needed. The uncertainties are sourced from the analyzers in zero drift, gain drift, cross-sensitivity, and precision variability. These four uncertainty sources are individually specified for analyzer performance, but so far no methodology exists yet to combine these individual sources into a composite uncertainty for the specification of an overall accuracy, which is ultimately needed. Using the methodology for closed-path eddy-covariance systems, this overall accuracy for OPEC systems is determined from all individual uncertainties via an accuracy model and further formulated into CO 2 and H 2 O accuracy equations. Based on atmospheric physics and the biological environment, for EC150 infrared CO 2 –H 2 O analyzers, these equations are used to evaluate CO 2 accuracy (±1.22 mgCO 2 m -3 , relatively ±0.19 %) and H 2 O accuracy (±0.10 gH 2 O m -3 , relatively ±0.18 % in saturated air at 35 ∘ C and 101.325 kPa). Both accuracies are applied to conceptual models addressing their roles in uncertainty analyses for CO 2 and H 2 O fluxes. For the high-frequency air temperature derived from H 2 O density along with sonic temperature and atmospheric pressure, the role of H 2 O accuracy in its uncertainty is similarly addressed. Among the four uncertainty sources, cross-sensitivity and precision variability are minor, although unavoidable, uncertainties, whereas zero drift and gain drift are major uncertainties but are minimizable via corresponding zero and span procedures during field maintenance. The accuracy equations provide rationales to assess and guide the procedures. For the atmospheric background CO 2 concentration, CO 2 zero and CO 2 span procedures can narrow the CO 2 accuracy range by 40 %, from ±1.22 to ±0.72 mgCO 2 m -3. In hot and humid weather, H 2 O gain drift potentially adds more to the H 2 O measurement uncertainty, which requires more attention. If H 2 O zero and H 2 O span procedures can be performed practically from 5 to 35 ∘ C, the H 2 O accuracy can be improved by at least 30 %: from ±0.10 to ±0.07 gH 2 O m -3. Under freezing conditions, the H 2 O span procedure is impractical but can be neglected because of its trivial contributions to the overall uncertainty. However, the zero procedure for H 2 O, along with CO 2 , is imperative as an operational and efficient option under these conditions to minimize H 2 O measurement uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building reconstruction using high-resolution tomographic synthetic aperture radar (TomoSAR) point clouds has been very attractive in numerous applications, such as urban planning and dynamic city modeling. However, for side-looking TomoSAR, it is a challenge to reconstruct the obscured backs of buildings using traditional single-bounce scattering-based methods. It comes to our attention that the higher-order scattering points in airborne array TomoSAR point clouds may provide rich information on the backs of buildings. In this paper, the fourfold bounce (FB) scattering model of combined buildings in airborne array TomoSAR is derived, which not only explains the cause of FB scattering but also gives the distribution pattern of FB scattering points. Furthermore, a novel FB scattering-based method for the reconstruction of building backs is proposed. First, a two-step geometric constraint is used to detect the candidate FB scattering points. Subsequently, the FB scattering points are further detected by seed point selection and density estimation in the radar coordinate system. Finally, the backs of buildings can be reconstructed using the footprint inverted from the FB scattering points and the height information of the illuminated facades. To verify the FB scattering model and the effectiveness of the proposed method, the results from the simulated point clouds and the real airborne array TomoSAR point clouds are presented. Compared with the traditional roof point-based methods, the outstanding advantage of the proposed method is that it allows for the high-precision reconstruction of building backs, even in the case of poor roof points. Moreover, this paper may provide a novel perspective for the three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of dense urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sorafenib, which can induce ferroptosis, is a multikinase inhibitor for enhancing survival in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, a considerable challenge for the treatment of HCC is sorafenib resistance. Therefore, targeting the relationship between sorafenib resistance and ferroptosis genes may provide a novel approach for the treatment of HCC. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the gene expression and clinicopathological factors from The Cancer Genome Atlas Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC), International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases (GSE109211/GSE62813). The statistical analysis was conducted in R. Cell proliferation was assayed by MTT, cell colony-forming assay, and wound healing assay. Immunofluorescence assay and Western blot were used to evaluate the expression of AKT. Results: Many ferroptosis-related genes were upregulated in the sorafenib-resistant group. Aldo-keto reductase 1C3 (AKR1C3) was highly expressed in sorafenib-resistant patients, and the high expression of AKR1C3 was associated with the poor prognosis of patients from the TCGA and ICGC databases. MTT and colony-forming assays showing AKR1C3 overexpression enhanced the proliferation of HCC cells and acute sorafenib resistance. Knockdown of AKR1C3 inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells and increased the drug sensitivity of sorafenib. Immunofluorescence assay and Western blot proved that AKR1C3 promoted the phosphorylation of AKT. Conclusion: AKR1C3 can induce sorafenib resistance through promoting the phosphorylation of AKT in HCC. AKR1C3 inhibitors may be used in conjunction with sorafenib to become a better therapeutic target for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, the research on subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) has gradually increased. Although the research directions are diverse, the overall research status and trend are not clear. Objective: The aim of our study was to use bibliometric analysis to identify the trends in SIS-related research and to analyze the most highly cited scientific publications on SIS. Methods: All data were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database, and the year of publications, countries, journals, institutions and total number of citations were extracted and analyzed. The results related to countries, institutions and keywords were then analyzed using VOSviewer software and bibliometrics online analysis platform. And, we also identified the 100 most cited articles on SIS. Results: A total of 548 articles related to AIS were identified. The frequency of publication on SIS has increased substantially over time. Among all countries, Turkey has contributed the most publications on SIS (n=118). The institution with the most articles was Istanbul University (n=17). Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery topped the list of journals and has published 19 SIS-related publications. The hotspot of research changed from the former arthroscopic surgery to physical therapy and rehabilitation. Conclusion: The scientific research on SIS has rapidly expanded in recent years. This study represents the first bibliometric analysis of SIS, gives us a systematic and comprehensive summary into the development of SIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through-wall moving target tracking is an essential part of applications with the purpose of sensing moving human in the sealed building. However, the major challenge stems from the multipath effect in the actual environment, which creates errors in the range delay of moving target. In this letter, an effective through-wall moving target tracking algorithm in multipath is proposed. This method based on the correlation of human motion can restore and estimate the range delay of the moving target in the strong multipath interference. Both simulation and experiment results indicate that the proposed method can not only suppress multipath but also smooth the trajectory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adrenal tuberculosis is difficult to diagnose due to non-specific symptom. Unexpected death due to adrenal insufficiency after trauma surgery is rare. Case presentation: A 45-year-old man, who was admitted to hospital because of trauma to the right hand, died unexpectedly on the 13th day after replantation of amputated fingers. He was diagnosed with brain edema and diluted hyponatremia. Autopsy and histopathologic examination revealed severe brain edema combined with cerebellar tonsillar hernia, extensive destruction of adrenal gland caused by bilateral adrenal tuberculosis and right lung invasive pulmonary tuberculosis. Conclusions: Trauma and pulmonary tuberculosis complicated with adrenal tuberculosis induced the adrenal crisis, which eventually lead to severe cerebral edema and hernia, and finally death from respiratory and circulatory failure. This autopsy and histopathologic examination suggested a possible pathophysiologic mechanism of sudden death due to diluted hyponatremia after trauma surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) is an important gene that has been implicated in the progression of human cancer. Aberrant expression of RUNX2 predicts gastric cancer (GC) metastasis. However, the molecular mechanism of RUNX2 remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: We hypothesize that RUNX2 promotes GC metastasis by regulating the extracellular matrix component collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1). METHODS: The GEPIA database and immunohistochemical staining of 60 GC tissues were used to analyse the correlations between RUNX2 or COL1A1 expression and clinicopathological features, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to evaluate survival. RT-PCR, western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to detect RUNX2 and COL1A1 expression in GC cells. Migration and invasion assays were performed to assess the influence of RUNX2 and COL1A1 on metastasis. RESULTS: RUNX2 and COL1A1 were highly expressed at both the gene and protein levels in GC, and patients who were positive for RUNX2 and COL1A1 had shorter survival. RUNX2 and COL1A1 expression linearly correlated with each other (r = 0.15, p < 0.01) and with clinical stage and lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05). Overexpressing RUNX2in vitro enhanced COL1A1 expression and promoted GC cell invasion and migration, whereas COL1A1 knockdown inhibited the increase in cell metastatic capacity promoted by RUNX2. In vivo, GC cells overexpressing RUNX2 promoted lung metastasis, and the downregulation of COL1A1 reduced the metastasis promoted by RUNX2. CONCLUSIONS: RUNX2 may promote GC metastasis by regulating COL1A1. RUNX2/COL1A1 can be employed as a novel target for therapy in GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To explore the biological and clinical effects of titin-antisense RNA1 (TTN-AS1) in bladder cancer (BC) and the association between TTN-AS1 and activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) in BC. Methods: The Kaplan–Meier method was performed to analyze the association between the expression of TTN-AS1 and prognosis of BC patients from TCGA data set and our institution. Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) was conducted to explore the expression of TTN-AS1 between the patients who underwent TURBT and Re-TURBT. MTT, colony formation, and tumor formation assays were conducted to evaluate the effect of TTN-AS1 on the ability of proliferation in BC cell lines. Transwell assay was performed to evaluate the effect of TTN-AS1 on the ability of invasion in BC cell lines. Bioinfomatics and immunohistochemical staining was used to identify the relationship between TTN-AS1 and ATF2. Results: The higher expression of TTN-AS1 was related to poorer disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with BC. The expression of TTN-AS1 was higher in BC patients who underwent Re-TURBT compared with BC patients who underwent TURBT. Knocking down TTN-AS1 resulted in inhibiting the ability of proliferation and invasion of BC cells. ATF2 may serve as a downstream target of TTN-AS1 in BC, and the high expression of ATF2 is also related to adverse DFS. Conclusion: Our study reveals that TTN-AS1 serves as an oncogene by activating ATF2 in BC. The findings suggest that TTN-AS1 may act as a novel therapeutic target for patients with BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through-the-wall (TTW) imaging is an important class of applications with the goal of sensing the environment inside the unknown area. In the computerized tomography (CT)-mode TTW imaging method, the layout of the area is reconstructed with the received signal strength (RSS). However, the multipath included in the RSS is difficult to mitigate, resulting in blurring, wall missing, or ghosts. In this letter, a novel imaging method is proposed. First, the received signal is processed by pulse compression. The multipath signals are separated from the directly transmitted wave (DTW), and then, the time delay of the latter one is easily estimated. Second, an improved total variation regularization algorithm is used to reconstruct the layout by assuming that there are only horizontal and vertical walls in the area. The validity of the proposed method is verified by the experimental results, where a clearer image could be obtained compared with the one generated by the traditional RSS method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is the most active field in immuno-oncology and brings substantial benefit to patients with B cell malignancies. However, the complex procedure for CAR T-cell generation hampers its widespread applications. Here, we describe a novel approach in which human CAR T cells can be generated within the host upon injecting an Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector carrying the CAR gene, which we call AAV delivering CAR gene therapy (ACG). Upon single infusion into a humanized NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgem26/Nju tumor mouse model of human T-cell leukemia, AAV generates sufficient numbers of potent in vivo CAR cells, resulting in tumor regression; these in vivo-generated CAR cells produce antitumor immunological characteristics. This instantaneous generation of in vivo CAR T cells may bypass the need for patient lymphodepletion, as well as the β processes of traditional CAR T-cell production, which may make CAR therapy simpler and less expensive. It may allow the development of intricate, individualized treatments in the form of on-demand and diverse therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: ITGA3 is a member of the integrin family, a cell surface adhesion molecule that can interact with extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. The purpose of this study was to explore the significance of ITGA3 expression in the prognosis and clinical diagnosis of breast cancer patients. Methods: Oncomine, the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) and UALCAN were used to analyze the expression of ITGA3 in various cancers. PrognoScan, GEPIA, Kaplan–Meier plotter and Easysurv were utilized to analyze the prognosis of ITGA3 in certain cancers. Based on TCGA data, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of ITGA3 expression. cBio-Portal and MethSurv were used to evaluate the genomic mechanism. LinkedOmics, NetworkAnalyst and Metascape were used to build the signaling network. TIMER is a web server for comprehensive analysis of tumor infiltrating immune cells and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Results: The expression of ITGA3 in normal breast tissues was greater than that in breast cancer tissues at both the mRNA and protein levels. High expression of ITGA3 was associated with better prognosis of breast cancer patients. ROC analysis indicated that ITGA3 had significant diagnostic value. Genomic analysis revealed that promoter methylation of ITGA3 leads to transcriptional silencing, which may be one of the mechanisms underlying ITGA3 downregulation in BRCA. Immune infiltration analysis showed that ITGA3 may be involved in the recruitment of immune cells. Conclusions: This study identified ITGA3 as a novel biomarker to estimate the diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer. In addition, ITGA3 is involved in ECM regulation and immune cell infiltration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Mesna is an FDA-approved chemotherapeutic adjuvant and an antioxidant based largely on its antioxidative properties, kinetic and mechanistic studies of its redox reactions are limited. A kinetic analysis of the reduction processes of cis-diamminetetrachloroplatinum(IV) (cis-[Pt(NH3)2Cl4], a cisplatin Pt(IV) prodrug) by thiol-containing compounds Mesna, thioglycolic acid (TGA), and DL-thiolactic acid (TLA) was carried out in this work at 25.0°C and 1.0 M ionic strength. The reduction processes were followed under pseudo-first-order conditions and were found to strictly obey overall second-order kinetics; the observed second-order rate constant k′ versus pH profiles were established in a wide pH range. A general reaction stoichiometry of Δ[Pt(IV)] : Δ[Thiol]tot = 1 : 2 was revealed for all the thiols; the thiols were oxidized to their corresponding disulfides which were identified by mass spectrometry. Reaction mechanisms are proposed which involves all the prololytic species of the thiols attacking the Pt(IV) prodrug in parallel, designating as the rate-determining steps. Transient species chlorothiol and/or chlorothiolate are formed in these steps; for each particular thiol, these transient species can be trapped rapidly by another thiol molecule which is in excess in the reaction mixture, giving rise to a disulfide as the oxidation product. The rate constants of the rate-determining steps were elucidated, revealing reactivity enhancements of (1.4–8.9) × 105 times when the thiols become thiolates. The species versus pH and reactivity of species versus pH distribution diagrams were constructed, demonstrating that the species ‒SCH2CH2SO3‒ of Mesna largely governs the total reactivity when pH > 5; in contrast, the form of Mesna per se (mainly as HSCH2CH2SO3‒) makes a negligible contribution. In addition, a well-determined dissociation constant for the Mesna thiol group (pKa2 = 8.85 ± 0.05 at 25.0°C and μ = 1.0 M) is offered in this work, which was determined by both kinetic approach and spectrophotometic titration method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Asthma is a serious global health problem, severely affecting the lives of sufferers and their families. An exceptionally hygienic home and reduced microbial exposure can aggravate the incidence of childhood asthma. Methods: Specific‐pathogen‐free BALB/c mice were pre‐treated with bacterial lysate (BL; 1 mg/kg) as a high microbial load maternal mouse model, and then, the offspring mice were established as an allergic airway disease (AAD) model. The expression levels of TLR2, TLR4, and HDAC9 in the mother's intestine and the offspring's lungs were detected. Relevant indicators of regulatory T cells (Tregs) were identified in the mother and offspring mice. The changes in the expression of Th1‐, Th2‐, Th9‐, and Th17‐related cytokines in the offspring mice were evaluated among different pre‐treated groups. Results: After augmenting the mothers' intestinal microbiota through oral BL gavage, the expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in the colon mucosa and colon lymphoid tissues was enhanced and that of HDAC9 in the colon mucosa was decreased, and the proportion of spleen Tregs was increased. The offspring showed similar changes in the AAD model compared with the offspring of the control‐group mothers: TLR2 and TLR4 expression in the lungs and the proportion of spleen Tregs increased, HDAC9 expression in the lungs decreased, and AAD‐induced airway pathologic characteristics were reversed; additionally, Th1/Th2 and Th9 imbalances were rectified. Conclusions: This study presents a new framework for the prevention of childhood asthma, elucidating the mechanism of regulating the mother's intestinal microbiome to protect the offspring's early asthma via animal experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional candling methods are very hard to discriminate the infertile chicken eggs from the fertile ones before hatching on the poultry farm. The purpose of this study was to detect infertile chicken eggs before hatching by use of the nondestructive technique of visible near infrared transmission spectroscopy. The Naïve-Bayes method was adopted to link spectral data and qualitative observation values of chicken eggs to build a model. Five preprocessing methods were applied to spectral data to improve the robustness of the models. The internal test method of leave one cross validation and an external test method were employed to test the predictive ability of the established models. Naïve-Bayes with a second derivative by the Savitzky-Golay preprocessing method was selected as the optimal prediction model by comparing with four evaluation parameters of other models. The overall accuracy of the model using the second derivative—Savitzky-Golay preprocessing method was 91.67%, while the sensitivity and the specificity were 95% and 100%, respectively. The prediction ability of the optimal model was assessed by use of unknown new egg samples. The average overall prediction accuracy of the prediction set containing 111 eggs was 89.12%, while the sensitivity and specificity were 88.14 and 90.38%, respectively. Results showed that the prediction model had good predictability and stability. Therefore, visible near infrared transmission spectroscopy would be an appropriate technology to detect infertile chicken eggs before hatching. The infertile chicken eggs from the fertile ones before hatching were discriminated Visible near infrared spectroscopy first detected infertile chicken eggs before hatching. Naive bayes classifier with five different pre-processing methods were compared. The unknown eggs were predicted by the optimal Naive bayes prediction model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]