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Purpose: To determine the optimal implant diameter under limited bone width by comparing the effects of implants with different diameters on implant stability, peri-implant bone stability, and osseointegration. In addition, to evaluate the reliability of resonance frequency analysis (RFA) in detecting osseointegration and marginal bone level (MBL). Materials and Methods: Mandibular premolars and first molars of seven beagle dogs were extracted. After 8 weeks, their mandibular models and radiographic information were collected to fabricate implant templates. Implant sites were randomly divided into three groups according to diameter: Ø3.3, Ø4.1, and Ø4.8 mm. Implant stability quotient (ISQ) measurement and radiographic evaluation were performed after surgery (baseline) and at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Three dogs were euthanized at 4 weeks to observe osteogenesis and implant-tissue interface biology. Four dogs were euthanized at 12 weeks to observe osseointegration. Hard tissue sections were prepared to analyze osteogenesis (fluorescence double labeling) and osseointegration (methylene blue-acid fuchsin staining). Results: At baseline and at 4, 8, and 12 weeks, the ISQ values of Ø4.1- and Ø4.8-mm implants did not differ (P > .05), but both had higher values than the Ø3.3-mm implants (P < .05). The mean marginal bone resorption (MBR) associated with Ø3.3-, Ø4.1-, and Ø4.8-mm implants was 0.65 ± 0.58 mm, 0.37 ± 0.28 mm, and 0.73 ± 0.37 mm, respectively. The buccal MBR of Ø4.8-mm implants was significantly higher than that of Ø4.1-mm implants (P < .05). The bone-to-implant contact (BIC) percentage at 12 weeks did not differ for any group (P > .05). The correlation coefficients between the ISQ and MBL of the Ø3.3-, Ø4.1-, and Ø4.8-mm implants were -0.84 (P < .01), -0.90 (P < .001), and -0.93 (P < .001), respectively, while that between the ISQ and BIC was 0.15 (P > .05). Conclusions: During the early healing stage, the performance of Ø4.1- and Ø4.8-mm implants in terms of implant stability was better than that of Ø3.3-mm implants. Implant diameter may not influence BIC percentage. RFA can be used to evaluate implant stability and MBL but is not suitable to assess the degree of osseointegration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that mainly affects the skin and peripheral nerves, it can also invade deeper tissues and organs, including mucous membranes, lymph nodes, testes, eyes, and internal organs. Severe cases can result in deformities and disabilities. We encountered the case of a 39-year-old male with unexplained fever, headache and rash. The patient's lesions were taken for histopathological examination and slit skin smear analysis. Further, the patient was detected of Mycobacterium leprae (M.leprae) nucleic acid sequences in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma, and M.leprae gene targets in the skin lesion tissue and blood. The patient was eventually diagnosed with multibacillary leprosy and type II leprosy reaction. These results suggest the possibility of bacteremia in patients with leprosy to some extent, and observation implies the potential invasion of CSF by M.leprae or its genetic material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium in coal, as a new type of associated mineral resource, has considerable potential for exploration. Exploration of high-lithium coal seams is essential for developing and using the associated lithium resources. To explore the distribution of lithium resources in the early stages of development in coal seams, the relationship between coal seam logging data and lithium content was analyzed by taking Guojiadi Coal Mine (China) as example. By analyzing the correlation between the different logging curves and the lithium content in coal and combining the K-means algorithm to identify the logging characteristics of different lithium-containing coal seams, we finally obtained the logging identification characteristics of high-lithium coal seams. The results reveal differences in the logging curves of coal seams with different lithium contents. The natural gamma and lateral resistivity of high-lithium coal seams are approximately 80 API and 100 Ω.M, respectively. Our study shows that the early identification of high-lithium coal seams can be evaluated from a logging perspective. We propose a preliminary identification method of high-lithium coal seam based on logging curve parameters by clustering analysis of borehole logging data to achieve accurate prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumors present a formidable health risk with limited curability and high mortality; existing treatments face challenges in addressing the unique tumor microenvironment (hypoxia, low pH, and high permeability), necessitating the development of new therapeutic approaches. Under certain circumstances, certain bacteria, especially anaerobes or parthenogenetic anaerobes, accumulate and proliferate in the tumor environment. This phenomenon activates a series of responses in the body that ultimately produce anti-tumor effects. These bacteria can target and colonize the tumor microenvironment, promoting responses aimed at targeting and fighting tumor cells. Understanding and exploiting such interactions holds promise for innovative therapeutic strategies, potentially augmenting existing treatments and contributing to the development of more effective and targeted approaches to fighting tumors. This paper reviews the tumor-promoting mechanisms and anti-tumor effects of the digestive tract microbiome and describes bacterial therapeutic strategies for tumors, including natural and engineered anti-tumor strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is the major cause of respiratory infections that threaten the health of children and adolescents worldwide. Therefore, an early, simple, and accurate detection approach for MP is critical to prevent outbreaks of MP-induced community-acquired pneumonia. Methods: Here, we explored a simple and accurate method for MP identification that combines loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) with the CRISPR/Cas12b assay in a one-pot reaction. Results: In the current study, the whole reaction was completed within 1 h at a constant temperature of 57°C. The limit of detection of this assay was 33.7 copies per reaction. The specificity of the LAMP-CRISPR/Cas12b method was 100%, without any cross-reactivity with other pathogens. Overall, 272 clinical samples were used to evaluate the clinical performance of LAMP-CRISPR/Cas12b. Compared with the gold standard results from real-time PCR, the present method provided a sensitivity of 88.11% (126/143), specificity of 100% (129/129), and consistency of 93.75% (255/272). Discussion: Taken together, our preliminary results illustrate that the LAMPCRISPR/Cas12b method is a simple and reliable tool for MP diagnosis that can be performed in resource-limited regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrin activation resulting in enhanced adhesion to the extracellular matrix plays a key role in fundamental cellular processes. Although integrin activation has been extensively studied in circulating cells such as leukocytes and platelets, much less is known about the regulation and functional impact of integrin activation in adherent cells such as smooth muscle. Here, we show that two different asthmagenic cytokines, IL-13 and IL-17A, activate type I and IL-17 cytokine receptor families, respectively, to enhance adhesion of airway smooth muscle. These cytokines also induce activation of β1 integrins detected by the conformation-specific antibody HUTS-4. Moreover, HUTS-4 binding is increased in the smooth muscle of patients with asthma compared to nonsmokers without lung disease, suggesting a disease-relevant role for integrin activation in smooth muscle. Indeed, integrin activation induced by the β1-activating antibody TS2/16, the divalent cation manganese, or the synthetic peptide β1-CHAMP that forces an extended-open integrin conformation dramatically enhances force transmission in smooth muscle cells and airway rings even in the absence of cytokines. We demonstrate that cytokine-induced activation of β1 integrins is regulated by a common pathway of NF-κB-mediated induction of RhoA and its effector Rho kinase, which in turn stimulates PIP5K1γ-mediated synthesis of PIP2 at focal adhesions, resulting in β1 integrin activation. Taken together, these data identify a pathway by which type I and IL-17 cytokine receptor family stimulation induces functionally relevant β1 integrin activation in adherent smooth muscle and help to explain the exaggerated force transmission that characterizes chronic airway diseases such as asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rubber-like intrinsically stretchable conductors that can maintain their electrical conductance during large mechanical deformation are essential to realize soft wearable optoelectronics, where large mechanical stretchability or deformation is involved. However, the scalable manufacturing of such rubbery conductors, particularly in a simple, reproducible manner, has been generally challenging and the related development is still at a premature stage. Here, we report the scalable manufacturing of high-performance stretchable conductors and their application in wearable optoelectronics. The rubbery conductors can be fabricated by an efficient, environmentally friendly and low-cost 3D printing direct writing transfer method. The printed conductor pattern can be controlled by adjusting the printing parameters easily. Based on the fabricated stretchable electrodes, wearable photodetectors and transistors are constructed and can function well under mechanical deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study assessed the performance of early contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (ECE-MR) in the detecting of complete tumor response (ypT0) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma following neoadjuvant therapy. Patients and Methods: Preoperative MR images of consecutive patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy and surgical resection were reviewed retrospectively. The accuracy of ECE-MR and T2WI+DWI was evaluated by comparing the findings with pathological results. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic performance, and DeLong method was applied to compare the areas under the curves (AUC). Chi-squared analysis was conducted to explore the difference in pathological changes. Results: A total of 198 patients (mean age 62.6 ± 7.8 years, 166 men) with 201 lesions were included. The AUC of ECE-MR was 0.85 (95% CI 0.79–0.90) for diagnosing ypT1–4, which was significantly higher than that of T2WI+DWI (AUC 0.69, 95% CI 0.63–0.76, p < 0.001). The diagnostic performance of both T2WI+DWI and ECE-MR improved with increasing tumor stage. The AUCs of ECE-MRI were higher in ypT1 and ypT2 tumors than T2WI+DWI. Degree 2–3 tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and neutrophils were commonly seen in ypT0 tumors misdiagnosed by ECE-MR. Conclusions: Visual evaluation of ECE-MR is a promising diagnostic protocol for the detection of complete tumor response, especially for differentiation with early stage tumors. The accurate diagnosis of complete tumor response after neoadjuvant therapy using imaging modalities is of important significance for clinical decision-making for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. It is hoped that early contrast-enhanced MR will provide supportive advice for the development of individualized treatment options for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzing multi-channel data related to the industrial chain through graph representation learning is of significant value for industrial chain risk detection. Multi-channel data related to the industrial chain exhibits strong correlations, which enables such data to be modeled using graph structures. Furthermore, due to multi-channel data being multi-source, heterogeneous, and containing temporal information, industrial chain risk detection can be effectively conducted from the perspective of temporal heterogeneous graph representation learning. However, existing methods primarily obtain node features by sequentially processing the temporal heterogeneous information within a single graph, and they use attention based on discrete tokens to learn long-term information, which overlooks the multi-temporal information interactions between nodes and fails to effectively capture the temporal patterns in long-term information. To address these problems, we propose a multi-temporal heterogeneous graph learning with pattern-aware attention (MTHG-PA) for industrial chain risk detection. Firstly, we propose a method for interactive aggregation of multi-temporal heterogeneous information to learn node features, thereby avoiding the problem of insufficient information interaction between nodes across time. Secondly, we design a temporal pattern-aware attention module to learn the temporal patterns in long-term information, addressing the problem that traditional attention mechanisms can only handle discrete tokens. We conduct extensive experiments on three real-world datasets. The results show that our proposed method achieves superior performance in temporal heterogeneous graph learning compared to state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Haemostasis during ovarian cystectomy is reported to damage the ovarian reserve, but the comparative impacts of three haemostasis methods (bipolar energy, suture and haemostatic sealant) on ovarian reserve in patients with ovarian cysts are not well known. Methods: The cochrane library, PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched from the date of inception of the database to June 2022 for literature exploring the impact of haemostasis methods during ovarian cystectomy on ovarian reserve. A traditional meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager software. A network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed using Stata and GemTC software. Results: The direct meta-analysis comparison indicated that the mean postoperative reduction of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level was significantly higher in the electrocoagulation (bipolar) group than suture and haemostatic sealant group, both in the overall group and subgroup of women with ovarian endometrioma. In NMA, the reduction of postoperative AMH levels in the electrocoagulation (bipolar) group was higher than the suture group at 6 months with a statistical significance, and at 1, 3 and 12 months without a significant difference. The difference in the postoperative decrease of AMH level did not reach statistical significance between suture and sealant, coagulation and haemostatic sealant. The comprehensive ranking results revealed that suture treatment was, with the highest probability, beneficial to the protection of the ovarian reserve. Conclusions: There was insufficient research to detect the optimal haemostasis method for ovarian reserve preservation in ovarian cystectomy. Nevertheless, haemostasis by electrocoagulation (bipolar) should be avoided when possible, and the suture might be considered as the best choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Swine influenza viruses (SIVs) pose significant economic losses to the pig industry and are a burden on global public health systems. The increasing complexity of the distribution and evolution of different serotypes of influenza strains in swine herds escalates the potential for the emergence of novel pandemic viruses, so it is essential to develop new vaccines based on swine influenza. Methods: Here, we constructed a self-assembling ferritin nanoparticle vaccine based on the hemagglutinin (HA) extracellular domain of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus using insect baculovirus expression vector system (IBEVS), and after two immunizations, the immunogenicities and protective efficacies of the HA-Ferritin nanoparticle vaccine against the swine influenza virus H1N1 strain in mice and piglets were evaluated. Results: Our results demonstrated that HA-Ferritin nanoparticle vaccine induced more efficient immunity than traditional swine influenza vaccines. Vaccination with the HA-Ferritin nanoparticle vaccine elicited robust hemagglutinin inhibition titers and antigen-specific IgG antibodies and increased cytokine levels in serum. MF59 adjuvant can significantly promote the humoral immunity of HA-Ferritin nanoparticle vaccine. Furthermore, challenge tests showed that HA-Ferritin nanoparticle vaccine conferred full protection against lethal challenge with H1N1 virus and significantly decreased the severity of virus-associated lung lesions after challenge in both BALB/c mice and piglets. Conclusion: Taken together, these results indicate that the hemagglutinin extracellular-based ferritin nanoparticle vaccine may be a promising vaccine candidate against SIVs infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the relationship between the walking time of pregnant women and the maintenance of the antibody level of SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine, so as to provide a reference basis for the prevention of pregnant women' s infection and the promotion of maternal and infant health during the normalization management of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia epidemic. Methods In a multicenter cross-sectional study in Guangdong Province, 854 pregnant women who were vaccinated with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine were included to investigate their demographic characteristics and physical activity, and detect their serum SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels. Multifactor logistic regression model was used to analyze the correlation between the walking time of pregnant women and the positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 antibody. Results The positive rates of neutralizing antibody, IgG and IgM of serum SARS-CoV-2 were 44.6%, 46.1% and 3.4% respectively. There was a difference in the positive conversion rate of neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 among pregnant women at different walking times (P <0.05), and this difference did not appear in the level of IgG and IgM antibodies (P >0.05). Compared to pregnant women who walked for more than 30 minutes per day, pregnant women who walked for 15-30 minutes per day had a higher NAb positivity rate (OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.09~2.23). Conclusion The walking time of pregnant women is related to maintaining the antibody level of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. The antibody level of pregnant women who walk for 15~30min/d is higher. The walking exercise of pregnant women is beneficial to the immune system. It is suggested that pregnant women should exercise moderately every day to maintain good health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy is a widely accepted method for diagnosing thyroid nodules. However, the influence of maximum diameter (MD) of ACR TIRADS 5 (TR5) thyroid nodules on the FNA outcomes remains debated. This study examined the influence of MD on the FNA outcomes and investigated the optimal MD threshold for FNA in TR5 nodules. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 280 TR5 thyroid nodules from 226 patients who underwent FNA from January to June 2022 in our department. Probably malignant (PM) group was defined as Bethesda V in cytopathology with confirmed BRAF V600E mutation or Bethesda VI, the other cytopathology outcomes were defined as probably benign (PB) group. We examined factors influencing malignant cytopathology outcomes and determined the optimal MD threshold for FNA in TR5 nodules using logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis. Results: Among these nodules, 58.2% (163/280) had PM outcomes. The PM group had a significantly larger MD than the PB group [6.5mm (range 5.0-8.4) vs. 5.3mm (range 4.0-7.0), p < 0.001]. In multivariate logistic regression fully adjusted for confounders, MD was significantly associated with PM outcomes [odds ratio 1.16, 95%CI 1.05-1.31; p = 0.042]. The highest quartile of MD had a greater likelihood of PM outcomes compared to the lowest quartile [odds ratio 4.71, 95% CI 1.97-11.69, p = 0.001]. The RCS analysis identified 6.2 mm as the optimal MD threshold for FNA in TR5 nodules. Conclusion: MD significantly affects the probability of malignant outcomes in FNA of TR5 thyroid nodules. A MD threshold of ≥6.2mm is suggested for FNA in these nodules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The genetic diversity of yak, a key domestic animal on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), is a vital resource for domestication and breeding efforts. This study presents the first yak pangenome obtained through the de novo assembly of 16 yak genomes. Results: We discovered 290 Mb of nonreference sequences and 504 new genes. Our pangenome-wide presence and absence variation (PAV) analysis revealed 5,120 PAV-related genes, highlighting a wide range of variety-specific genes and genes with varying frequencies across yak populations. Principal component analysis (PCA) based on binary gene PAV data classified yaks into three new groups: wild, domestic, and Jinchuan. Moreover, we proposed a 'two-haplotype genomic hybridization model' for understanding the hybridization patterns among breeds by integrating gene frequency, heterozygosity, and gene PAV data. A gene PAV-GWAS identified a novel gene (BosGru3G009179) that may be associated with the multirib trait in Jinchuan yaks. Furthermore, an integrated transcriptome and pangenome analysis highlighted the significant differences in the expression of core genes and the mutational burden of differentially expressed genes between yaks from high and low altitudes. Transcriptome analysis across multiple species revealed that yaks have the most unique differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs (between high- and low-altitude regions), especially in the heart and lungs, when comparing high- and low-altitude adaptations. Conclusions: The yak pangenome offers a comprehensive resource and new insights for functional genomic studies, supporting future biological research and breeding strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: The explore the added value of peri-calcification regions on contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) in the differential diagnosis of breast lesions presenting as only calcification on routine mammogram. METHODS: Patients who underwent CEM because of suspicious calcification-only lesions were included. The test set included patients between March 2017 and March 2019, while the validation set was collected between April 2019 and October 2019. The calcifications were automatically detected and grouped by a machine learning-based computer-aided system. In addition to extracting radiomic features on both low-energy (LE) and recombined (RC) images from the calcification areas, the peri-calcification regions, which is generated by extending the annotation margin radially with gradients from 1 mm to 9 mm, were attempted. Machine learning (ML) models were built to classify calcifications into malignant and benign groups. The diagnostic matrices were also evaluated by combing ML models with subjective reading. RESULTS: Models for LE (significant features: wavelet-LLL_glcm_Imc2_MLO; wavelet-HLL_firstorder_Entropy_MLO; wavelet-LHH_glcm_DifferenceVariance_CC; wavelet-HLL_glcm_SumEntropy_MLO;wavelet-HLH_glrlm_ShortRunLowGray LevelEmphasis_MLO; original_firstorder_Entropy_MLO; original_shape_Elongation_MLO) and RC (significant features: wavelet-HLH_glszm_GrayLevelNonUniformityNormalized_MLO; wavelet-LLH_firstorder_10Percentile_CC; original_firstorder_Maximum_MLO; wavelet-HHH_glcm_Autocorrelation_MLO; original_shape_Elongation_MLO; wavelet-LHL_glszm_GrayLevelNonUniformityNormalized_MLO; wavelet-LLH_firstorder_RootMeanSquared_MLO) images were set up with 7 features. Areas under the curve (AUCs) of RC models are significantly better than those of LE models with compact and expanded boundary (RC v.s. LE, compact: 0.81 v.s. 0.73, p < 0.05; expanded: 0.89 v.s. 0.81, p < 0.05) and RC models with 3 mm boundary extension yielded the best performance compared to those with other sizes (AUC = 0.89). Combining with radiologists' reading, the 3mm-boundary RC model achieved a sensitivity of 0.871 and negative predictive value of 0.937 with similar accuracy of 0.843 in predicting malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: The machine learning model integrating intra- and peri-calcification regions on CEM has the potential to aid radiologists' performance in predicting malignancy of suspicious breast calcifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are used to relieve and refuel anti-tumor immunity by blocking the interaction, transcription, and translation of co-inhibitory immune checkpoints or degrading co-inhibitory immune checkpoints. Thousands of small molecule drugs or biological materials, especially antibody-based ICIs, are actively being studied and antibodies are currently widely used. Limitations, such as anti-tumor efficacy, poor membrane permeability, and unneglected tolerance issues of antibody-based ICIs, remain evident but are thought to be overcome by small molecule drugs. Recent structural studies have broadened the scope of candidate immune checkpoint molecules, as well as innovative chemical inhibitors. By way of comparison, small molecule drug-based ICIs represent superior oral bioavailability and favorable pharmacokinetic features. Several ongoing clinical trials are exploring the synergetic effect of ICIs and other therapeutic strategies based on multiple ICI functions, including immune regulation, anti-angiogenesis, and cell cycle regulation. In this review we summarized the current progression of small molecule ICIs and the mechanism underlying immune checkpoint proteins, which will lay the foundation for further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syslog is a critical data source for analyzing system problems. Converting unstructured log entries into structured log data is necessary for effective log analysis. However, existing log parsing methods demonstrate promising accuracy on limited datasets, but their generalizability and precision are uncertain when applied to diverse log data. Enhancements in these areas are necessary. This paper proposes an online log parsing method called DLLog, which is based on deep learning and has the longest common subsequence. DLLog utilizes the GRU neural network to mine template words and applies the longest common subsequence to parse log entries in real-time. In the offline stage, DLLog combines multiple log features to accurately extract the template words, creating a log template set to assist online log parsing. In the online stage, DLLog parses log entries by calculating the matching degree between the real-time log entry and the log template in the log template set. This method also supports the incremental update of the log template set to handle new log entries generated by systems. We summarized the previous works and validated DLLog using real log data collected from 16 systems. The results demonstrate that DLLog achieves high parsing accuracy, universality, and adaptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proanthocyanidins (PAs) and anthocyanins are flavonoids that contribute to the quality and health benefits of grapes and wine. Salinity affects their biosynthesis, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. We studied the effects of NaCl stress on PA and anthocyanin biosynthesis in grape suspension cells derived from berry skins of Vitis vinifera L. Cabernet Sauvignon using metabolite profiling and transcriptome analysis. We treated the cells with low (75 mM NaCl) and high (150 mM NaCl) salinity for 4 and 7 days. High salinity inhibited cell growth and enhanced PA and anthocyanin accumulation more than low salinity. The salinity-induced PAs and anthocyanins lacked C5'-hydroxylation modification, suggesting the biological significance of delphinidin- and epigallocatechin-derivatives in coping with stress. The genes up-regulated by salinity stress indicated that the anthocyanin pathway was more sensitive to salt concentration than the PA pathway, and WGCNA analysis revealed the coordination between flavonoid biosynthesis and cell wall metabolism under salinity stress. We identified transcription factors potentially involved in regulating NaCl dose- and time-dependent PA and anthocyanin accumulation, showing the dynamic remodeling of flavonoid regulation network under different salinity levels and durations. Our study provides new insights into regulator candidates for tailoring flavonoid composition and molecular indicators of salt stress in grape cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a composite consisting of zinc-heteroaromatic chemical framework material and hollow carbon-based material, designed to host hemoglobin. A heme protein-based electrode is developed using the complex with protein entrapment. The competitive coordination of heme protein with carbon-based carrier results in a novel intermediate with distinctive spectrometric and electrochemical features. The interaction between redox protein supporter and heme protein would give birth to the predominant influences the configuration of the cofactor within the protein. The article elucidates the role of the intermediate species in heme protein-induced electrocatalysis. Two simultaneous redox processes occur on the heme protein-based electrode. The intermediate species exhibits the favorable heterogeneous electron transfer dynamics (the normalized rate constant: 4.2 s−1). The analysis in the enzyme-involved electro-catalysis suggests that the substrate diffusion dominates the sensing efficiency of the electrochemical sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides an overview of immune cell development and differentiation in liver diseases, emphasizing the liver's role as a key site for these processes. Topics discussed include the impact of macrophage polarization on inflammation and tissue damage in hepatitis, the role of immune cells in liver fibrosis and cancer, and the dual functions of immune cells in liver transplantation.

Purpose: Rectal tumor segmentation on post neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has great significance for tumor measurement, radiomics analysis, treatment planning, and operative strategy. In this study, we developed and evaluated segmentation potential exclusively on post-chemoradiation T2-weighted MRI using convolutional neural networks, with the aim of reducing the detection workload for radiologists and clinicians. Methods: A total of 372 consecutive patients with LARC were retrospectively enrolled from October 2015 to December 2017. The standard-of-care neoadjuvant process included 22-fraction intensity-modulated radiation therapy and oral capecitabine. Further, 243 patients (3061 slices) were grouped into training and validation datasets with a random 80:20 split, and 41 patients (408 slices) were used as the test dataset. A symmetric eight-layer deep network was developed using the nnU-Net Framework, which outputs the segmentation result with the same size. The trained deep learning (DL) network was examined using fivefold cross-validation and tumor lesions with different TRGs. Results: At the stage of testing, the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), 95% Hausdorff distance (HD95), and mean surface distance (MSD) were applied to quantitatively evaluate the performance of generalization. Considering the test dataset (41 patients, 408 slices), the average DSC, HD95, and MSD were 0.700 (95% CI: 0.680–0.720), 17.73 mm (95% CI: 16.08–19.39), and 3.11 mm (95% CI: 2.67–3.56), respectively. Eighty-two percent of the MSD values were less than 5 mm, and fifty-five percent were less than 2 mm (median 1.62 mm, minimum 0.07 mm). Conclusions: The experimental results indicated that the constructed pipeline could achieve relatively high accuracy. Future work will focus on assessing the performances with multicentre external validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classroom video has a complex background and dense targets. This study utilizes small object detection technology to analyze and evaluate students' behavior in the classroom, aiming to objectively and accurately assess classroom quality. Firstly, noise is removed from the images using a median filter, and the contrast of the images is enhanced through histogram equalization. Label smoothing is applied to reduce the model's sensitivity to labels. Then, features are extracted from the preprocessed images, and multi-scale feature fusion is employed to enhance semantic expression across multiple scales. Finally, a combination loss function is utilized to improve the accuracy of multi-object recognition tasks. Real-time detection of students' behaviors in the classroom is performed based on the small object detection model. The average head-up rate in the classroom is calculated, and the quality of teaching is evaluated and analyzed. This study explores the methods and applications of small object detection technology based on actual teaching cases and analyzes and evaluates its effectiveness in evaluating the quality of higher education classroom teaching. The research findings demonstrate the significant importance of small object detection technology in effectively evaluating students' learning conditions in higher education classrooms, leading to improved teaching quality and personalized education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the current investigation is to compare the efficacy of different diffusion models and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in differentiating stage IA endometrial carcinoma (IAEC) from benign endometrial lesions (BELs). Methods: Patients with IAEC, endometrial hyperplasia (EH), or a thickened endometrium confirmed between May 2016 and August 2022 were retrospectively enrolled. All of the patients underwent a preoperative pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) from the mono-exponential model, pure diffusion coefficient (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), perfusion fraction (f) from the bi-exponential model, distributed diffusion coefficient (DDC), water molecular diffusion heterogeneity index from the stretched-exponential model, diffusion coefficient (Dk) and diffusion kurtosis (K) from the DKI model were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency. Results: A total of 90 patients with IAEC and 91 patients with BELs were enrolled. The values of ADC, D, DDC and Dk were significantly lower and D* and K were significantly higher in cases of IAEC (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that K was the only predictor. The area under the ROC curve of K was 0.864, significantly higher compared with the ADC (0.601), D (0.811), D* (0.638), DDC (0.743) and Dk (0.675). The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of K were 78.89%, 85.71% and 80.66%, respectively. Conclusion: Advanced diffusion-weighted imaging models have good performance for differentiating IAEC from EH and endometrial thickening. Among all of the diffusion parameters, K showed the best performance and was the only independent predictor. Diffusion kurtosis imaging was defined as the most valuable model in the current context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is the primary curative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who are not eligible for surgery. However, the effects of RFA on the global tumor immune response remain unclear. Method: In this study, we examined the phenotypic and functional changes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from recurrent HCC patients who had undergone two RFA treatments using mass cytometry and high-throughput mRNA assays. Results: We observed significant increase in monocytes and decrease in T cell subpopulations three days after the first RFA treatment and three days after the second RFA treatment. The down-regulation of GZMB, GZMH, GZMK, and CD8A, which are involved in the cytotoxic function of T cells, was observed following RFA. Furthermore, the population of CD8 effector and memory T cells (CD8 Teff and CD8 Tem) significantly decreased after RFA. The expression of CD5 and CD161 in various T cell subpopulations also showed significant reductions. Additionally, elevated secretion of VEGF was observed in monocytes, B cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), and CD4 naive T cells. Conclusion: In recurrent HCC patients, serum components derived from radiofrequency therapy can enhance the antigen-presenting capacity of monocytes. However, they also inhibit the anti-cancer immune response by reducing the population of CD8 effector and memory T cells and suppressing the activation of T cells, as well as down-regulating the expression of CD161 and CD5 in various T cell subpopulations. These tumor-derived components also contribute to an immunosuppressive microenvironment by promoting the secretion of VEGF in monocytes, Tregs, B cells, and CD4 naive T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza A virus (IAV) non-structural protein 1 (NS1) is a virulence factor that allows the virus to replicate efficiently by suppressing host innate immune responses. Previously, we demonstrated that the serine (S) at position 42 of NS1 in H1N1 swine influenza virus (SIV) is a critical residue in interferon (IFN) resistance, thus facilitating viral infections. Here, by lncRNA-seq, a total of 153 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified, and the lncRNA HCG4 was selected due to its significantly higher expression after infection with the NS1 S42P mutant virus. Overexpression of HCG4 enhanced IFN-b production and suppressed SIV infection, highlighting the potential antiviral activity of HCG4 against SIV. Further investigation suggested that HCG4 served as a positive feedback mediator for RIG-I signaling. It alleviated the inhibitory effect on RIG-I K63-linked ubiquitination by NS1 protein, thereby resulting in an increase in RIGI-mediated IFN production. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that HCG4 modulates the innate immune response to SIV infection through K63-linked RIG-I ubiquitination, providing insights into the role of lncRNAs in controlling viral infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: By analyzing the distribution of existing and newly proposed staging imaging features in pT1–3 and pT4a tumors, we searched for a salient feature and validated its diagnostic performance. Methods: Preoperative multiphase contrast-enhanced CT images of the training cohort were retrospectively collected at three centers from January 2016 to December 2017. We used the chi-square test to analyze the distribution of several stage-related imaging features in pT1–3 and pT4a tumors, including small arteriole sign (SAS), outer edge of the intestine, tumor invasion range, and peritumoral adipose tissue. Preoperative multiphase contrast-enhanced CT images of the validation cohort were retrospectively collected at Beijing Cancer Hospital from January 2018 to December 2018. The diagnostic performance of the selected imaging feature, including accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, was validated and compared with the conventional clinical tumor stage (cT) by the McNemar test. Results: In the training cohort, a total of 268 patients were enrolled, and only SAS was significantly different between pT1–3 and pT4a tumors. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the SAS and conventional cT in differentiating T1–3 and T4a tumors were 94.4%, 81.6%, and 97.3% and 53.7%, 32.7%, and 58.4%, respectively (all p < 0.001). In the validation cohort, a total of 135 patients were collected. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the SAS and the conventional cT were 93.3%, 76.2%, and 96.5% and 62.2%, 38.1%, and 66.7%, respectively (p < 0.001, p = 0.021, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Small arteriole sign positivity, an indirect imaging feature of serosa invasion, may improve the accuracy of identifying T4a colon cancer. Clinical relevance statement: Small arteriole sign helps to distinguish T1–3 and T4a colon cancer and further improves the accuracy of preoperative CT staging of colon cancer. Key Points: • The accuracy of preoperative CT staging of colon cancer is not ideal, especially for T4a tumors. • Small arteriole sign (SAS) is a newly defined imaging feature that shows the appearance of tumor-supplying arterioles at the site where they penetrate the intestine wall. • SAS is an indirect imaging marker of tumor invasion into the serosa with a great value in distinguishing between T1–3 and T4a colon cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the potential of radiomics features to predict the histologic grade of nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (NF-PNET) patients using non-contrast sequence based on MRI. Methods: Two hundred twenty-eight patients with NF-PNETs undergoing MRI at 5 centers were retrospectively analyzed. Data from center 1 (n = 115) constituted the training cohort, and data from centers 2–5 (n = 113) constituted the testing cohort. Radiomics features were extracted from T2-weighted images and the apparent diffusion coefficient. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator was applied to select the most important features and to develop radiomics signatures. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was performed to assess models. Results: Tumor boundary, enhancement homogeneity, and vascular invasion were used to construct the radiological model to stratify NF-PNET patients into grade 1 and 2/3 groups, which yielded AUC of 0.884 and 0.684 in the training and testing groups. A radiomics model including 4 features was constructed, with an AUC of 0.941 and 0.871 in the training and testing cohorts. The fusion model combining the radiomics signature and radiological characteristics showed good performance in the training set (AUC = 0.956) and in the testing set (AUC = 0.864), respectively. Conclusion: The developed model that integrates radiomics features with radiological characteristics could be used as a non-invasive, dependable, and accurate tool for the preoperative prediction of grade in NF-PNETs. Clinical relevance statement: Our study revealed that the fusion model based on a non-contrast MR sequence can be used to predict the histologic grade before operation. The radiomics model may be a new and effective biological marker in NF-PNETs. Key Points: The diagnostic performance of the radiomics model and fusion model was better than that of the model based on clinical information and radiological features in predicting grade 1 and 2/3 of nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NF-PNETs). Good performance of the model in the four external testing cohorts indicated that the radiomics model and fusion model for predicting the grades of NF-PNETs were robust and reliable, indicating the two models could be used in the clinical setting and facilitate the surgeons' decision on risk stratification. The radiomics features were selected from non-contrast T2-weighted images (T2WI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequence, which means that the administration of contrast agent was not needed in grading the NF-PNETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hyperthermia is a common monotherapy for sporotrichosis, but only in patients with special conditions, such as pregnancy and nursing. However, hyperthermia has not been used more widely for sporotrichosis in clinical practice. Patients/Methods: An HIV-positive adult male with lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis caused by Sporothrix globosa that did not respond to conventional itraconazole therapy lasting >2 months received adjunctive therapy with local hyperthermia. To simulate the effects of heat exposure on the growth and morphology of Sporothrix spp. in vitro, S. globosa, S. schenckii and S. brasiliensis were exposed to intermittent heat (42°C) for 1 h a day for 7 or 28 days and observed under transmission electron microscopy. Results: Itraconazole combined with local hyperthermia significantly improved the lesions, and the patient was successfully cured of sporotrichosis, with no recurrence after 2 years of follow-up. Cultures of Sporothrix spp. treated with 7 days of daily heat exposure in vitro showed obvious decreases in colony diameters, but not numbers, compared with untreated cultures (p < .001). After 28 days of heat exposure in vitro, Sporothrix spp. were unable to thrive (p < .001), and ultrastructural alterations, including loose cell wall structure, incomplete cell membrane, disrupted vacuoles and fragmented nuclei, were noticeable. Conclusions: Our case findings and in vitro experiments on Sporothrix spp., together with a literature review of previous sporotrichosis cases, suggest that hyperthermia has a clinical role as a treatment adjunct. Large-scale clinical trials are required to examine the utility of hyperthermia in various forms of cutaneous sporotrichosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building automation system (BAS) of a subway is the core component of monitoring and managing urban rail transit systems. For the current problems such as low control efficiency, insufficient accuracy, and poor stability of metro BAS, this article proposes a cooperative control framework based on an improved fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (PID) algorithm. Firstly, the concept of an integrated supervisory control system (ISCS) for subways is introduced by summarizing the previously implemented engineering construction and combining it with advanced automation technology. The system's overall design under the ISCS framework is also improved by integrating it with the fire alarm system (FAS) with the BAS as the core unit of the reliance. Then, an improved seeker optimization algorithm (ISOA) is employed to optimize the parameters of the fuzzy PID control algorithm to achieve a coordinated control of the system based on considering the time lag problem. Finally, the accuracy, efficiency, and stability of the coordinated control response of the BAS under the ISCS framework are tested experimentally. The results suggest that the proposed cooperative control solution of BAS employing the improved fuzzy PID algorithm has good control accuracy and response efficiency and can also ensure the BAS's higher stability in the coordinated control process, which thus greatly improves the automation level of the subway and provides a safer and more reliable high-performance for the ISCS of the subway in the urban rail transportation industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a condition that develops due to prolonged and excessive alcohol consumption. It encompasses various stages of liver damage, including fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis. Immune cells, particularly macrophages, of various types play a significant role in the onset and progression of the disease. Macrophages observed in the liver exhibit diverse differentiation forms, and perform a range of functions. Beyond M1 and M2 macrophages, human macrophages can polarize into distinct phenotypes in response to various stimuli. Recent advancements have improved our understanding of macrophage diversity and their role in the progression of ALD. This mini-review provides a concise overview of the latest findings on the role and differentiation of macrophages in ALD. Additionally, it discusses potential therapeutic targets associated with macrophages and explores potential therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the heterogeneity of anatomic anomalies in Ebstein's anomaly (EA), particularly in the subset of patients with atrial septal defect (ASD), hemodynamic changes, which ultimately cause left ventricular (LV) deterioration remain unclear. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of concomitant ASD on LV function using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in patients with EA. Methods: This study included 31 EA patients with ASD, 76 EA patients without ASD, 35 patients with simple ASD and 40 healthy controls. Left/right ventricular (RV, the RV was defined as a summation of the functional RV and atrialized RV in EA patients) volumes and functional parameters, LV strain parameters, and echocardiogram indices were compared among the four groups. Associations between variables were evaluated via Spearman or Pearson correlation analyses. The association between risk factors and LV ejection fraction (EF) was determined via multivariate linear regression analysis. Results: Both EA patients and ASD patients had a higher RV/LV end-diastolic volume (RVEDV/LVEDV) as well as lower LV and RV ejection fractions (LVEF/RVEF) compared to healthy controls (all p < 0.05). Moreover, the EA patients with ASD had a significantly higher RVEDV/LVEDV and a lower LVEF and RVEF than those without ASD (all p < 0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that the presence of ASD was independently associated with LVEF (β = − 0.337, p < 0.001). The RVEDV/LVEDV index was associated with LVEF (r = − 0.361, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the LV longitudinal peak diastolic strain rate (PDSR) was lower in EA patients with ASD than those without ASD, patients with simple ASD, and healthy controls (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Concomitant ASD is an important risk factor of LV dysfunction in patients with EA, and diastolic dysfunction is likely the predominate mechanism related to LV dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: IGHMBP2 is a crucial gene for the development and maintenance of the nervous system, especially in the survival of motor neurons. Mutations in this gene have been associated with spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1 (SMARD1) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2S (CMT2S). Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search using the PubMed database to identify studies published up to April 1st, 2023, that investigated the association between IGHMBP2 mutations and SMARD1 or CMT2S. We compared the non-truncating mutations and truncating mutations of the IGHMBP2 gene and selected high-frequency mutations of the IGHMBP2 gene. Results: We identified 52 articles that investigated the association between IGHMBP2 mutations and SMARD1/CMT2S. We found 6 hotspot mutations of the IGHMBP2 gene. The truncating mutations in trans were all associated with SMARD1. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that the complete LOF mechanism of the IGHMBP2 gene defect may be an important cause of SMARD1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the association between CT signs and clinicopathological features and disease recurrence in patients with hepatoid adenocarcinoma of stomach (HAS). Methods: Forty nine HAS patients undergoing radical surgery were retrospectively collected. Association between CT and clinicopathological features and disease recurrence was analyzed. Multivariate logistic model was constructed and evaluated for predicting recurrence by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Survival curves between model-defined risk groups was compared using Kaplan–Meier method. Results: 24(49.0%) patients developed disease recurrence. Multivariate logistic analysis results showed elevated serum CEA level, peritumoral fatty space invasion and positive pathological vascular tumor thrombus were independent factors for disease recurrence. Odds ratios were 10.87 (95%CI, 1.14–103.66), 6.83 (95%CI, 1.08–43.08) and 42.67 (95%CI, 3.66–496.85), respectively. The constructed model showed an area under ROC of 0.912 (95%CI,0.825–0.999). The model-defined high-risk group showed poorer overall survival and recurrence-free survival than the low-risk group (both P < 0.001). Conclusions: Preoperative CT appearance of peritumoral fatty space invasion, elevated serum CEA level, and pathological vascular tumor thrombus indicated poor prognosis of HAS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Our previous research has found that degradation of palmitoyltransferase in tumor cells using a linear peptide PROTAC leads to a significant decrease in PD-L1 expression in tumors. However, this degradation is not a sustained and efficient process. Therefore, we designed a cyclic peptide PROTAC to achieve this efficient anti-PD-L1 effect. Methods: We designed and synthesized an improvement in linear peptide PROTAC targeting palmitoyltransferase DHHC3, and used disulfide bonds to stabilize the continuous N- and C-termini of the peptides to maintain their structure. Cellular and molecular biology techniques were used to test the effect of this cyclic peptide on PD-L1. Results: In human cervical cancer cells, our cyclic peptide PROTAC can significantly downregulate palmitoyl transferase DHHC3 and PD-L1 expressions. This targeted degradation effect is enhanced with increasing doses and treatment duration, with a DC50 value much lower than that of linear peptides. Additionally, flow cytometry analysis of fluorescence intensity shows an increase in the amount of cyclic peptide entering the cell membrane with prolonged treatment time and higher concentrations. The Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA) method used in this study indicates effective binding between our novel cyclic peptide and DHHC3 protein, leading to a change in the thermal stability of the latter. The degradation of PD-L1 can be effectively blocked by the proteasome inhibitor MG132. Results from clone formation experiments illustrate that our cyclic peptide can enhance the proliferative inhibition effect of cisplatin on the C33A cell line. Furthermore, in the T cell-C33A co-culture system, cyclic peptides target the degradation of PD-L1, thereby blocking the interaction between PD-L1 and PD-1, and promoting the secretion of IFN-g and TNF-a in the co-culture system supernatant. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that a disulfide-bridged cyclic peptide PROTAC targeting palmitoyltransferase can provide a stable and improved antiPD-L1 activity in human tumor cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A microwave filter is important to determine the performance of a wearable communication system. However, the materials used in existing microwave filters require sophisticated and expensive fabrication processes. Moreover, they are not compatible with flexible and wearable platforms. In this study, a novel strategy for realizing a tunable fabric microwave filter (TFMF) by taking advantage of the spoof surface plasmon polariton (SSPP) structure and using organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) is presented, which are lightweight and exhibit excellent mechanical flexibility and deformability. The TFMF is manufactured using fabric materials, and the OECT is printed to serve as a state‐changing material. The developed TFMF exhibits excellent flexibility, high planar integration and improved wearing comfort. Furthermore, the operating frequency of the TFMF with well‐designed gradient structures and multi‐state dispersion characteristics can be effectively tuned by applying different voltage sequences. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first tunable microwave filter designed for use in wearable systems. The measurements of scattering parameters and data transmission with a communication system based on the TFMF demonstrate a feasible pathway for enhancing the performance of wearable wireless communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survival and infection of pathogenic bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), pose a serious threat to human health. Efficient methods for recognizing and quantifying low levels of bacteria are imperiously needed. Herein, we introduce a metal–organic framework (MOF)-based fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) nanoprobe for ratiometric detection of S. aureus. The nanoprobe utilizes blue-emitting 7-hydroxycoumarin-4-acetic acid (HCAA) encapsulated inside zirconium (Zr)-based MOFs as the energy donor and green-emitting fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) as the energy acceptor. Especially, vancomycin (VAN) is employed as the recognition moiety to bind to the cell wall of S. aureus, leading to the disassembly of VAN-PEG-FITC from MOF HCAA@UiO-66. As the distance between the donor and acceptor increases, the donor signal correspondingly increases as the FRET signal decreases. By calculating the fluorescence intensity ratio, S. aureus can be quantified with a dynamic range of 1.05 × 103–1.05 × 107 CFU mL−1 and a detection limit of 12 CFU mL−1. Due to the unique high affinity of VAN to S. aureus, the nanoprobe shows high selectivity and sensitivity to S. aureus, even in real samples like lake water, orange juice, and saliva. The FRET-based ratiometric fluorescence bacterial detection method demonstrated in this work has a prospect in portable application and may reduce the potential threat of pathogens to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the lack of drilling data and poor quality of seismic data in deep-water offshore areas, conventional methods cannot effectively predict the total organic carbon (TOC) content. In this paper, the BP neural network method is used to predict the TOC of the strata overlying the target layer, which adds to the TOC information in the study area. Then, the highest TOC value of the strata overlying the target layer is used to select the most sensitive seismic attributes. Finally, the sensitive seismic attributes are used to evaluate the source rocks with no or few wells. A set of TOC prediction technology flows is established for TOC combined with seismic attributes under the condition of no wells and few wells in deep-water areas. The application example shows the reliability of TOC prediction by this technical process, and the study has a certain reference significance for the evaluation of hydrocarbon source rocks in offshore deep water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding similar users is vital for many applications, such as collaborative filtering and recommendation systems. Unlike existing work that can only discover similar users according to one attribute, we propose a method based on intuitionistic fuzzy set for finding similar users according to multiple attributes: interest, behavior, and personal information. For a single attribute, such as user interest, the interest of two users may be partly similar, different in another aspect, and fuzzy in the remaining part. The three parts correspond exactly to the three concepts of the intuitionistic fuzzy numbers: membership, non-membership, and uncertainty degrees. And the integrated operator of the intuitionistic fuzzy set is just used for considering all attributes comprehensively. Based on this idea, we firstly introduce the method for determining the intuitionistic fuzzy numbers of each attribute. And then we use intuitionistic fuzzy hybrid average operators to integrate them to quantify the user similarity level. And we can further identify the similar users in terms of multiple attributes based on the level. The experiments based on Twitter data show our method outperforms the baselines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic allograft dysfunction(CAD) is the leading cause of graft loss in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Inflammatory process is believed to be one of the major contributors to CAD. The aim of this study is to explore the antiinflammatory effect of vitamin D (VD) supplementation in KTRs and its role in the graft function improvement(protection). Methods: A retrospective cohort of 39 KTRs with chronic antibody mediated rejection(CAMR)or stable renal function and a prospective cohort of 42 KTRs treated or untreated with VD were enrolled. Serum levels of vitamin D metabolism and serum inflammatory cytokines, renal graft function, and routine blood biomarkers were tested and dynamically tracked within 12 months post-transplant. Results: Compared with the stable group, the CAMR group exhibited significantly elevated serum levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1b, IFN-g, IL-2, IL-10, IP-10, and HMGB1 (P <0.05). The supplementation of vitamin D effectively increased the serum concentration of vitamin D in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) in the treated group. During the course of treatment, the treated group exhibited a gradual increase in eGFR levels, which were significantly higher than those observed in the untreated group at 12 months post-transplant (p<0.05). Notably, as eGFR improved, there was a significant decrease in levels of IL-1b, IFN-g, IL-2, IL-10, IP-10 and HMGB1 in the treated group compared to the untreated group (P<0.05). Conclusion: This study confirmed that immune-inflammation is a crucial factor in the development of CAD in KTRs.VD deficiency impairs its anti-inflammatory activity. By assisting in the regulation of excessive immune inflammation and restoration of immune homeostasis, effective VD supplementation contributes to protection and maintenance of graft function in KTRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has gained considerable attention, mainly due to the growing importance of English teaching and the need for preparing international professionals. The primary academic emphasis of this field is largely centered on the study of English for Academic Purposes (EAP). It has become increasingly important for China to provide EAP education to its vast population of college students, who represent a significant proportion of global tertiary-level English learners. By doing so, they can improve their academic literacy and participate more effectively in international academic communication. In 2016, China's College English Test Examination Board issued the National College English Test Syllabus which emphasized the importance of academic English literacy in the test design. This syllabus was released during a contentious debate among Chinese academics about the role of EAP in college English teaching and testing. Despite this heated discussion, there are currently few studies that have analyzed the linguistic nature of academic English tests in a quantitative manner. This paper calculates the academic word coverage of the reading passages in two crucial English proficiency tests designed for college students in China, the College English Test (CET) and the Test of English for Academic Purposes (TEAP). It is found that the academic word coverage of CET is increasing from the year 2013 to 2021 and that the academic word coverage of TEAP is slightly higher than that of CET. In this sense, these English tests can meet the requirements for measuring Chinese college students' academic literacy. It is also found that there is a positive correlation between academic word coverage and language difficulty as is indicated by Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. These findings provide an empirical reference for the study of academic English tests in China, and other parts of the world, and contribute to EAP teaching and testing reform for the development of students' academic literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]