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Tabebuia rosea is a world-renowned woody plant with colorful flowers in full bloom. In addition to its high ornamental value, it also has ecological and medicinal value. In this study, the complete circular chloroplast genome of T. rosea was reconstructed and annotated using Illumina sequencing. The chloroplast genome was 158,919 bp in size with GC content of 38.21%, including a large single-copy region of 85,823 bp, a small single-copy region of 12,816 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats of 30,140 bp. It encoded 132 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Based on current available chloroplast genome sequences, the phylogenetic analysis indicated that T. rosea was clustered with T. nodosa and H. chrysanthus. This study provided insights into the evolutionary relationships among different species of Bignoniaceae.

Abstract Background Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic pathogen that poses a significant threat because of its wide host range, multiple transmission modes, high transmissibility, and high mortality rates, affecting both human health and animal husbandry. In this study, we developed a one-step reverse transcription droplet digital PCR (RT-ddPCR) assay that targets the N gene of NiV. Results Our RT-ddPCR assay exhibited remarkable sensitivity, with a lower limit of detection of 6.91 copies/reaction. Importantly, it displayed no cross-reactivity with the other 13 common viruses and consistently delivered reliable results with a coefficient of variation below 10% across different concentrations. To validate the effectiveness of our RT-ddPCR assay, we detected 75 NiV armored RNA virus samples, mimicking real-world conditions, and negative control samples, and the RT-ddPCR results perfectly matched the simulated results. Furthermore, compared with a standard quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay, our RT-ddPCR assay demonstrated greater stability when handling complex matrices with low viral loads. Conclusions These findings show that our NiV RT-ddPCR assay is exceptionally sensitive and provides a robust tool for quantitatively detecting NiV, particularly in stimulated field samples with low viral loads or complex matrices. This advancement has significant implications for early NiV monitoring, safeguarding human health and safety, and advancing animal husbandry practices.

Impact toughness, tensile properties, grains, and inclusions of industrial Al-killed steel Q355B were investigated by adding cerium (Ce) from 0, 0.0028%–0.0048%. The results revealed that: (1) With the increase of Ce additions, the size of inclusions decreased and the oxide inclusions significantly decreased while oxide-sulfide inclusions significantly increased; (2) Inclusions of sample without Ce were Al2O3 and Mn(Ca)S, inclusions of sample with adding 0.0028% Ce were CeAlO3, Mn(Ca)S, and Ce2O2S, and inclusions of sample with adding 0.0048% Ce were CeAlO3, Ce2S3, Ce2O2S, and Mn(Ca)S; (3) Grains of sample with Ce were refined. Microstructure with 0.0028% Ce addition displayed a more uniform ferrite and microstructure with 0.0048% Ce addition exhibited a more uniform pearlite, which was due to Ce2O2S as effective nucleating agent for α-Fe and MnS as effective nucleating agent for γ-Fe; (4) Impact toughness and yield strength of sample with 0.0028% Ce addition was highest in the three samples, because of the microstructure of refining and uniform ferrite grains and small Ce-based inclusions.

Abstract Plasma spray-physical vapor deposition (PS-PVD) is a promising third-generation thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) technique. Feather-like columnar TBCs with excellent strain tolerance and low thermal conductivity can be achieved using PS-PVD. However, molten CMAS (CaO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2) can penetrate coatings and accelerate PS-PVD TBCs failure due to the feather-like columnar structure. Hence, a strategy is proposed to alleviate molten CMAS corrosion. The super-hydrophobicity structure is fabricated via laser texturing on the surface of PS-PVD TBCs to repel molten CMAS wetting and spreading. Then, a thin layer of the Al-film is deposited on the laser-textured surface. Next, the Al-modified layer is in situ synthesized after vacuum heat treatment, preventing the infiltration of molten CMAS into the TBCs and reducing the coating damage. The results show that the contact angle of laser textured and Al-modified PS-PVD TBCs (LT-Al) at room temperature increased from 12.3° to 168.8°. The wetting and spreading behavior of molten CMAS of as-sprayed (AS), laser textured (LT), and LT-Al coatings is observed in situ at 1230 °C for 1800 s. The LT-Al coatings exhibited excellent CMAS corrosion resistance, attributed to the laser-textured micro-nano structures and Al-modified layer protection. The findings may be an effective approach for solving the disadvantage of PS-PVD feather-like columnar structure TBCs.

Abstract Background Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has become a routine endoscopic procedure that is essential for diagnosing and managing various conditions, including gallstone extraction and the treatment of bile duct and pancreatic tumors. Despite its efficacy, post-ERCP infections – particularly those caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) – present significant risks. These risks highlight the need for accurate predictive models to enhance postprocedural care, reduce the mortality risk associated with post-ERCP CRE sepsis, and improve patient outcomes in the context of increasing antibiotic resistance. Objective This study aimed to examine the risk factors for 30-day mortality in patients with CRE sepsis following ERCP and to develop a nomogram for accurately predicting 30-day mortality risk. Methods Data from 195 patients who experienced post-ERCP CRE sepsis between January 2010 and December 2022 were analyzed. Variable selection was optimized via the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was then employed to develop a predictive model, which was evaluated in terms of discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility. Internal validation was achieved through bootstrapping. Results The nomogram included the following predictors: age > 80 years (hazard ratio [HR] 2.61), intensive care unit (ICU) admission within 90 days prior to ERCP (HR 2.64), hypoproteinemia (HR 4.55), quick Pitt bacteremia score ≥ 2 (HR 2.61), post-ERCP pancreatitis (HR 2.52), inappropriate empirical therapy (HR 3.48), delayed definitive therapy (HR 2.64), and short treatment duration (

Abstract Purpose Early ambulation is an important step in accelerating post-joint replacement surgery recovery. However, there is limited research on populations who are unable to walk immediately after the operation. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors influencing postoperative ambulation in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients. Methods Primary TKA patients were included in this retrospective study. All patients were divided into two groups. Patients who began walking within 24 h were categorized as the early ambulation group, while patients who began walking after 24 h were classified as the late ambulation group. Recorded demographic data included age, gender, body mass index (BMI), clinical diagnosis, and comorbidities. Hematological parameters potentially affecting patients’ preoperative physical condition were also documented. Additionally, intraoperative metrics such as surgical time, surgical side, tourniquet time, intraoperative blood loss, the placement of drains, and prosthetic model were recorded. Results A total of 453 patients (79.0% female, 21.0% male) were included in this study. The average age of all patients was 68.5±7.9 years, ranging from 36 to 87 years, with an average BMI of 27.2±9.9 kg/ $$\mathrm {m^{2}}$$ m 2 . The mean postoperative ambulation time was 1.6 days, with a range of 0–4 days. In univariate group comparisons, an increase in postoperative time to ambulation was significantly associated with a history of heart disease ( $$P

A new test to detect the change-point in the quasi-autocorrelation coefficient (QAC) structure of a simple linear model with heavy-tailed series was developed. It is more general than previous approaches to the change-point problem in that it allows for the process with innovations in the domain of the attraction of a stable law with index $ \kappa\; (0 < \kappa < 2) $. Since the existing methods for QAC change detection are not satisfactory, we converted QAC change to mean change through the moving window method, which greatly improved the efficiency. Thus, the aim of this paper was to construct a ratio-typed test based on M-estimation for the testing of mean change. Under regular conditions, the asymptotic distribution under the no change null hypothesis was functional of a Wiener process, not that of a Lévy stable process. The divergent rate under the alternative hypothesis was also given. The simulation results demonstrate that the performances of our proposed tests were outstanding. Finally, the theoretical results were applied to an analysis of daily USD/CNY exchange rates with respect to QAC change.

Abstract Background Collagen (COL) genes, play a key role in tumor invasion and metastasis, are involved in tumor extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interactions and focal adhesion pathways. However, studies focusing on the diagnostic value of the COL4 family in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) are currently lacking. Methods The TCGA database was employed to retrieve the clinical features and RNA sequencing expression profiles of patients with STAD. We conducted an investigation to examine the expression disparities between STAD and adjacent normal tissues. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was utilized to assess their prognostic significance, while Spearman correlation analysis was employed to determine their association with immune checkpoint genes and immunomodulatory molecules. Furthermore, GO and KEGG analyses were performed on the COL4s-related genes, revealing potential biological pathways through gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Subsequently, we explored the extent of immune infiltration of the COL4 family in STAD using the TIMER database. Lastly, the expression levels of the COL4 family in STAD were further validated through quantitative PCR (qPCR) and western blot techniques. Results The expression levels of COL4A1/2 were significantly upregulated, while COL4A5/6 were conspicuously downregulated in STAD. The survival analysis revealed that the upregulated COL4s indicated poorer overall survival, first progression and post-progression survival outcomes. Additionally, our findings demonstrated a positive correlation between the expressions of COL4A1/2/3/4 and the infiltration of immune cells, including CD8 + T cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, neutrophils and CD4 + T cells. Further correlation analysis uncovered a favorable association between the expression of COL4A1/2/3/4 and various crucial immunomodulatory molecules, immunological checkpoint molecules, and chemokines. Quantitative PCR analysis confirmed that the expression patterns of COL4A1/3/4/6 genes aligned with the finding from the TCGA database. However, gastric cancer cells exhibited downregulation of COL4A2. Consistently, the protein level of COL4A1 was elevated, whereas the protein level of COL4A2 was reduced in the gastric cancer cell lines. Conclusion COL4s could potentially serve as biomarkers for diagnosing and predicting the prognosis of STAD.

Abstract The influx of Chinese immigrants into Europe has spawned varied media frames, shaping public perceptions and attitudes towards this demographic. The portrayal of Chinese immigrants in European newspapers has become a subject of socio-political discourse, necessitating exploring the predominant narratives within the media space. This study aims to unearth and analyze the prevailing frames used in European newspapers when reporting on Chinese immigrants from 2015 to 2022, elucidating the impact of these frames on the constructed images of Chinese immigrants in societal consciousness. Employing an inductive mixed-method computational approach (ANTMN) and leveraging the Lexis database, 360 news reports from European newspapers were analyzed using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and Gibbs Sampling for topic modeling, semantic network procedures for network structure, and Louvain community detection algorithm for clustering consistent framework packages. The study identifies four primary frames—Integration, Social, Political, and Crime—each revealing a distinct narrative about Chinese immigrants. Furthermore, three predominant images of Chinese immigrants emerged: Failed Integrators, Targets of Political Attack, and Disruptors of Social Safety. Despite the decrease in the utilization of the Crime frame amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, an intensified prejudice against Chinese immigrants was noted. The identified frames and images have crucial implications on socio-political attitudes and policies concerning immigrants, emphasizing the necessity to address the media’s role in potentially perpetuating stereotypes and biases, thereby influencing societal coherence and policy approaches toward immigration.

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology enables personalized customization of medical implants. However, the clinical titanium alloy is biologically inert and can't address bacterial infections. It has been proved that Copper (Cu) -bearing titanium alloys exhibit excellent antibacterial ability and potentials for clinical application. However, it still unclear that the effect of Cu content on the comprehensive properties of LPBF-produced titanium alloy which usually has high strength but poor ductility and corrosion resistance caused by its α′ martensite. This study systematically investigates the effects of Cu content (x = 2, 5, 8 wt%) on the microstructure, mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, antibacterial properties, and cytrocompatibility of the LPBF-produced Ti-xCu alloys. These results prove that the LPBF produced Ti–5Cu alloy possesses the optimal comprehensive performance and has promising clinical application prospects as implant materials.

Abstract Abnormal activation of ferroptosis worsens the severity of acute pancreatitis and intensifies the inflammatory response and organ damage, but the detailed underlying mechanisms are unknown. Compared with other types of pancreatitis, hyperlipidemic acute pancreatitis (HLAP) is more likely to progress to necrotizing pancreatitis, possibly due to peripancreatic lipolysis and the production of unsaturated fatty acids. Moreover, high levels of unsaturated fatty acids undergo lipid peroxidation and trigger ferroptosis to further exacerbate inflammation and worsen HLAP. This paper focuses on the malignant development of hyperlipidemic pancreatitis with severe disease combined with the core features of ferroptosis to explore and describe the mechanism of this phenomenon and shows that the activation of lipid peroxidation and the aberrant intracellular release of many inflammatory mediators during ferroptosis are the key processes that regulate the degree of disease development in patients with HLAP. Inhibiting the activation of ferroptosis effectively reduces the intensity of the inflammatory response, thus reducing organ damage in patients and preventing the risk of HLAP exacerbation. Additionally, this paper summarizes the key targets and potential therapeutic agents of ferroptosis associated with HLAP deterioration to provide new ideas for future clinical applications.

Abstract Various clinical symptoms of digestive system, such as infectious, inflammatory, and malignant disorders, have a profound impact on the quality of life and overall health of patients. Therefore, the chase for more potent medicines is both highly significant and urgent. Nanozymes, a novel class of nanomaterials, amalgamate the biological properties of nanomaterials with the catalytic activity of enzymes, and have been engineered for various biomedical applications, including complex gastrointestinal diseases (GI). Particularly, because of their distinctive metal coordination structure and ability to maximize atom use efficiency, single-atom nanozymes (SAzymes) with atomically scattered metal centers are becoming a more viable substitute for natural enzymes. Traditional nanozyme design strategies are no longer able to meet the current requirements for efficient and diverse SAzymes design due to the diversification and complexity of preparation processes. As a result, this review emphasizes the design concept and the synthesis strategy of SAzymes, and corresponding bioenzyme-like activities, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), oxidase (OXD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Then the various application of SAzymes in GI illnesses are summarized, which should encourage further research into nanozymes to achieve better application characteristics. Graphical abstract

Ehrlichia canis is the primary etiologic agent of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis, a serious and sometimes fatal hemorrhagic disease of dogs. Diagnosis of E. canis infection is often retrospectively confirmed by serologic detection of antibodies by immunofluorescent microscopy. Our laboratory previously identified numerous major immunoreactive proteins with species-specific linear antibody epitopes that are useful for immunodiagnosis of CME. More recently, we have defined the entire antibody-reactive immunome of E. canis, substantially increasing the number of major immunoreactive proteins known to exist. In this study, we analyzed and compared seven recently identified antibody reactive E. canis proteins with established diagnostic antigens including tandem repeat proteins TRP19, TRP36 and TRP140 and observed comparable immunoreactivity. Many of these proteins were conserved in different E. canis strains. Multiple linear antibody epitopes were mapped in a highly conserved TRP (Ecaj_0126), including within the tandem repeat domain. Temporal antibody responses were examined, and multiple proteins reacted with antibodies in sera as early as 21 days post experimental infection. Host-specific expression of the proteins was examined which revealed that some proteins exhibited higher expression in mammalian cells, while others in tick cells. This study has identified new immunodiagnostic candidates that exhibit different host expression patterns, information which may be useful for developing ultrasensitive immunodiagnostics and effective vaccines for CME.

PurposeThe overall survival of patients with pancreatic cancer is extremely low. We aimed to establish machine learning (ML) based model to accurately predict three-year survival and prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients.MethodsWe analyzed pancreatic cancer patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2000 and 2021. Univariate and multivariate logistic analysis were employed to select variables. Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) method based on 6 ML algorithms was utilized in feature selection. To construct predictive model, 13 ML algorithms were evaluated by area under the curve (AUC), area under precision-recall curve (PRAUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, cross-entropy, Brier scores and Balanced Accuracy (bacc) and F Beta Score (fbeta). An optimal ML model was constructed to predict three-year survival, and the predictive results were explained by SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) framework. Meanwhile, 101 ML algorithm combinations were developed to select the best model with highest C-index to predict prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients.ResultsA total of 20,064 pancreatic cancer patients from SEER database was consecutively enrolled. We utilized eight clinical variables to establish prediction model for three-year survival. CatBoost model was selected as the best prediction model, and AUC was 0.932 [0.924, 0.939], 0.899 [0.873, 0.934] and 0.826 [0.735, 0.919] in training, internal test and external test sets, with 0.839 [0.831, 0.847] accuracy, 0.872 [0.858, 0.887] sensitivity, 0.803 [0.784, 0.825] specificity and 0.832 [0.821, 0.853] precision. Surgery type had the greatest effects on three-year survival according to SHAP results. For prognosis prediction, “RSF+GBM” algorithm was the best prognostic model with C-index of 0.774, 0.722 and 0.674 in training, internal test and external test sets.ConclusionsOur ML models demonstrate excellent accuracy and reliability, offering more precise personalized prognostic prediction to pancreatic cancer patients.

BackgroundThe thickness and motion of the Interatrial Septum (IAS) possibly serves as indicators of both structural and functional remodeling of left atrium. This study aims to use transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to assess IAS motion in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and investigate its correlation with the risk of spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) and thrombus (TH).MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study on 318 patients with NVAF who underwent transthoracic echocardiography and TEE. IAS motion was defined as the maximum displacement of IAS observed throughout the cardiac cycles using M-mode TEE.ResultsThe prevalence of SEC/TH was 39.9% (127/318) in the overall group. In paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF), the prevalence rate of SEC/TH was 25.3% (47/186), compared to 60.6% (80/132) in persistent atrial fibrillation (PeAF). Multivariable analyses showed that LA volume index (LAVI), mean E/e’, S/D ratio, IAS motion and CHA2DS2-VASc scores were significantly associated with SEC/TH. Patients with lower IAS motion showed a higher prevalence of SEC/TH compared to those with higher IAS motion (71.3% vs. 11.6%; P

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) allows non-invasive assessment of brain tissue microstructure. Current model-based tissue microstructure reconstruction techniques require a large number of diffusion gradients, which is not clinically feasible due to imaging time constraints, and this has limited the use of tissue microstructure information in clinical settings. Recently, approaches based on deep learning (DL) have achieved promising tissue microstructure reconstruction results using clinically feasible dMRI. However, it remains unclear whether the subtle tissue changes associated with disease or age are properly preserved with DL approaches and whether DL reconstruction results can benefit clinical applications. Here, we provide the first evidence that DL approaches to tissue microstructure reconstruction yield reliable brain tissue microstructure analysis based on clinically feasible dMRI scans. Specifically, we reconstructed tissue microstructure from four different brain dMRI datasets with only 12 diffusion gradients, a clinically feasible protocol, and the neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) and spherical mean technique (SMT) models were considered. With these results we show that disease-related and age-dependent alterations of brain tissue were accurately identified. These findings demonstrate that DL tissue microstructure reconstruction can accurately quantify microstructural alterations in the brain based on clinically feasible dMRI.

Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used in clinical practice for disease diagnosis. However, MRI scans acquired at different sites can have different appearances due to the difference in the hardware, pulse sequence, and imaging parameter. It is important to reduce or eliminate such cross-site variations with brain MRI harmonization so that downstream image processing and analysis is performed consistently. Previous works on the harmonization problem require the data acquired from the sites of interest for model training. But in real-world scenarios there can be test data from a new site of interest after the model is trained, and training data from the new site is unavailable when the model is trained. In this case, previous methods cannot optimally handle the test data from the new unseen site. To address the problem, in this work we explore domain generalization for brain MRI harmonization and propose Site Mix (SiMix). We assume that images of travelling subjects are acquired at a few existing sites for model training. To allow the training data to better represent the test data from unseen sites, we first propose to mix the training images belonging to different sites stochastically, which substantially increases the diversity of the training data while preserving the authenticity of the mixed training images. Second, at test time, when a test image from an unseen site is given, we propose a multiview strategy that perturbs the test image with preserved authenticity and ensembles the harmonization results of the perturbed images for improved harmonization quality. To validate SiMix, we performed experiments on the publicly available SRPBS dataset and MUSHAC dataset that comprised brain MRI acquired at nine and two different sites, respectively. The results indicate that SiMix improves brain MRI harmonization for unseen sites, and it is also beneficial to the harmonization of existing sites.

Abstract Uncontrollable growth of Zn dendrites, irreversible dissolution of cathode material and solidification of aqueous electrolyte at low temperatures severely restrict the development of aqueous Zn‐ion batteries. In this work, 2,2,2‐trifluoroethanol (TFEA) with a volume fraction of 50% as a highly compatible polar‐solvent is introduced to 1.3 M Zn(CF3SO3)2 aqueous electrolyte, achieving stable high‐performance Zn‐ion batteries. Massive theoretical calculations and characterization analysis demonstrate that TFEA weakens the tip effect of Zn anode and restrains the growth of Zn dendrites due to electrostatic adsorption and coordinate with H2O to disrupt the hydrogen bonding network in water. Furthermore, TFEA increases the wettability of the cathode and alleviates the dissolution of V2O5, thus improving the capacity of the full battery. Based on those positive effects of TFEA on Zn anode, V2O5 cathode, and aqueous electrolyte, the Zn//Zn symmetric cell delivers a long cycle‐life of 782 h at 5 mA cm−2 and 2 mA h cm−2. The full battery still declares an initial capacity of 116.78 mA h g−1, and persists 87.73% capacity in 2000 cycles at −25 °C. This work presents an effective strategy for fully compatible co‐solvent to promote the stability of Zn anode, V2O5 cathode and aqueous electrolyte for high‐performance Zn‐ion batteries.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is becoming more common and deadly worldwide. Tumor-infiltrating T cell subtypes make distinct contributions to the immune system; collectively, they constitute a significant portion of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in CCA. By secreting cytokines and other chemicals, regulatory T cells (Tregs) decrease activated T cell responses, acting as immunosuppressors. Reduced CD8+ T cell activation results in stimulating programmed death-1 (PD-1), which undermines the immunological homeostasis of T lymphocytes. On the other hand, cancer cells are eliminated by activated cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) through the perforin-granzyme or Fas-FasL pathways. Th1 and CTL immune cell infiltration into the malignant tumor is also facilitated by γδ T cells. A higher prognosis is typically implied by CD8+ T cell infiltration, and survival is inversely associated with Treg cell density. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, either singly or in combination, provide novel therapeutic strategies for CCA immunotherapy. Furthermore, it is anticipated that immunotherapeutic strategies—such as the identification of new immune targets, combination treatments involving several immune checkpoint inhibitors, and chimeric antigen receptor-T therapies (CAR-T)—will optimize the effectiveness of anti-CCA treatments while reducing adverse effects.

Abstract Addressing the limitations of existing landslide displacement prediction models in capturing the dynamic characteristics of data changes, this study introduces a novel dynamic displacement prediction model for landslides. The proposed method combines Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) with Sparrow Search Optimization (SSO) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) techniques to formulate a comprehensive VMD–SSO–LSTM model. Through the application of VMD, the method dissects cumulative displacement and rainfall data, thereby extracting distinct components such as trend, periodicity, and fluctuation components for displacement, as well as low-frequency and high-frequency components for rainfall. Furthermore, leveraging Gray Correlational Analysis, the interrelationships between the periodic component of displacement and the low-frequency component of rainfall, as well as the fluctuation component of displacement and the high-frequency component of rainfall, are established. Building upon this foundation, the SSO–LSTM model dynamically predicts the interrelated displacement components, synthesizing the predicted values of each component to generate real-time dynamic forecasts. Simulation results underscore the effectiveness of the proposed VMD–SSO–LSTM model, indicating root-mean-square error (RMSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) values of 1.2329 mm and 0.1624%, respectively, along with a goodness of fit (R2) of 0.9969. In comparison to both back propagation (BP) prediction model and LSTM prediction model, the VMD–SSO–LSTM model exhibits heightened predictive accuracy.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy and safety of the LANCET robotic system, a robot arm assisted operation system for total hip arthroplasty via a multicenter clinical randomized controlled trial. Methods: A total of 116 patients were randomized into two groups: LANCET robotic arm assisted THA group (N = 58) and the conventional THA group (N = 58). General information about the patients was collected preoperatively. Operational time and bleeding were recorded during the surgery. The position of the acetabular prosthesis was evaluated by radiographs one week after surgery and compared with preoperative planning. Harris score, hip mobility, prosthesis position and angle and complications were compared between the two groups at three months postoperatively. Results: None of the 111 patients who ultimately completed the 3-month follow-up experienced adverse events such as hip dislocation and infection during follow-up. In the RAA group, 52 (92.9 %) patients were located in the Lewinnek safe zone and 49 (87.5 %) patients were located in the Callanan safe zone. In the control group were 47 (85.5 %) and 44 (80.0 %) patients, respectively. In the RAA group, 53 (94.6 %) patients had a postoperative acetabular inclination angle and 51 (91.1 %) patients had an acetabular version angle within a deviation of 5° from the preoperative plan. These numbers were significantly higher than those of the control group, which consisted of 42 (76.4 %) and 34 (61.8 %) patients respectively. There were no significant differences between the two groups of subjects in terms of general condition, intraoperative bleeding, hip mobility, and adverse complications. Conclusion: The results of this prospective randomized, multicenter, parallel-controlled clinical study demonstrated that the LANCET robotic system leads conventional THA surgery in accuracy of acetabular cup placement and does not differ from conventional THA surgery in terms of postoperative hip functional recovery and complications. The translational potential of this article: In the past, the success rate of total hip arthroplasty (THA) relied heavily on the surgeon's experience. As a result, junior doctors needed extensive training to become proficient in this technique. However, the introduction of surgical robots has significantly improved this situation. By utilizing robotic assistance, both junior and senior doctors can perform THA quickly and efficiently. This advancement is crucial for the widespread adoption of THA, as patients can now receive surgical treatment in local facilities instead of overwhelming larger hospitals and straining medical resources. Moreover, the development of surgical robots with fully independent intellectual property rights holds immense value in overcoming the limitations of high-end medical equipment. This aligns with the objectives outlined in the 14th Five Year Plan for National Science and Technology Strategy.

This paper analyzes the current situation and existing problems of coal roadway driving technologies and equipment, introduces the new mode, technology, equipment of coal roadway rapid driving with integrated drilling and anchoring and its underground applications. The bolting technologies and equipment with integrated drilling and anchoring are developed which include the integrated drilling and anchoring bolt, pumpable resin, drilling boom and drill rig as well as bolts cartridge with integrated drilling and anchoring, pump unit and intelligence control system. The new technology simplifies the traditional six-step rock bolting process to one continuous step. Rock bolting can be realized automatically by pressing button once and the operation time for installing a single bolt can be reduced from 5 to 6 minutes to 3 minutes. The technologies and equipment of automatic spraying support are developed which include high-strength, rapid setting, and deformable surface supporting spraying materials with a tensile strength exceeding 9 MPa, elongation at break exceeding 100%, and a bonding strength exceeding 3 MPa. The spraying system with 6-degree-of-freedom manipulator is developed which can automatically and rapidly spray during roadway driving. The dynamic monitoring technology and system for roadway surrounding rock deformation are developed during driving which can achieve a surface deformation monitoring of roadway in environments with dust, multiple interference, and low illumination. The monitoring accuracy can meet the requirements of the surrounding rock stability evaluation. A new partitioned parallel collaborative rapid driving mode of excavation, spraying, bolting and transport is proposed and a complete set of roadway rapid driving equipment with integrated drilling and anchoring is developed. The displacement and stability of the surrounding rock during the driving process at the Caojiatan Coal Mine in Shaanxi Province are monitored. In terms of time, more than 80% of the surrounding rock displacement had already occurred in 2 to 3 hours after the excavation of the roadway. In terms of space, more than 90% of the surrounding rock displacement had already occurred at a distance equivalent to twice the width of the roadway from the excavation face. Therefore, the roadway surrounding rock displacement caused by rapid driving can be completed in a short time, requiring timely and rapid support. The nearly 6 000 m roadway driving project has been completed in the 10-metre-extra-high fully mechanized mining face of the Caojiatan Coal Mine, and over 60 000 bolts with integrated drilling and anchoring are installed. The time for installing a single bolt, the number of supporting workers, and the labor intensity of workers have been significantly reduced. The driving speed, efficiency, and automation level have been significantly improved. The displacement of the experimental roadway roof is small. The roadway surrounding rock stability is good as well as the support effect. The coal roadway rapid driving technology and equipment with integrated drilling and anchoring have achieved a success in underground field test. It has the ability to achieve a monthly driving footage of 1500 to 2000 m for ultra-large cross-section coal roadways.

Coal mine excavation faces some new opportunities and challenges under the rapid development of intelligent coal mines. In order to promote intelligent tunneling rapidly and healthily, a comprehensive review about the 20 years development of rapid coal mine tunning in China was conducted, with a view to clarify the development context and trends of tunneling technology, key process technologies and equipment, and integrated equipment in tunneling system. In terms of tunneling technology, the double-roadway excavation has opened up a new way for excavation and anchor in adjacent roadways at the same time. The excavation and anchor synchronization process, and the time-space multi-dimensional synchronous rapid tunneling process break the tradition which contains cutting first, then supporting, and in-time fully supporting, and thus establishes a new excavation process based on cutting and supporting at the same time, the dynamic matching of head face necessary support and permanent support in multi-dimensional space. In terms of key core technologies, the cutting head has gone through three styles: longitudinal axis style, horizontal axis style with full width and full-face style. On the basis of continuous breakthroughs in the high-power density reducer and design concept of whole machine, a series of high-efficiency cutting systems with longitudinal cutting power up to 315 kW and full-width transverse cutting power up to 560 kW has been successfully developed. Supporting operation is developed from the traditional single anchor drilling rig to machine-arm mounted, machine mounted anchor drilling rig, anchor drilling rig with one-key operation, and anchor drilling rig cluster, etc. The number of drilling rigs and operation safety in limited space have been greatly improved, and the operation process has been greatly simplified. Intelligent technologies such as anchor hole identification and automatic planning of anchor path have entered the industrial test stage. The invention of the flexible transport system solves the efficient transfer problem of coal in short distances in tunnel. In terms of integrated equipment configuration, four types of fast excavation modes led by continuous mining machine, bolter miner, roadheader and TBM have been formed. Many different operation lines have been formed under the four rapid excavation modes, that form a full coverage of rapid excavation under various geological conditions. At the system level, intelligent functions such as remote control, centralized control, video monitoring, locking linkage, and personnel approach warning have been realized. Based on the development process of rapid tunneling, the development directions of intelligent tunneling are finally proposed, which contains the theory improvement of multi-dimensional synchronous rapid tunneling in time and space, the data collection for transparent geology based on intelligent excavation, the research of auxiliary operation technology and equipment of tunneling roadway, and the research and development of equipment intelligent technology.

Abstract In China, traditional medications for osteoporosis have significant side effects, low compliance, and high costs, making it urgent to explore new treatment options. Probiotics have demonstrated superiority in the treatment of various chronic diseases, and the reduction of bone mass in postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) is closely related to the degradation and metabolism of intestinal probiotics. It is crucial to explore the role and molecular mechanisms of probiotics in alleviating PMOP through their metabolites, as well as their therapeutic effects. We aim to identify key probiotics and their metabolites that affect bone loss in PMOP through 16srDNA sequencing combined with non-targeted metabolomics sequencing, and explore the impact and possible mechanisms of key probiotics and their metabolites on the progression of PMOP in the context of osteoporosis caused by estrogen deficiency. The sequencing results showed a significant decrease in Lactobacillus acidophilus and butyrate in PMOP patients. In vivo experiments confirmed that the intervention of L. acidophilus and butyrate significantly inhibited osteoclast formation and bone resorption activity, improved intestinal barrier permeability, suppressed B cells, and the production of RANKL on B cells, effectively reduced systemic bone loss induced by oophorectomy, with butyric acid levels regulated by L. acidophilus. Consistently, in vitro experiments have confirmed that butyrate can directly inhibit the formation of osteoclasts and bone resorption activity. The above research results indicate that there are various pathways through which L. acidophilus inhibits osteoclast formation and bone resorption activity through butyrate. Intervention with L. acidophilus may be a safe and promising treatment strategy for osteoclast related bone diseases, such as PMOP.

Abstract Cardiovascular disease, primarily caused by atherosclerotic plaque formation, is a significant health concern. The early detection of these plaques is crucial for targeted therapies and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. This study presents PlaqueNet, a solution for segmenting coronary artery plaques from coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) images. For feature extraction, the advanced residual net module was utilized, which integrates a deepwise residual optimization module into network branches, enhances feature extraction capabilities, avoiding information loss, and addresses gradient issues during training. To improve segmentation accuracy, a depthwise atrous spatial pyramid pooling based on bicubic efficient channel attention (DASPP-BICECA) module is introduced. The BICECA component amplifies the local feature sensitivity, whereas the DASPP component expands the network’s information-gathering scope, resulting in elevated segmentation accuracy. Additionally, BINet, a module for joint network loss evaluation, is proposed. It optimizes the segmentation model without affecting the segmentation results. When combined with the DASPP-BICECA module, BINet enhances overall efficiency. The CCTA segmentation algorithm proposed in this study outperformed the other three comparative algorithms, achieving an intersection over Union of 87.37%, Dice of 93.26%, accuracy of 93.12%, mean intersection over Union of 93.68%, mean Dice of 96.63%, and mean pixel accuracy value of 96.55%.

Abstract Research has demonstrated the positive effect of natural environment on human restoration and well-being. Time spent in nature can often alleviate both physiological and psychological stress. However, few studies have discussed the environmental health effects of the nature’s components and characteristics. Sixty volunteers were recruited and one manufactured environment and five different natural environments were randomly assigned to them, including coniferous forests (pure coniferous forest-PC and mixed coniferous forest-MC), broad-leaved forests (pure broad-leaved forest-PB and mixed broad-leaved forest-MB), and mixed forest (mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest-MCB). Each volunteer sat in a built or natural environment and looked around the environment for 15 min. Physiological (HR, HRV, BP, pulse rate and salivary cortisol) and psychological indicators (POMS and STAI) were used to evaluate the changes in their stress level. Results indicated a strong difference in HR, HRV, POMS and STAI between the built and natural environment, which showed that natural environment can lower the stress level. MC had the best effect on relieving physiological stress, whereas MCB is most successful in improving emotional state and reducing anxiety. Broad-leaved forest and mixed forest significantly affected the DBP and vigor level of the subjects, respectively. While coniferous forest did significantly increase the concentration of salivary cortisol in subjects. The study confirmed that compared to the built environment, the natural environment can relieve the human body's physical and psychological stress and negative emotions, while significantly increasing vitality. And different plant communities also have different effects on the physiological and psychological indicators of the subjects. These results will provide scientific basis for the construction and improvement of urban green space environment.

Abstract Hemorrhagic toxin (TcsH) is a major virulence factor produced by Paeniclostridium sordellii, which is a non-negligible threat to women undergoing childbirth or abortions. Recently, Transmembrane Serine Protease 2 (TMPRSS2) was identified as a host receptor of TcsH. Here, we show the cryo-EM structures of the TcsH-TMPRSS2 complex and uncover that TcsH binds to the serine protease domain (SPD) of TMPRSS2 through the CROP unit-VI. This receptor binding mode is unique among LCTs. Five top surface loops of TMPRSS2SPD, which also determine the protease substrate specificity, constitute the structural determinants recognized by TcsH. The binding of TcsH inhibits the proteolytic activity of TMPRSS2, whereas its implication in disease manifestations remains unclear. We further show that mutations selectively disrupting TMPRSS2-binding reduce TcsH toxicity in the intestinal epithelium of the female mice. These findings together shed light on the distinct molecular basis of TcsH-TMPRSS2 interactions, which expands our knowledge of host recognition mechanisms employed by LCTs and provides novel targets for developing therapeutics against P. sordellii infections.

Background: Traumatic injuries to the lower extremities are frequently accompanied by extensive soft tissue loss, combined with vascular damage or exposure of bony tissues, making it difficult to reconstruct; consequently, patients are commonly at risk of amputation. Due to its superior anatomical and biochemical properties, the omental flap has been used to reconstruct soft tissue defects for decades. However, few studies have reported the omental flap's effectiveness in treating severe and complex lower extremity deformities. We attempted to use a laparoscopically harvested omental flap in conjunction with a second-stage skin graft to reduce infections during limb preservation, increase flap survival probability, and restore the aesthetic and functional integrity of the affected extremity. Methods: Seventeen patients with severe lower extremity wounds underwent omental flap transplantation and were followed up for 6 to 12 months to check for surgical complications, evaluate cosmetic results, and ensure proper limb function. Results: There were no complications, such as intestinal adhesion, intestinal volvulus, and peritonitis, with any of the omental grafts. The affected extremities were well-functioning and aesthetically pleasing. Conclusion: Laparoscopically harvested omental flap transplantation with skin grafting is an alternative reconstruction technique for severe lower extremity injuries with massive soft tissue loss and exposed bones and tendons.

The cyclic oxidation and topologically close-packed (TCP) phase precipitation behaviors of β-(Ni, Pt)Al coatings with different Pt/Al ratios at 1150 °C were investigated. In the initial oxidation stage, coatings with different Pt/Al ratios exhibited comparable high-temperature oxidation resistance, likely due to a similar level of Al absorption. Subsequently, oxide spallation was common for coatings with lower Pt/Al ratios due to the formation of fine-grained alumina and a “sandwich” structure (a multilayer porous structure) oxide scale. For coatings with higher Pt/Al ratios, severe rumpling occurred, and numerous cracks formed in the oxide scale. However, sufficient Al concentration in the outer zone and the improved deformation tolerance of the oxide scale enhanced the spallation resistance of the thermally grown oxide (TGO). Furthermore, a higher Pt/Al ratio promotes uphill diffusion of Al, which reduces its migration into the substrate, thereby diminishing TCP precipitation. Coatings with the same Pt/Al ratios but higher Pt and Al contents further reduced TCP precipitation after oxidation. This improvement is attributed to the initially lower Al concentration in these coatings' secondary reaction zone (SRZ) and their greater thickness.

Objectives: To explore the effects of perioperative SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection on postoperative complications in patients with liver cancer. Methods: A propensity-matched study was conducted, which included patients with primary liver cancer who underwent hepatectomy from September 01, 2022 to January 20, 2023. Patients who infected SARS-CoV-2 Omicron during the perioperative period (7 days before to 30 days after surgery) were matched 1:1 with noninfected patients. The primary outcomes, which were COVID-19-related major complications and liver resection-specific complications, were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Results: A total of 243 patients were included, with 63 cases of perioperative infections, of which 62 were postoperative infections. The overall 30-day postoperative mortality rate was 1.6% (4/243). Compared to noninfected patients, those with perioperative infections showed no significant difference in the occurrence of adverse postoperative outcomes. However, they had a higher rate of 30-day readmission after surgery (11.1% vs 0%, P = 0.013). Perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection was not associated with “major cardiorespiratory complications” or “liver resection-specific complications”, but age, pre-existing comorbidities, and tumor type were related to these outcomes. Conclusion: Perioperative SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection did not increase the incidence of postoperative complications in patients with liver cancer. However, those patients had a higher rate of 30-day readmission after surgery.

AbstractThe aim of this study is to analyze the risk factors associated with the development of adenomatous and malignant polyps in the gallbladder. Adenomatous polyps of the gallbladder are considered precancerous and have a high likelihood of progressing into malignancy. Preoperatively, distinguishing between benign gallbladder polyps, adenomatous polyps, and malignant polyps is challenging. Therefore, the objective is to develop a neural network model that utilizes these risk factors to accurately predict the nature of polyps. This predictive model can be employed to differentiate the nature of polyps before surgery, enhancing diagnostic accuracy. A retrospective study was done on patients who had cholecystectomy surgeries at the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery of the Second People’s Hospital of Shenzhen between January 2017 and December 2022. The patients’ clinical characteristics, lab results, and ultrasonographic indices were examined. Using risk variables for the growth of adenomatous and malignant polyps in the gallbladder, a neural network model for predicting the kind of polyps will be created. A normalized confusion matrix, PR, and ROC curve were used to evaluate the performance of the model. In this comprehensive study, we meticulously analyzed a total of 287 cases of benign gallbladder polyps, 15 cases of adenomatous polyps, and 27 cases of malignant polyps. The data analysis revealed several significant findings. Specifically, hepatitis B core antibody (95% CI −0.237 to 0.061, p

BackgroundType 2 diabetes (T2D) frequently co-occurs with respiratory system diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchial asthma, lung cancer, interstitial lung disease, and pulmonary tuberculosis. Although a potential association is noted between these conditions, the available research is limited.ObjectiveTo investigate the causal relationship between patients with T2D and respiratory system diseases using two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis.MethodsCausal relationships were inferred using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis based on publicly available genome-wide association studies. We employed the variance inverse-weighted method as the primary analytical approach based on three key assumptions underlying MR analysis. To bolster the robustness and reliability of our results, we utilized MR Egger’s intercept test to detect potential pleiotropy, Cochran’s Q test to assess heterogeneity, funnel plots to visualize potential bias, and “leave-one-out” sensitivity analysis to ensure that our findings were not unduly influenced by any single genetic variant.ResultThe inverse variance weighted (IVW) analysis indicated a causal relationship between T2D and COPD [Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.87; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.82–0.96; p 0.05), and the statistical power calculations indicated that the results were reliable. The IVW analysis showed a negative causal relationship between T2D and bronchial asthma [OR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.81–0.89; p

IntroductionRevealing individual characteristics is supportive for identifying individuals in forensic crime. As saliva is one of the most common biological samples used in crime scenes, it is important to make full use of the rich individual information contained in saliva. The aim of this study was to explore the application of the microbiome in forensic science by analysing differences in the salivary microbiome and metabolome of healthy individuals with different dietary habits.MethodsWe performed 16S rDNA sequencing analysis based on oral saliva samples collected from 12 vegetarians, 12 seafood omnivores and 12 beef and lamb omnivores. Non-targeted metabolomics analyses were also performed based on saliva samples from healthy individuals.ResultsThe results showed that the dominant flora of vegetarians was dominated by Neisseria (belonging to the phylum Proteobacteria), while seafood omnivores and beef and lamb omnivores were dominated by Streptococcus (belonging to the phylum Firmicutes). NDMS-based and cluster analyses showed that vegetarian dieters were significantly differentiated from meat dieters (seafood omnivores and beef and lamb omnivores), which may be related to the fact that high-fiber diets can create a different salivary flora structure. Variants were also detected in salivary metabolic pathways, including positive correlations with Lipid metabolism, Amino acid metabolism, Carbohydrate metabolism, and Nucleotide metabolism in vegetarians, and correlations in seafood omnivores. In order to select salivary microorganisms and metabolic markers that can distinguish different dietary profiles, a random forest classifier model was constructed in this study, and the results showed that individuals with different dietary profiles could be successfully distinguished based on the core genera and metabolites such as Streptococcus, Histidinyl-Valine.ConclusionOur study provides a supportive basis for the application of salivary polyomics in order to reveal the dietary characteristics of individuals for forensic investigation and crime solving.

Introduction: Genomic profiling has revolutionized therapeutic interventions and the clinical management of liver cancer. However, pathogenetic mechanisms, molecular determinants of recurrence, and predictive biomarkers for first-line treatment (anti-PD-(L)1 plus bevacizumab) in liver cancer remain incompletely understood.Materials and methods: Targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) (a 603-cancer-gene panel) was applied for the genomic profiling of 232 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 22 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) patients, among which 47 unresectable/metastatic HCC patients underwent anti-PD-1 plus bevacizumab therapy. Genomic alterations were estimated for their association with vascular invasion (VI), location of onset, recurrence, overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and anti-PD-1 plus bevacizumab therapy response.Results: The genomic landscape exhibited that the most commonly altered genes in HCC were TP53, FAT3, PDE4DIP, KMT2C, FAT1, and MYO18A, while TP53, FAT1, FAT3, PDE4DIP, ROS1, and GALNT11 were frequently altered in ICC; notably, KRAS (18.18% vs. 1.29%) and BAP1 (13.64% vs. 1.29%) alterations were significantly more prevalent in ICC. Comparison analysis demonstrated the distinct clinicopathological/genomic characterizations between Chinese and Western HCC cohorts. Genomic profiling of HCC underlying VI showed that LDLR, MSH2, KDM5D, PDE3A, and FOXO1 were frequently altered in the VI group compared to patients without VIs. Compared to the right hepatic lobes of HCC patients, the left hepatic lobe of HCC patients had superior OS (median OS: 36.77 months vs. unreached, p < 0.05). By further comparison, Notch signaling pathway-related alterations were significantly prevalent among the right hepatic lobes of HCC patients. Of note, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that altered RB1, NOTCH3, MGA, SYNE1, and ZFHX3, as independent prognostic factors, were significantly correlated with the OS of HCC patients. Furthermore, altered LATS1 was abundantly enriched in the HCC-recurrent group, and impressively, it was independent of clinicopathological features in predicting RFS (median RFS of altered type vs. wild-type: 5.57 months vs. 22.47 months, p < 0.01). Regarding those treated HCC patients, TMB value, altered PTPRZ1, and cell cycle-related alterations were identified to be positively associated with the objective response rate (ORR), but KMT2D alterations were negatively correlated with ORR. In addition, altered KMT2D and cell cycle signaling were significantly associated with reduced and increased time to progression-free survival (PFS), respectively.Conclusion: Comprehensive genomic profiling deciphered distinct molecular characterizations underlying VI, location of onset, recurrence, and survival time in liver cancer. The identification of novel genetic predictors of response to anti-PD-1 plus bevacizumab in HCC facilitated the development of an evidence-based approach to therapy.

During aging, the brain is subject to greater oxidative stress (OS), which is thought to play a critical role in cognitive impairment. Glutathione (GSH), as a major antioxidant in the brain, can be used to combat OS. However, how brain GSH levels vary with age and their associations with cognitive function is unclear. In this study, we combined point-resolved spectroscopy and edited spectroscopy sequences to investigate extended and closed forms GSH levels in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and occipital cortex (OC) of 276 healthy participants (extended form, 166 females, age range 20–70 years) and 15 healthy participants (closed form, 7 females, age range 26–56 years), and examined their relationships with age and cognitive function. The results revealed decreased extended form GSH levels with age in the PCC among 276 participants. Notably, the timecourse of extended form GSH level changes in the PCC and ACC differed between males and females. Additionally, positive correlations were observed between extended form GSH levels in the PCC and OC and visuospatial memory. Additionally, a decreased trend of closed form GSH levels with age was also observed in the PCC among 15 participants. Taken together, these findings enhance our understanding of the brain both closed and extended form GSH time course during normal aging and associations with sex and memory, which is an essential first step for understanding the neurochemical underpinnings of healthy aging.

Summary: For a long time, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) dilated in circulation system of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients have been puzzling clinicians. Various evidence shows that MDSCs constitute the bulk of immunosuppression in CRC, which is related to tumor growth, adhesion, invasion, metastasis, and immune escape. However, the mechanisms underlying these cells formation remain incompletely understood. In this study, we reported that CRC cell-derived LC3-dependent extracellular vesicles (LDEVs)-mediated M-MDSCs formation via TLR2-MYD88 pathway. Furthermore Hsp60 was the LDEVs surface ligand that triggered these MDSCs induction. In clinical studies, we reported that accumulation of circulating M-MDSCs as well as IL-10 and arginase1 secretion were reliant upon the levels of tumor cell-derived LDEVs in CRC patients. These findings indicated how local tumor cell-derived extracellular vesicles influence distal hematopoiesis and provided novel justification for therapeutic targeting of LDEVs in patients with CRC.

The technology and equipment of speedy drivage with driving and bolting integration of soft surrounding rock is an urgent need for safe and efficient mining and intelligent construction of coal mines. Based on the background of mining roadway engineering with such a swelling soft rock and jointed soft rock , the development status of speedy drivage technology of bolter miner at home and abroad is sorted out, and three problems faced by speedy drivage of bolter miner under soft surrounding rock conditions are analyzed, including: disturbance control of surrounding rock by full width cutting, timely and efficient permanent support of soft surrounding rock, temporary support of lateral wall in speedy drivage of soft surrounding rock. Five key technologies for speedy drivage of soft surrounding rock are proposed, including: ① Low disturbance cutting technology. It mainly includes elliptical full-width cutting drum, pick arrangement optimization, cutting dynamics optimization, etc. ② Timely support technology to reduce the distance between coal face and permanent support for roof or lateral wall. This technology is based on the integrated technology of excavation and anchoring. Through the research of the multi-driller integral sliding platform integrating double cylindrical guidance, multi-link lifting, supporting oil cylinder top and bottom support, and follow-up gangue curtain protection, the distance between coal face and permanent roof support of the bolter miner is reduced from 2.5 m to 1 m, and the empty side distance is reduced from 3.5 m to 1 m. ③ Multi-dimensional collaborative support technology of soft surrounding rock. Considering the space-time synergistic effect between the bolt and anchor cable support parameters and the synergistic effect between the support body and the surrounding rock, the low-density strong bolt support is used to control the roof at the head, and the enhanced permanent support is implemented simultaneously at the rear. ④ Drilling anchor integration technology. It mainly includes bolt structure and mechanical properties, anchoring agent materials and pumping. ⑤ Coal side spraying temporary support technology. It mainly includes fast reaction high elongation spraying material, high proportion precision spraying pumping, irregular coal wall surface adaptive trajectory control, mine explosion-proof high-precision mechanical arm, spraying material matching supply, etc. Based on the above content, a controllable operation empty top distance bolter miner was developed and underground tests were carried out.The test shows that the equipment effectively shortens the empty roof distance and empty side distance, realizes the ' controllable ' empty roof distance, adapts to the speedy drivage of soft surrounding rock roadway, and doubles the excavation efficiency.

Abstract Background Cardiac masses can encompass a variety of conditions, such as tumors, thrombi, vegetations, calcific lesions, and other rare diseases. Treatment and management of these types of cardiac masses differ considerably. Thus, accurately distinguishing among thrombi, benign tumors, and malignant tumors in the heart is of great importance. Contrast echocardiography (CE) has emerged as a promising technology. Although published guidelines suggest that CE can enhance image quality and assist in differentiating between benign and malignant lesions, most studies on CE diagnosis of cardiac masses are limited to case reports or retrospective/small-sample-sized prospective cohorts. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CE in patients with suspected cardiac masses and address the insufficient evidence for differential diagnosis using CE. Methods Between April 2018 and July 2022, a prospective multicenter study was conducted, which included 145 consecutive patients suspected to have cardiac masses based on transthoracic echocardiography. All patients underwent CE examinations. The echocardiographic diagnosis relied on qualitative factors such as echogenicity, boundary, morphology of the base, mass perfusion, pericardial effusion, and motility as well as quantitative factors such as the area of the masses and the peak intensity ratio of the masses to adjacent myocardium (A1/A2). Results The final confirmed diagnoses were as follows: 2 patients had no cardiac mass, 4 patients had pseudomass, 43 patients had thrombus, 66 patients had benign tumors, and 30 patients had malignant tumors. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that an optimal A1/A2 cutoff value of 0.499 distinguished a cardiac tumor from a thrombus, with AUC, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 0.977, 97.9%, 90.7%, 95.9%, and 95.1%, respectively. The optimal A1/A2 cutoff value of 1.583 distinguished a cardiac tumor from a thrombus, with AUC, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 0.950, 93.3%, 93.9%, 87.5%, and 96.9%, respectively. Conclusions Combined with qualitative and quantitative analyses, CE has the potential to accurately differentiate among different types of cardiac masses.

Objective Regular monitoring of serum potassium after a total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is a form of routine examination that can help detect abnormal serum potassium levels and reduce the incidences of adverse events that may occur on account of postoperative hypokalemia. Previous studies rarely discussed hypokalemia after joint replacement. In the present study, our primary goal was to investigate the incidence and possible risk factors of hypokalemia after a total hip and knee replacement procedure was performed. Methods This study included patients who underwent a unilateral total knee or hip arthroplasty in our department between April 2017 and March 2018. Serum potassium levels pre and post operation were collected and retrospectively analyzed. The differences in age, gender, body mass index (BMI), history of diseases, red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin, hematocrit, glomerular filtration rate, ejection fraction, blood glucose, urine creatinine, urea nitrogen, intraoperative blood loss, operation time, drainage, preoperative potassium, surgery type, were compared between those patients diagnosed with hypokalemia and their non‐hypokalemia at different times post surgery. Thereafter, the risk factors of postoperative hypokalemia patients were analyzed using statistical procedure multiple logistic regression model. Results The risk of hypokalemia after TJA was 53.1%, while, that on the first, third, and fifth day after operation was 12.5%, 40.7%, and 9.6% respectively. The serum potassium level on the first, third, and fifth postoperative days was 3.84 ± 0.32, 3.59 ± 0.34, and 3.80 ± 0.32 mmol/l, respectively. However, the level on the third day appeared to be the lowest (p = 0.015) of them all. The independent risk factors for hypokalemia after a total hip and knee replacement were the level of preoperative serum potassium concentration (p = 0.011), preoperative red blood cells counts (p = 0.027), and history of diabetes (p = 0.007). Conclusion Regular monitoring of serum potassium concentration should be performed post TJA. We need to pay more attention to the patient's preoperative potassium levels along with their red blood cell counts especially in patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

ObjectiveTo describe clinical and epidemiological characteristics of cases infected with novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant diagnosed during February – May, 2023 in a district of Beijing city for effective containment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic.MethodsThe surveyed cases were 110 laboratory-confirmed novel SARS-CoV-2 variant infections diagnosed in sampling inspection and surveillance at customs departments and medical institutions and reported to health agency of Chaoyang district of Beijing city during February – May, 2023. The collected data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. The novel SARS-CoV-2 variant refers to the SARS-CoV-2 strains not detected previously in the district (except for BA.5.2/ BF.7 and their sub-variants).ResultsThe 110 cases were consisted of 64 males and 46 females, with a median age of 32 years; compared to those in the local cases, significantly higher median age and proportions of COVID19 vaccination and secondary attack were observed in the 72 (65.45% of all the cases) imported cases (P < 0.05 for all). Among all the cases, 100 (90.91%) were identified as having infections of SARS-CoV-2 XBB variant and subvariants based on whole-genome sequencing analysis. The number of symptomatic cases was 100 (90.91% of all cases) and main clinic symptoms were fever (66.00% in proportion), sore throat (53.00%), and cough (52.00%); and 35.00% of the symptomatic cases could be diagnosed as influenza-like illness. Significantly more symptomatic cases were observed in initial infections than in the reinfections (P = 0.004). For all the cases, The duration of negative seroconversion of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid or antigen was 5.92 ± 2.95 days and the disease course of was 5.00 (percentile 25∶4.00, percentile 75∶8.75) days. Compared to the cases with initial infection, the cases with reinfection had significant shorter duration (5.08 ± 2.60 days vs. 6.49 ± 3.06 days) of negative seroconversion of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid or antigen (P = 0.026). Prevalence of clinical symptoms and the duration of negative seroconversion of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid or antigen were not significantly different between the cases with SARS-CoV-2 XBB variant infection and the cases with non-XBB infection (P > 0.05). The epidemiological survey among the 110 cases identified totally 252 intimately close contacts and the secondary attack rate in the close contacts was 12.70%; the secondary attack rate was higher in the contacts of non-XBB variant infections than in the contacts of XBB variant infections.ConclusionDuring February to May 2023 in a district of Beijing, the majority of reported novel SARS-CoV-2 variant cases were imported cases; most of the local cases were initial infections; the proportion of symptomatic cases was higher in initial infections than that in the reinfections but the initial infections had a longer duration of negative seroconversion of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid or antigen than the reinfections; the secondary attack rate was higher in the contacts of non-XBB variant infections than in the contacts of XBB variant infections.

Abstract Paeniclostridium sordellii lethal toxin (TcsL) is a potent exotoxin that causes lethal toxic shock syndrome associated with fulminant bacterial infections. TcsL belongs to the large clostridial toxin (LCT) family. Here, we report that TcsL with varied lengths of combined repetitive oligopeptides (CROPs) deleted show increased autoproteolysis as well as higher cytotoxicity. We next present cryo-EM structures of full-length TcsL, at neutral (pH 7.4) and acidic (pH 5.0) conditions. The TcsL at neutral pH exhibits in the open conformation, which resembles reported TcdB structures. Low pH induces the conformational change of partial TcsL to the closed form. Two intracellular interfaces are observed in the closed conformation, which possibly locks the cysteine protease domain and hinders the binding of the host receptor. Our findings provide insights into the structure and function of TcsL and reveal mechanisms for CROPs-mediated modulation of autoproteolysis and cytotoxicity, which could be common across the LCT family.

Abstract Network flow watermark technology is a traffic marking technique that embeds watermark information into the characteristics of network flows to mark and trace attack flows generated by network attackers. However, with the development of network attack techniques, the time and number of packets required for network attacks have decreased. Existing network flow watermark technologies fail to balance watermark robustness and efficiency, resulting in poor practicality. To address this issue, this paper proposes an efficient hexadecimal network flow watermark method. The method introduces an efficient interval watermark algorithm and utilizes an interval synchronization algorithm to self-learn watermark parameters, thereby improving the encoding efficiency of the watermark. The design of watermark start and end markers ensures the practicality of network watermarks, enabling traceability and source attribution of attack flows in real network environments. The proposed method is experimentally tested using real network traffic, and the results demonstrate that even in the presence of a network jitter, the watermark detection success rate of this scheme remains above 95%. Compared to other network flow watermark schemes, the hexadecimal network flow watermark proposed in this paper achieves a 50% improvement in encoding and decoding efficiency while ensuring robustness. It also exhibits excellent resistance to network jitter, packet loss, and false packet insertion.

The [3 + 2] cycloadditions of stabilized azomethine ylides (AMYs) derived from amino esters are well-established. However, the reactions of semi-stabilized AMYs generated from decarboxylative condensation of α-amino acids with arylaldehydes are much less explored. The [3 + 2] adducts of α-amino acids could be used for a second [3 + 2] cycloaddition as well as for other post-condensation modifications. This article highlights our recent work on the development of α-amino acid-based [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of N–H-type AMYs in multicomponent, one-pot, and stepwise reactions for the synthesis of diverse heterocycles related to some bioactive compounds and natural products.

The “seesaw relationship” between thermal conductivity and thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) in most high temperature ceramics has become an obstacle to the design of long-life multilayer thermal/environmental barrier coatings (T/EBC). Due to low thermal conductivity and CTE, defect fluorite type high-entropy rare earth (RE) hafnates have drawn a lot of interest for potential application in T/EBC systems. This work designs and synthesizes the (Dy0.2Ho0.2Er0.2Tm0.2Lu0.2)2Hf2O7 with comprehensive thermal performance and investigates the thermophysical mechanism from the phonon scale. In addition to the lattice distortion effect caused by the point defects of multicomponent substitutional atoms in (Dy0.2Ho0.2Er0.2Tm0.2Lu0.2)2Hf2O7, the oxygen vacancies in the defect fluorite lattice also play a critical role in reducing the thermal conductivity. From microscopic thermal expansion behavior, the low-frequency optic phonons originated from the vibration of RE atoms are the key factors in altering CTE for hafnates. And doping smaller RE ions is beneficial for enhancing the RE–O bond strength and further reducing CTE. The results contribute to the understanding of high-entropy strategic design and suggest that (Dy0.2Ho0.2Er0.2Tm0.2Lu0.2)2Hf2O7 is a promising top layer material in the implementation of T/EBC.

Tunnel fires are generally detected using various sensors, including measuring temperature, CO concentration, and smoke concentration. To address the ambiguity and inconsistency in multi-sensor data, this paper proposes a tunnel fire detection method based on an improved Dempster-Shafer (DS) evidence theory for multi-sensor data fusion. To solve the problem of evidence conflict in the DS theory, a two-level multi-sensor data fusion framework is adopted. The first level of fusion involves feature fusion of the same type of sensor data, removing ambiguous data to obtain characteristic data, and calculating the basic probability assignment (BPA) function through the feature interval. The second-level fusion derives basic probability numbers from the BPA, calculates the degree of evidence conflict, normalizes the BPA to obtain the relative conflict degree, and optimizes the BPA using the trust coefficient. The classical DS evidence theory is then used to integrate and obtain the probability of tunnel fire occurrence. Different heat release rates, tunnel wind speeds, and fire locations are set, forming six fire scenarios. Sensor monitoring data under each simulation condition are extracted and fused using the improved DS evidence theory. The results show that there is a 67.5%, 83.5%, 76.8%, 83%, 79.6%, and 84.1% probability of detecting fire when it occurs, respectively, and identifies fire occurrence in approximately 2.4 s, an improvement from 64.7% to 70% over traditional methods. This demonstrates the feasibility and superiority of the proposed method, highlighting its significant importance in ensuring personnel safety.

This paper details the development and verification tests of an open-source code named hy2LPTFoam intended for solving high-speed non-equilibrium gas-particle flows in OpenFOAM. The solver, based on hy2Foam for high-speed non-equilibrium gas flow, integrates multiple particle force models, heat transfer models, the diffusion-based smoothing method, and the MPPIC method. The verification tests incorporate interactions between shock waves and particle curtains with varying particle volume fractions, a JPL nozzle generating a two-phase gas–particle flow, and a Mars entry body with two particle inflow mass fractions. The tests yield good physical agreement with numerical and experimental data from the literature.

Tetrahedral copper(I) clusters [Cu4(MBIZ)4(PPh3)2] (2), [Cu4(MBOZ)4(PPh3)4] (6) (MBIZ = 2-mercaptobenzimidazole, MBOZ = 2-mercaptobenzoxazole) were prepared by regulation of the copper-thiolate clusters [Cu6(MBIZ)6] (1) and [Cu8(MBOZ)8I]− (5) with PPh3. With the presence of iodide anion, the regulation provided the iodide-containing clusters [CuI4(MBIZ)3(PPh3)3I] (3) and [CuI4(MBOZ)3(PPh3)3I] (7). The cyclic voltammogram of 3 in MeCN (0.1 M nBu4NPF6, 298 K) at a scan rate of 100 mV s−1 shows two oxidation processes at Epa = +0.11 and +0.45 V with return waves observed at Epc = +0.25 V (vs. Fc+/Fc). Complex 3 has a higher capability to lose and gain electrons in the redox processes than complexes 2, 4, 4′, 6, and 7. Its thermal stability was confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis. The catalytic performance of 3 was demonstrated by the catalytic transformation of iodobenzenes to benzonitriles using AIBN as the cyanide source. The nitrile products show potential applications in the preparation of 1,3,5-triazine compounds for organic fluorescence materials.

Abstract Pulmonary thromboembolism caused by thrombi blocking major pulmonary artery and its branches, is a frequently encountered phenomenon and an important cause of high morbidity and mortality in lung diseases and may develop into persistent pulmonary hypertension (PH). Nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) signaling pathway had been reported participated in the formation and development of PH by promoting inflammatory response. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of NF‐κB activation on the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) in acute pulmonary microthromboembolism (APMTE) rats. Rats were randomized into five groups. APMTE group received jugular vein injection of autologous thrombus, while control group rats received normal saline injection. Pulmonary hemodynamic parameters were measured through ECHO‐guided transthoracic puncture. Pulmonary vascular morphological changes were analyzed by HE. The expression changes of NF‐κB and serum TNF‐α、IL‐1β levels were detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Protein expression of the MAPK/NF‐κB signaling pathway including p‐IκBα, p‐p38 MAPK, p‐NF‐κB p65, IκBα, p38 MAPK, and NF‐κB p65 was determined using western blot analysis. Compared with control group, the expression of NF‐κB in lung tissue and the levels of serum TNF‐α and IL‐1β rats were higher, a significant reduction in IκBα and elevation in the phosphorylation of IκBα, p38 MAPK, and NF‐κB p65 were found in APMTE group rats. And UK administration reversed the APMTE‐induced increase in TNF‐α, IL‐1β, p‐IκBα, p‐MAPK, and p‐NF‐κB protein. Furthermore, the levels of NF‐κB, TNF‐α, and IL‐1β were positively correlated with mean pulmonary artery. And the levels of TNF‐α and IL‐1β were positively correlated with NF‐κB. These findings suggest that the activation of MAPK/NF‐κB pathway as a critical driver of increasing TNF‐α and IL‐1β level in APMTE rats and UK exerted protective effects against APMTE‐induced PH may be related to the downregulation of the MAPK/NF‐κB signaling pathway.

Background Cuproptosis is a novel type of mediated cell death strongly associated with the progression of several cancers and has been implicated as a potential therapeutic target. However, the role of cuproptosis in cholangiocarcinoma for prognostic prediction, subgroup classification, and therapeutic strategies remains largely unknown. Methods A systematic analysis was conducted among 146 cuproptosis-related genes and clinical information based on independent mRNA and protein datasets to elucidate the potential mechanisms and prognostic prediction value of cuproptosis-related genes. A 10-cuproptosis-related gene prediction model was constructed, and its effects on cholangiocarcinoma prognosis were significantly connected to poor patient survival. Additionally, the expression patterns of our model included genes that were validated with several cholangiocarcinoma cancer cell lines and a normal biliary epithelial cell line. Results First, a 10-cuproptosis-related gene signature ( ADAM9, ADAM17, ALB, AQP1, CDK1, MT2A, PAM, SOD3 , STEAP3 , and TMPRSS6 ) displayed excellent predictive performance for the overall survival of cholangiocarcinoma. The low-cuproptosis group had a significantly better prognosis than the high-cuproptosis group with transcriptome and protein cohorts. Second, compared with the high-risk and low-risk groups, the 2 groups displayed distinct tumor microenvironments, reduced proportions of endothelial cells, and increased levels of cancer-associated fibroblasts based on CIBERSORTx and EPIC analyses. Third, patients’ sensitivities to chemotherapeutic drugs and immune checkpoints revealed distinctive differences between the 2 groups. Finally, in replicating the expression patterns of the 10 genes, these results were validated with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction results validating the abnormal expression pattern of the target genes in cholangiocarcinoma. Conclusions Collectively, we established and verified an effective prognostic model that could separate cholangiocarcinoma patients into 2 heterogeneous cuproptosis subtypes based on the molecular or protein characteristics of 10 cuproptosis-related genes. These findings may provide potential benefits for unveiling molecular characteristics and defining subgroups could improve the early diagnosis and individualized treatment of cholangiocarcinoma patients.