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BackgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common malignancy affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Extensive research indicates that basement membranes (BMs) may play a crucial role in the initiation and progression of the disease.MethodsData on the RNA expression patterns and clinicopathological information of patients with CRC were sourced from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. A BM-linked risk signature for the prediction of overall survival (OS) was formulated using univariate Cox regression and combined machine learning techniques. Survival outcomes, functional pathways, the tumor microenvironment (TME), and responses to both immunotherapy and chemotherapy within varying risk classifications were also investigated. The expression trends of the model genes were evaluated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database.ResultsA nine-gene risk signature containing UNC5C, TINAG, TIMP1, SPOCK3, MMP1, AGRN, UNC5A, ADAMTS4, and ITGA7 was constructed for the prediction of outcomes in patients with CRC. The expression profiles of these candidate genes were verified using RT-PCR and the HPA database and were found to be consistent with the findings on differential gene expression in the TCGA dataset. The validity of the signature was confirmed using the GEO cohort. The patients were stratified into different risk groups according to differences in clinicopathological characteristics, TME features, enrichment functions, and drug sensitivities. Lastly, the prognostic nomogram model based on the risk score was found to be effective in identifying high-risk patients and predicting OS.ConclusionA basement membrane-related risk signature was constructed and found to be effective for predicting the prognosis of patients with CRC.

A well-designed game can offer enormous opportunities for pragmatics learning by providing an immersive environment where learners can practice L2 in a variety of social contexts. To examine the applicability of gaming to L2 pragmatics learning, this study used the platform "Unity" to develop a scenario-based digital game ("Questaurant") to teach Chinese formulaic expressions. In the game, the player took the role of a robot who works in a restaurant in China and runs quests by interacting with built-in characters. The game incorporated four key gaming attributes: "context (representation)", "goals", "feedback", and "interactivity". This paper reports the usability of these gaming attributes based on interview data collected from 12 learners of Chinese who completed the game. Results showed that the combination of "context" and "interactivity" in "Questaurant" delivered an engaging learning experience, while explicit "feedback" directly contributed to learning. Participants raised some concerns regarding the motivational appeal of "goals" and implicit "feedback" in the game. This paper further discusses implications for developing and utilizing digital games for pragmatics learning.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a crucial role in various aquatic environments, while comprehensive insights into DOM and its relations with heavy metals in drinking water sources are still lacking. Here, we choose the drinking water sources of Anhui province (China) as a typical case, exploring the occurrence of DOM and its relationship with heavy metals in 159 major drinking water sources. Results indicate the occurrence levels of DOM and three identified fluorescent components in the surface water (rivers, lakes, reservoirs) are significantly higher than that in the groundwater, while there was no significant difference in the occurrence levels of the chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) among the drinking water sources. Significant correlations between the DOM and heavy metals indicate that DOM could be used as a promising indicator for evaluating the occurrence and environmental behavior of some heavy metals in drinking water sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peroxiredoxin 1 (PRDX1) is an important member of the peroxiredoxin family (PRDX) and is upregulated in a variety of tumors. Previous studies have found that high PRDX1 expression is closely related to the metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but the specific molecular mechanism is elusive. To elucidate the role of PRDX1 in the metastasis process of OSCC, we evaluated the expression of PRDX1 in OSCC clinical specimens and its impact on the prognosis of OSCC patients. Then, the effect of PRDX1 on OSCC metastasis and cytoskeletal reconstruction was explored in vitro and in nude mouse tongue cancer models, and the molecular mechanisms were also investigated. PRDX1 can directly interact with the actin‐binding protein Cofilin, inhibiting the phosphorylation of its Ser3 site, accelerating the depolymerization and turnover of actin, promoting OSCC cell movement, and aggravating the invasion and metastasis of OSCC. In clinical samples and mouse tongue cancer models, PRDX1 also increased lymph node metastasis of OSCC and was negatively correlated with the phosphorylation of Cofilin; PRDX1 also reduced the overall survival rate of OSCC patients. In summary, our study identified that PRDX1 may be a potential therapeutic target to inhibit OSCC metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technology has great potential for second language (L2) pragmatics learning as it creates communicative contexts for learners to practice L2s. However, despite the growing interest in technology enhanced learning, the efficacy of using technology on L2 pragmatics remains unknown. This paper examines the role of technology in L2 pragmatics learning and synthesizes the learning outcomes in previous studies. The researchers addressed the following: (1) The use of technology to develop L2 learners' pragmatic competence; and (2) Pragnatics learning outcomes and the means to document them. Twenty one studies were selected after an exhaustive literature search and application of inclusion/exclusion criteria. The findings revealed three uses of technology: as an instructional tool; as a medium for communication; and as both. The findings showed positive results of using technology to facilitate pragmatics learning. However, the learning outcomes were documented in diverse ways across studies: through assessments before and after technology use or qualitative analysis on technology-mediated interaction. This paper further discusses how different conceptualizations of pragmatic competence affect technology use and learning outcomes.

Introduction Lung cancer is one of the most common and fatal malignant tumors worldwide (Siegel et al. 2017). Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 85% of all cases of [...], Compound K [C-K; 20-0-([beta]-D-glucopyranosyl)-20(S)-protopanaxadiol], as a metabolite of ginsenoside, has been verified to have antitumor effects in various cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the detailed mechanisms of C-K in NSCLC remain largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of C-K on apoptosis and autophagy in NSCLC cells as well as its related mechanisms. According to the results, C-K suppressed the proliferation, and led to G1 phase arrest and apoptosis in A549 and H1975 cells. Subsequently, C-K promoted autophagy, as confirmed by the enhanced rate of cells staining positive with acridine orange, increased levels of LC3II and Beclin-1, and with decreased levels of p62 in A549 and H1975 cells. Moreover, 3-methyladenine (3-MA; an inhibitor of autophagy) effectively suppressed the inhibition of proliferation and apoptosis that was induced with C-K. Finally, C-K treatment promoted the activation of the AMPK-mTOR and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathways. Treatment with compound C (AMPK inhibitor) or SP600125 (JNK inhibitor) significantly restrained the inhibition of proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy induced with C-K in A549 and H1975 cells. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that C-K promotes autophagy-mediated apoptosis in NSCLC via AMPK-mTOR and JNK signaling pathways. Key words: compound K, non-small cell lung cancer, apoptosis, autophagy, AMPK-mTOR. Le compose K [C-K; 20-0-([beta]-D-glucopyranosyl)-20(S)-protopanaxadiol], un metabolite du ginsenoside, s'avere exercer des effets antitu-moraux sur differents cancers, dont le cancer du poumon non a petites cellules (CPNPC). Toutefois, les mecanismes detailles de l'action du C-K dans les CPNPC demeurent essentiellement inconnus. Dans cette etude, les auteurs desiraient evaluer l'effet du C-K sur l'apoptose et l'autophagie des cellules de CPNPC de meme que les mecanismes d'action impliques. Selon les resultats, le C-K reprimait la proliferation et provoquait un arret du cycle cellulaire en phase G1 et l'apoptose des cellules A549 et H1975. Subsequemment, le C-K provoquait l'autophagie tel que confirme par l'accroissement du taux de coloration des cellules a l'acridine orange, accroissait les niveaux de LC3II et de Becline-1, tout en diminuant le niveau de p62 dans les cellules A549 et H1975. De plus, la 3-methyladenine (3-MA; un inhibiteur de l'autophagie) levait efficacement l'inhibition de la proliferation induite par le C-K. Finalement, un traitement au C-K activait les voies de signalisation AMPK-mTOR et JNK. Un traitement avec le compose C (inhibiteur de l'AMPK) ou le SP600125 (inhibiteur de JNK) limitait significativement l'inhibition de la proliferation, l'apoptose et l'autophagie induites par le C-K dans les cellules A549 et H1975. En conclusion, cette etude demontre que le C-K favorise l'apoptose mediee par l'autophagie dans les CPNPC par les voies de signalisation AMPK-mTOR et JNK. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: compose K, cancer pulmonaire non a petites cellules, apoptose, autophagie, AMPK-mTOR.

This study examined the effectiveness and usability of a scenario-based interactive practice in teaching Chinese formulaic expressions. Thirty students enrolled in Chinese classes in a U.S. university interacted with characters in videos featuring scenes recorded in Shanghai. Students were prompted to use formulaic expressions during their text-based interactions with built-in characters. Several game-like features were incorporated into the practice (e.g., a plot and settings, character selections, and point systems). Pre-, post-, and delayed posttest results showed that students made significant gains in their knowledge of formulaic expressions after the practice, and their knowledge was maintained 2 weeks later. Interviews with individual students revealed some features that motivated them with the practice (e.g., videorecordings of authentic situations, interactions with the characters). However, some students did not perceive the practice as a game-like experience because of the linear, structured nature of the practice and limited decision-making power, leaving room for design improvement in the future.

To address the problems of inadequate water and fertilizer retention performance of the substrate, which results in the waste of water and fertilizer resources and then contributes to existing agricultural non-point source pollution, this study selected raw materials with different water retention performances for substrate compounding and explored their water retention performance and impact on the growth, yield and quality of strawberries. The experimental setup utilized the strawberry cultivar 'Hongyan' as the test subject and incorporated different proportions of vermicompost, coconut bran, biochar and humic acid into the organic fertilizer. A total of 12 treatment groups were formed across three gradients, involving different proportions of vermicompost with 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15 proportions of coconut bran/biochar and 0.05, 0.15 and 0.20 proportions of humic acid. To evaluate the water retention performance, uniform water and fertilizer regulations were applied. The results revealed that the treatment groups T4 (vermicompost:coconut bran = 0.5:0.1) and T5 (vermicompost:biochar = 0.5:0.1) exhibited higher water absorption multiplicity, lower water infiltration rates, and better water retention performances, but there was no significant difference between the two treatment groups. Among them, T4 could effectively improve the nutrient content of the substrate, and the substrate nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) increased by 5.80% compared with CK2. Also, plant total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) uptake increased by 81.18% and 4.74%, respectively, compared with CK2, which in turn promoted the growth and development of the plant and improved the fruit yield and quality to a certain extent. Meanwhile, T4 had the highest urease and catalase activities, with sucrase activity ranking second only to T1. In contrast, T5 demonstrated greater effectiveness in improving the average fruit weight and maximum fruit weight, registering increases of 22.98% and 36.22% compared to CK2, respectively, but the effect on the total yield was less pronounced. A comprehensive evaluation of strawberry growth found that the T4 treatment was superior. In conclusion, the ratio of vermicompost and coconut bran at 0.5:0.1 improved and promoted the substrate water retention performance and strawberry growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A humanoid intelligent robot (HIR) possessing a human-like appearance can undertake human jobs, interact, communicate and even transmit emotions to human beings. Such robots have gradually been integrated into people's daily life and production scenarios. However, it is unclear whether and by what mechanism HIRs can stimulate people's risk perception and its impact on consumption attitudes. Based on the risk decision theory, this study aims to take the social value substitution attribute of a HIR as the incentive and analyzes the influence of social value substitution and risk perception on the customers' consumption attitudes. Design/methodology/approach: Three experiments were conducted to investigate the related questions about the social value substitution attribute of a HIR, its impact on risk perception and the customers' consumption attitudes. Findings: The results reveal that physical labor, intellectual labor, friendship, kinship and the ego constitute the hierarchical elements of social value substitution. Among them, physical labor and intellectual labor pertain to the dimension of social function value substitution, while friendship, kinship and ego pertain to the dimension of social presence value substitution; social function value substitution and social presence value substitution affect the subjects' risk perception positively, but the latter arouses a stronger risk perception; the 2 (risk perception of social function value: security/danger) × 2 (risk perception of social presence value: security/danger) condition corresponds to diverse consumption attitudes. Originality/value: The results enrich the theories of the "cha-xu pattern" and "uncanny valley" and provide reference for the healthy development of the HIR industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow-guided sieve-valve tray(FGS-VT)with high efficiency was designed to overcome the shortcoming of low operating flexibility of the flow-guided sieve tray. Its dimensions and geometry, as well as structure characteristics, were presented. The hydrodynamics and mass transfer performance, including dry-plate pressure drop, wet plate-pressure drop, weeping, entrainment and tray efficiency, of two types of FGS-VTs (FGS-VTs with 14 and 8 valves, respectively) and one flow-guided sieve tray were tested in an air-water-oxygen cold model experiment with a 0.6 m diameter plexiglass column. The results demonstrate that FGS-VT with 14 valves works better than FGS-VT with 8 valves, and in comparison with the flow-guided sieve tray, the flow-guided sieve-valve tray with 14 valves has higher tray efficiency, bigger operating flexibility, and lower wet-plate pressure drop (when all the valves are opened fully).Additionally, two typical applications to separate the mixture with high viscosity, solid, powder, easy-to-foam or easy self-polymerization components proved the unique advantages of FGS-VT.

Drought is the main abiotic stress limiting soybean production worldwide and seriously limits the reproductive growth of soybean. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of drought stress response in soybean seed developmental stages, transcriptome analysis was performed on five seed developmental stages under drought stress and control conditions. Thousands of genes were found to change in expression level under drought stress, GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were involved in drought resistance at every stage or tissue, but there were very few DEGs at the primary stage of seed development, which indicated that the seeds at the primary developmental stage were influenced little by drought stress. There was no shared DEG among all five stages or tissues, this indicated that they have different mechanisms to resist drought stress. Furthermore, we investigated DEGs associated with drought response at different stages to identify candidate regulators of drought stress response during soybean seed development. These genes are associated with metabolic and regulatory networks, among others. Taken together, the results will expand our understanding of the adaptation of soybean to drought stress and provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of soybean drought tolerance development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine different types of sharing platforms based on risk perceptions of product/service providers and users, and to illustrate appropriate platform regulation preferences. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was used (N = 540) to collect data on platform participants' risk perceptions and regulation preferences in the Chinese (N = 263) and the US markets (N = 277). Cluster analysis and multiple correspondence analysis were used to categorise platforms and match their regulation preferences with the risk characteristics. Findings: The results show that i) four types of sharing platforms are categorised in terms of the risk perceived by the supply and demand side, and ii) four types of regulation preferences are clustered, drawing on the power and trust elements proposed from the slippery slope framework. Furthermore, coercive power regulation is favoured by participants of platforms with high supply risk and low demand risk, legitimate power regulation is preferred by actors of platforms with low supply risk and high demand risk, reason-based trust regulation is preferred by actors of platforms with high supply and demand risk, and implicit trust regulation is favoured by participants of platforms with low supply and demand risk. Research limitations/implications: This paper develops an empirical typology of platforms based on risk perceptions of providers and users, and advances our understanding about lateral exchange markets from a consumer perspective. Practical implications: This paper provides implications for platforms to regulate transactions through two mechanisms – the power of platforms and trust in platform participants. Originality/value: Regulating by power ensures transaction security while regulating by trust enhances transaction efficiency, so it is important to configure the power and trust elements in platform regulation in an appropriate manner. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is one of the first attempts at addressing platform regulation and shows how consumers' risk perception of platforms can lead to important implications for theory and practice in marketing and better regulation of platform transactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]